Emory Parnell
Encyclopedia
Emory Parnell was an American vaudevillian
and actor
who appeared in over 250 films in his 36 year career. Nicknamed "The Big Swede", Parnell (who was sometimes credited as "Emery" or "Parnel") was married to Effie Laird, and they had two children together, one of whom, James Parnell, also became an actor.
in Iowa and spent his early years as a performer as a concert violinist. He performed on the Chautauqua
and Lyceum
circuits until 1930, when he went to Detroit where he narrated and acted in commercial and industrial films. Seeking better opportunities in Hollywood, Parnell and his wife moved to California, where, helped by his red-faced Irish look of frustration, he immediately began to appear in films in a variety of role, such as policemen, doormen, landlords, and small town businessmen.
Although his appearances were often in "B" films
, such as the Ma and Pa Kettle
series, he also made credible showings in "A" films as well. One notable part was as a Paramount studio executive who sang about avoiding libel suits to open 1941's Louisiana Purchase
. Parnell was also part of writer-director Preston Sturges
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
in the 1940s, appearing in five of Sturges' films, including The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
, where he played the crooked banker, "Mr. Tuerck", the chief antagonist of William Demarest's "Constable Kockenlocker". He also made a memorable appearance as grumpy socialite Ajax Bullion in the Three Stooges
short subject
All the World's a Stooge
.
In May 1949, Parnell appeared on Broadway
for the first and only time, in the play Mr. Adam, which ran for only five performances. In the 1950s, Parnell began to appear on television, in both dramatic shows and situation comedies, playing much the same kinds of parts he played in movies. Most of his TV appearances were one-offs or for two episodes, although he did play William Bendix
's factory foreman "Hank Hawkins" on The Life of Riley
, and the character "Bill Anders" on five episodes of Maverick
.
, and he made his final movie, Girls on the Road, in which he played a bartender, in 1973. His final public appearance came in , when he and his wife were interviewed by TV talk-show host Tom Snyder
along with other residents of the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and actor
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
who appeared in over 250 films in his 36 year career. Nicknamed "The Big Swede", