Elmer Goodfellow "El" Brendel (March 25, 1890 – April 9, 1964) was an American

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

comedian turned movie star, best remembered for his dialect routine as a Swedish immigrant. His biggest role was as "Single-0" in the sci-fi musical ''

Just Imagine ''Just Imagine'' is a 1930 American pre-Code science fiction musical- comedy film, directed by David Butler. The film is known for its art direction and special effects in its portrayal of New York City in an imagined 1980. ''Just Imagine'' s ...

'' (1930), produced by Fox Film Corporation. His screen name was pronounced "El Bren-DEL".

Early life

He was born on March 25, 1890 in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

to an Irish mother and German immigrant father. Brendel, unlike his stage and film character, was not Swedish. He spoke standard American English without a trace of any other accent. He attended the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

. He entered

in 1913 as a German dialect comedian and married his vaudeville partner. Due to anti-German sentiment brought about by the sinking of the

RMS Lusitania RMS ''Lusitania'' (named after the Roman province in Western Europe corresponding to modern Portugal) was a British ocean liner that was launched by the Cunard Line in 1906 and that held the Blue Riband appellation for the fastest Atlantic ...

, Brendel developed a new character, one he would portray on stage and in films for the rest of his career: a good-natured, simple Swede, often called "Oley," "Ole," or "Ollie". During the 1910s and early 1920s, he appeared with his wife, vaudeville star Flo Bert, doing a married-couple routine. It was during this period that he coined his trademark lines, "Yee vizz!" and "Yumpin' yiminy!" He made his first stage appearance in 1921. He appeared in ''Cinderella on Broadway'', ''Spice of 1922'', ''Passing Show'', and ''New York Whirl''.

Career

In 1926, he signed a contract with Famous Players Film Company and appeared in eight films there over the next two years, most memorably as the comic relief in '' Wings'' (1927) with

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to " talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

and Buddy Rogers, a film which won the first

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Outstanding Production (an award that is comparable to today's Best Picture Oscar.) Brendel played the character Herman Schwimpf, a German-American whose patriotism is at first questioned when he volunteers for service in the U.S. Air Force. Brendel left

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

in 1927 to return to the vaudeville stage before being coaxed back to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

in 1929, signing a contract with Fox Film Corporation. His star immediately rose at the studio, largely in part due to the advent of sound. His "simple Swede" character now had a voice, and his malaprop-ridden dialogue gave his character new appeal. He was featured in the boisterous "Quirt and Flagg" military comedies with Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen. After finishing production of '' Sunny Side Up'' with

Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress. Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (late ...

, Brendel was the star comedian in '' New Movietone Follies of 1930'', ''

The Big Trail ''The Big Trail'' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western early widescreen film shot on location across the American West starring 23-year-old John Wayne in his first leading role and directed by Raoul Walsh. In 2006, the United States Libra ...

'' with John Wayne, and the Gershwin musical '' Delicious'' with Gaynor, which introduced the song "New York Rhapsody" and featured Brendel's rendition of "Blah Blah Blah". In 1930 Brendel starred in ''

'', a science fiction musical directed by David Butler. In 1931 Fox starred him in the dual roles of Mr. Lemon and Silent McGee in the comedy '' Mr. Lemon of Orange.'' While ''Mr. Lemon of Orange'' was publicized by Fox as Brendel's first starring role, that distinction is more accurately given to ''Just Imagine'', which was released five months earlier. Brendel was the most popular comedian in America at the time, according to author Richard Barrios. Despite the positive public reception of ''Just Imagine'' and ''Mr. Lemon of Orange,'' it was judged that Brendel could not carry an expensive film. He continued to play leads in B-pictures, but served in more prestigious fare mainly in supporting roles, mostly with his trademark Swedish accent. In 1933, he left Fox and had a brief tenure at

Warner Bros. Studios Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

making two-reelers, and for the next few years, was a freelance actor. His former director David Butler cast him in two major features, ''

Little Miss Broadway ''Little Miss Broadway'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants ...

