Seymour "Cy" Schindell (March 4, 1907 â€" August 24, 1948) was an
American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly
as a heavy, though he was never credited in any Stooge
shorts.Brooklyn-born Schindell was born Seymour Schindel in 1907. He
was a former middleweight boxer with 19 fights from 1926â€"1928. He
was later bitten by the acting bug, and found work as an extra at
Columbia Studios, most notably appearing with comedy team the Three
Stooges. A skilled stuntman, Schindell performed many pratfalls
himself. His ability to deliver straight, tough dialogue ("youse
mugs") made him a natural for parts as heavies. Shorts like Calling
All Curs, Nutty But Nice and Fright Night gave Schindell a chance to
bully the Stooges around to great effect. In Matri-Phony and Fright
Night the ex-pugilist was knocked cold by the trio, only to have the
Stooges (concealed behind a curtain) maneuver the unconscious
Schindell like a puppet (when Fright Night was remade in 1955 as Fling
in the Ring, this footage was reused). Schindell also memorably played
Chizzilini, a parody of Benito Mussolini, in the short I'll Never Heil
Again.In addition to his work in Three Stooges shorts, Schindell also
appeared briefly in It's a Wonderful Life as the bouncer at Nick's,
and made numerous film appearances playing mainly blue collar roles
such as a truck driver, a butcher and a policeman.Schindell enlisted
in the United States Marine Corps during the 1920s and returned to
active service for World War II. While on Guadalcanal, he developed a
severe case of jungle rot, which eventually developed into terminal
cancer. Knowing he was dying, Schindell worked constantly during his
illness to assure his family would be financially secure after his
death.
American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly
as a heavy, though he was never credited in any Stooge
shorts.Brooklyn-born Schindell was born Seymour Schindel in 1907. He
was a former middleweight boxer with 19 fights from 1926â€"1928. He
was later bitten by the acting bug, and found work as an extra at
Columbia Studios, most notably appearing with comedy team the Three
Stooges. A skilled stuntman, Schindell performed many pratfalls
himself. His ability to deliver straight, tough dialogue ("youse
mugs") made him a natural for parts as heavies. Shorts like Calling
All Curs, Nutty But Nice and Fright Night gave Schindell a chance to
bully the Stooges around to great effect. In Matri-Phony and Fright
Night the ex-pugilist was knocked cold by the trio, only to have the
Stooges (concealed behind a curtain) maneuver the unconscious
Schindell like a puppet (when Fright Night was remade in 1955 as Fling
in the Ring, this footage was reused). Schindell also memorably played
Chizzilini, a parody of Benito Mussolini, in the short I'll Never Heil
Again.In addition to his work in Three Stooges shorts, Schindell also
appeared briefly in It's a Wonderful Life as the bouncer at Nick's,
and made numerous film appearances playing mainly blue collar roles
such as a truck driver, a butcher and a policeman.Schindell enlisted
in the United States Marine Corps during the 1920s and returned to
active service for World War II. While on Guadalcanal, he developed a
severe case of jungle rot, which eventually developed into terminal
cancer. Knowing he was dying, Schindell worked constantly during his
illness to assure his family would be financially secure after his
death.
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