Seymour "Cy" Schindell (March 4, 1907 – 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.

Career

Born in Brooklyn in 1907 as Seymour Schindel, Schindell was a former middleweight boxer who competed in 19 professional bouts between 1926 and 1928. He later entered the film industry as an extra at Columbia Pictures, where he became a regular supporting player in productions featuring The Three Stooges. Known for his stocky build and tough demeanor, he was frequently cast as antagonists and authority figures. He also performed his own stunt work, including pratfalls.

Schindell appeared in numerous Three Stooges shorts, including Calling All Curs (1939), Nutty But Nice (1940), and Fright Night (1947), typically portraying hostile or domineering characters. In both Matri-Phony (1942) and Fright Night, his character is rendered unconscious and subsequently manipulated by the Stooges from behind a curtain. Footage from Fright Night was later reused in the remake Fling in the Ring (1955). He also appeared as Chizzilini, a parody of Benito Mussolini, in I'll Never Heil Again (1941).

Beyond his work with the Stooges, Schindell had a brief role as the bouncer at Nick's in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and appeared in a range of supporting parts, often portraying blue-collar workers such as truck drivers, butchers, and policemen.

Military service and illness

Schindell enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in the 1920s and returned to active duty during World War II. While serving on Guadalcanal, he developed a severe case of jungle rot, which later progressed into terminal cancer. He continued working during his illness in order to provide financial security for his family.

Schindell died on August 24, 1948, at the age of 41. He was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. His final film appearance was in the Three Stooges short Crime on Their Hands (1948), in which heavy makeup was used to reduce the visible effects of his illness.

Selected filmography

External links