Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Unknown Brendel still

Here is one of two El Brendel stills that I have that are from an unknown project. The still is marked "El Brendel" on the back in "period" (meaning 20's/30's) ink and the still code is 8205-13. I believe the still is from a silent film (just because he looks so young in the photo) so that would have to be from one of the 8 films he made with Paramount in the late 20's. I have stills from all of his films from this time EXCEPT "Too Many Crooks" and "Rolled Stockings", so it may be from either of those.

He appears to be lighting a cigarette or cigar, which would be odd as he was not a smoker.

Can anyone help me identify this??


****UPDATED**** A request at slinetcomedians.com FINALLY gave me an answer from historian Steve Massa:

Hi Louis
I'm pretty sure your still is of the young Danny Kaye, and not El Brendel. It's from one of the Educational shorts that he shot in Astoria, NY, such as YOUR MONEY ON YOUR LIFE 1938 or CUPID TAKES A HOLIDAY 1938 where he plays the crazy Russian Nikolai Nikolaevich. The building behind him looks like the area around the studio.

Steve M.


MYSTERY SOLVED!!!

3 comments:

Stacia said...

The code for "Rolled Stockings" stills I found on eBay was 1069-XX, so I doubt it's from "Rolled Stockings". Man, I wish that film was still extant!

"Too Many Crooks" looks like it's 334-X, so I guess it's not a still from that, either.

Anonymous said...

Good work Steve in identifying that still as Danny Kaye. I did a little further research and have figured out exactly which of Danny Kaye's four Educational shorts the still is from. It is from his last, "Money On Your Life".
These are the release dates and Educational production numbers for all four of his shorts:
1. Dime A Dance. (12-24-37). #8112.
2. Getting An Eyeful. (1-21-38). #8204.
3. Cupid Takes A Holiday. (2-4-38). #8115.
4. Money On Your Life. (5-13-38). #8205.
Now, if we find any more Kaye stills that look like Brendel, we will know which film they're from!
---- Rich Finegan

Anonymous said...

The following clip verifies your theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAtyxnU1QM8

--Hilarie