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

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

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'' (1930), produced by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American independent company that produced motion pictures and was formed in 1914 by the theater "chain" pioneer William Fox (producer), William Fox. It was the corporate successor to ...

. His screen name was pronounced "El Bren-DEL".

Early life

He was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He attended the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. 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'' was a United Kingdom, British ocean liner launched by the Cunard Line in 1906. The Royal Mail Ship, the world's largest passenger ship until the completion of her sister three months later, in 1907 regained for Britain the ...

, 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 and Buddy Rogers, a film which won the first

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

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, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

in 1927 to return to the vaudeville stage before being coaxed back to Hollywood in 1929, signing a contract with

. 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, Brendel was the star comedian in '' New Movietone Follies of 1930'', '' The Big Trail'' 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 '' Just Imagine'', 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 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'' with

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

, and '' If I Had My Way'' co-starring

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

and Gloria Jean. In 1936, El Brendel made his debut at

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

in a pair of two-reel comedies; producer

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; 17 September 1900 – 30 April 1985) was an American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges. Early years White began working in motion pictures in the ...

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,

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

, Tom Kennedy, and Monty Collins. Brendel also starred in feature films for the independent PRC studio. When his PRC and Columbia work ran out in 1945, Brendel went back to vaudeville, returning to the screen only occasionally. Columbia began re-releasing some of El Brendel's two-reel comedies in 1948. The exposure may have resulted in his being hired for a new feature film, '' The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend'' (1949), starring Betty Grable. In 1950, Brendel recorded four numbers for Imperial Records: ''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'' with Art Baker. He also appeared in a few television series such as '' Cowboy G-Men'', '' My Little Margie'', and '' Perry Mason''. His last film was ''Laffing Time'' (1959), a featherweight, sitcom-styled comedy. Producer Edward Finney took the leading role, with Gloria Jean as the feminine lead, and Mr. and Mrs. Brendel as neighbors. Brendel 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 Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

, on April 9, 1964. He is buried at the

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematorium, 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 ...

Partial filmography

El Brendel films may be viewed at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

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'' (1926) – Knute Knudson * '' Man of the Forest'' (1926) – Horace Pipp * '' Too Many Crooks'' (1927) – Botts * '' Arizona Bound'' (1927) – 'Oley Smoke' Oleson * '' Wings'' (1927) – Herman Schwimpf * '' Rolled Stockings'' (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. Plot Ca ...

'' (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 American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...

'' (1929) – Minstrel Show Performer #2 * '' Frozen Justice'' (1929) – Swede * '' Hot for Paris'' (1929) – Axel Olson * '' Sunny Side Up'' (1929) – Eric Swenson * '' The Golden Calf'' (1930) – Knute Olson * '' New Movietone Follies of 1930'' (1930) – Alex Svenson * '' The Big Trail'' (1930) – Gus * '' Just Imagine'' (1930) – Single O * '' Mr. Lemon of Orange'' (1931) – Oscar Lemon / Silent McGee * '' Six Cylinder Love'' (1931) – Janitor * '' Women of All Nations'' (1931) – Olsen * '' The Spider'' (1931) – Ole * '' West of Broadway'' (1931) – Axel 'Swede' Axelson * '' Delicious'' (1931) – Chris Jansen * '' Disorderly Conduct'' (1932) – Olsen * '' Handle with Care'' (1932) – Carl Lundstrom * ''Born to Fight'' (1932) – Swiebach * '' Olsen's Big Moment'' (1933) – Knute Olsen * '' Hot Pepper'' (1933) – Olsen * '' The Last Trail'' (1933) – Newt Olsen * '' My Lips Betray'' (1933) – Oswald Stigmat, Chauffeur * '' The Meanest Gal in Town'' (1934) – Chris Peterson * '' What, No Men!'' (1935, Short) – Gus Olsen – Gas Company Representative * '' Career Woman'' (1936) – Chris Erleson * '' God's Country and the Woman'' (1937) – Ole Olson * '' The Holy Terror'' (1937) – 'Bugs' Svenson * '' Blonde Trouble'' (1937) – Window Washer * '' Happy Landing'' (1938) – Yonnie * '' Little Miss Broadway'' (1938) – Ole * '' Valley of the Giants'' (1938) – 'Fats' * '' Risky Business'' (1939) – Axel * '' Code of the Streets'' (1939) – Mickhail 'Micky' Bjorgulfsen * '' The House of Fear'' (1939) – Jeff * '' Call a Messenger'' (1939) – 'Baldy' * '' If I Had My Way'' (1940) – Axel Swenson * '' Captain Caution'' (1940) – Slushy * '' Gallant Sons'' (1940) – Olaf Larsen * '' Phoney Cronies'' (1942, Short) – Oley * '' Machine Gun Mama'' (1944) – Ollie Swenson * '' I'm from Arkansas'' (1944) – Oly * ''Pistol Packin' Nitwits'' (1945, Short) – Professor Brendel * '' The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend'' (1949) – Mr. Jorgensen * '' Paris Model'' (1953) – Papa Jensen * '' The She-Creature'' (1956) – Olaf * ''Laffing Time'' (1959) – Efrem "Blobbsy" Blobbs

References

External links