'' with

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

, and ''

If I Had My Way ''If I Had My Way'' is a 1940 musical comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean. Based on a story by David Butler, the film is about a construction worker who takes charge of the daughter of a friend killed i ...

'' co-starring

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

and

Gloria Jean Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...

. In 1936, El Brendel made his debut at

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

in a pair of two-reel comedies; producer

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; hu, Weisz Gyula; 17 September 190030 April 1985) was a Hungarian-American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges Early years White began working in mo ...

liked Brendel's act and hired him for a series in 1941. Brendel was a popular attraction in short subjects (Columbia billed him as "America's Swede-Heart!") and he was often paired with other well-known comedians, including

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent. He is best known as the ...

Harry Langdon Harry Philmore Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''Variety'', December 27, 1944, page 39. Life and career Bor ...

, Tom Kennedy, and Monty Collins. Brendel also starred in feature films for the independent

PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

studio. When his PRC and Columbia work ran out in 1945, Brendel went back to vaudeville, returning to the screen only occasionally. One of his last films was ''

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend ''The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend'' is a 1949 romantic comedy Western film starring Betty Grable and featuring Cesar Romero and Rudy Vallee. It was directed by Preston Sturges and written by him based on a story by Earl Felton. The film ...

'' (1949), starring

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

. In 1950, Brendel recorded four numbers for

Imperial Records Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group. Early years to ...

: ''Frankie And Johnny'', ''Hulda'', ''Pinch Of Snoose'' and ''Yumpin' Yiminy'' (a loose adaptation of the 1918 song ''Holy Yumpin Yimini''). During the 1950s, he shared a brief revival with his wife, Flo Bert, on television variety shows, including ''

You Asked For It ''You Asked for It'' is a human interest television show created and hosted by Art Baker. Initially titled ''The Art Baker Show'', the program originally aired on American television between 1950 and 1959. Later versions of the series were see ...

'' with Art Baker. He also appeared in a few television series such as ''

Cowboy G-Men ''Cowboy G-Men'' is an American Western series that aired in syndication from September 1952 to June 1953, for a total of thirty-nine episodes. Synopsis Russell Hayden and former child actor Jackie Coogan (who would later perform as Uncle Feste ...

'', ''

My Little Margie ''My Little Margie'' is an American television situation comedy starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California, at Hal Ro ...

'', and ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

''. His last film was ''Laffing Time'' (1959), a featherweight, sitcom-styled comedy. Producer

Edward Finney Edward Francis Finney (1903–1983) was an American film producer and director.Pitts p.174 He is best known as the man who introduced cowboy singer Tex Ritter to the moviegoing public. Biography Finney was educated at the City College of New Y ...

took the leading role, with

as the feminine lead, and Mr. and Mrs. Brendel as neighbors. He also recorded narration for a proposed children's-television project; some of this footage appears in Finney's feature film ''Tobo the Happy Clown''. MacGillivray, Scott and Jan MacGillivray (2005). "Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven" iUniverse. Bloomington, Ind,

Death

El Brendel died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

at the

Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, formerly known as Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, is a private hospital, private hospital located at 1300 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. The hospital h ...

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

on April 9, 1964. He is buried at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

Partial filmography

El Brendel films may be viewed at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

and other video-sharing websites El Brendel
''youtube.com'' Retrieved: October 5, 2013. or purchased from online retailers. ''Feature films and short subjects in which El Brendel appeared:'' * '' You Never Know Women'' (1926) - Toberchik * ''

The Campus Flirt ''The Campus Flirt'' (a.k.a. The College Flirt) is a lost 1926 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Clarence Badger and starred Bebe Daniels. Comedian El Brende ...

'' (1926) - Knute Knudson * '' Man of the Forest'' (1926) - Horace Pipp * ''

Too Many Crooks ''Too Many Crooks'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi. The plot concerns a bunch of inept crooks who kidnap the wife of a shady businessman, only for him to decide he doesn’t want her back. It stars George Cole, Sidney Ja ...

