Cy Schindell


Seymour "Cy" Schindell was an American actor who appeared in 37 Three Stooges short subjects, mostly as a heavy.

Career

Brooklyn-born Schindell was born Seymour Schindel in 1907. He was a former middleweight boxer with 19 fights from 1926–1928. 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 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 maneuver the unconscious Schindell like a puppet. 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.

Military service and illness

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.
Schindell died on August 24, 1948 at age 41, and was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, Los Angeles, California. His final film appearance was in 1948's Three Stooges film Crime on Their Hands; heavy makeup was used to mask Schindell's cancer-ridden face.

Selected filmography