'' (1927) - Botts * '' Arizona Bound'' (1927) - 'Oley Smoke' Oleson * '' Wings'' (1927) - Herman Schwimpf * ''

Rolled Stockings ''Rolled Stockings'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by Richard Rosson, and starring Louise Brooks. Cast * James Hall as Jim Treadway *Louise Brooks as Carol Fleming *Richard Arlen ...

'' (1927) - Rudolph * ''

Ten Modern Commandments ''Ten Modern Commandments'' is a 1927 American silent romantic comedy-drama film that starred Esther Ralston and was distributed through Paramount Pictures. It is based on an original screen story and was directed by Dorothy Arzner. Cast *Esthe ...

'' (1927) - 'Speeding' Shapiro * '' The Cock-Eyed World'' (1929) - 'Yump' Olson * ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'' (1929) - Minstrel Show Performer #2 * ''

Frozen Justice ''Frozen Justice'' is a 1929 American pre-Code drama film directed by Allan Dwan. The picture starred Lenore Ulric in her first sound film and is based on the 1920 novel, ''Norden For Lov og Ret'', by Ejnar Mikkelsen. A shorter, silent versio ...

'' (1929) - Swede * ''

Hot for Paris ''Hot for Paris'' is a 1929 American pre-Code black-and-white romantic adventure musical film. This film is believed to be lost. The film is also known as ''Fifì dimmi di sì'' in Italy and ''Un marido afortunado'' in Spain. The film length ( ...

'' (1929) - Axel Olson * '' Sunny Side Up'' (1929) - Eric Swenson * '' The Golden Calf'' (1930) - Knute Olson * '' New Movietone Follies of 1930'' (1930) - Alex Svenson * ''

'' (1930) - Gus * ''

'' (1930) - Single O * '' Mr. Lemon of Orange'' (1931) - Oscar Lemon / Silent McGee * '' Six Cylinder Love'' (1931) - Janitor * ''

Women of All Nations ''Women of All Nations'' is a 1931 American pre-Code military comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe, Greta Nissen and El Brendel. It was the second of three sequels to Walsh's 1926 film, '' What Price Glor ...

'' (1931) - Olsen * ''

The Spider The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s. The character was created by editor Harry Steeger and written by a variety of authors for 118 monthly issues of '' The Spider'' from 1933 to 1943. A 119th Spider novel manuscr ...

'' (1931) - Ole * '' West of Broadway'' (1931) - Axel 'Swede' Axelson * '' Delicious'' (1931) - Chris Jansen * ''

Disorderly Conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. Typically, "disorderly conduct" makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to " disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain are ...

'' (1932) - Olsen * '' Handle with Care'' (1932) - Carl Lundstrom * ''Born to Fight'' (1932) - Swiebach * ''

Olsen's Big Moment ''Olsen's Big Moment'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and written by Henry Johnson and James J. Tynan. The film stars El Brendel, Walter Catlett, Barbara Weeks, Susan Fleming, John Arledge and Joe Sawyer. ...

'' (1933) - Knute Olsen * ''

Hot Pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...

'' (1933) - Olsen * '' The Last Trail'' (1933) - Newt Olsen * ''

My Lips Betray ''My Lips Betray'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Lilian Harvey, John Boles and El Brendel.Solomon p. 343 The film's sets were designed by the art director Joseph C. Wright. Plot In ...

'' (1933) - Oswald Stigmat, Chauffeur * '' The Meanest Gal in Town'' (1934) - Chris Peterson * '' What, No Men!'' (1935, Short) - Gus Olsen - Gas Company Representative * ''

Career Woman A career woman is a term which describes a woman whose main goal in life is to create a career for herself. At the time that the term was first used in the 1930s American context, it was specifically used to differentiate between women who either ...

'' (1936) - Chris Erleson * ''

God's Country and the Woman ''God's Country and the Woman'' is a 1937 American Technicolor lumberjack drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Norman Reilly Raine. The film stars George Brent, Beverly Roberts, Barton MacLane, Robert Barrat, Alan Hale, Sr. a ...

'' (1937) - Ole Olson * '' The Holy Terror'' (1937) - 'Bugs' Svenson * ''

Blonde Trouble ''Blonde Trouble'' is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Eleanore Whitney, Johnny Downs and Lynne Overman.Hischak p.209 Produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures, it is based on the plot of the ...

'' (1937) - Window Washer * '' Happy Landing'' (1938) - Yonnie * ''

'' (1938) - Ole * '' Valley of the Giants'' (1938) - 'Fats' * '' Risky Business'' (1939) - Axel * ''

Code of the Streets ''Code of the Streets'' is a 1939 Universal Studios film starring '' The Little Tough Guys''. Plot Convicted on circumstantial evidence, Tommy Shay, a young product of the Front Street slums, is sentenced to die for the murder of police lieutenan ...

'' (1939) - Mickhail 'Micky' Bjorgulfsen * '' The House of Fear'' (1939) - Jeff * ''

Call a Messenger ''Call a Messenger'' is a 1939 Universal Studios film that starred Billy Halop and Huntz Hall of the ''Dead End Kids'' and several of the ''Little Tough Guys''. It was directed by Arthur Lubin. In terms of chronological order, this was released a ...

'' (1939) - 'Baldy' * ''

'' (1940) - Axel Swenson * ''

Captain Caution ''Captain Caution'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Richard Wallace set during the War of 1812. The film stars Victor Mature, Bruce Cabot and Alan Ladd. It was based on the novel of the same name by Kenneth Roberts. Elmer Raguse ...

'' (1940) - Slushy * ''

Gallant Sons ''Gallant Sons'' is a 1940 American mystery film directed by George B. Seitz and written by William R. Lipman and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Bonita Granville, Gail Patrick, Gene Reynolds, June Preisser, Ian Hunter, Leo Gorcey ...

'' (1940) - Olaf Larsen * ''

Phoney Cronies ''Phoney Cronies'' is a 1942 American comedy short by Columbia Pictures starring El Brendel, Tom Kennedy, Dudley Dickerson, and Monte Collins Monte Collins (also credited as Monty Collins; December 3, 1898 – June 1, 1951) was an American ...

'' (1942, Short) - Oley * ''

Machine Gun Mama ''Machine Gun Mama'' is a 1944 American musical comedy film directed by Harold Young. It was PRC's attempt to feature a comedy team to compete with Universal's Abbott and Costello and Paramount's '' Road to ...'' movies, as well as their entr ...

'' (1944) - Ollie Swenson * ''

I'm from Arkansas ''I'm from Arkansas'' is a 1944 American musical comedy film directed by Lew Landers. Plot summary The town of Pitchfork, Arkansas makes national headlines when Esmeralda the sow gives birth to 18 piglets. Among the visitors to Pitchfork are ...

'' (1944) - Oly * ''Pistol Packin' Nitwits'' (1945, Short) - Professor Brendel * ''

'' (1949) - Mr. Jorgensen * ''

Paris Model ''Paris Model'' is a 1953 American comedy drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Marilyn Maxwell, Paulette Goddard, Eva Gabor and Barbara Lawrence.Wojcik p.235 It is an anthology featuring four separate parts, each focused on on ...

'' (1953) - Papa Jensen * ''

The She-Creature ''The She-Creature'', or ''The She Creature'', is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction horror film, released by American International Pictures from a script by Lou Rusoff (brother-in-law of AIP executive Samuel Z. Arkoff). It was pr ...

'' (1956) - Olaf * ''Laffing Time'' (1959) - Efrem "Blobbsy" Blobbs

References

External links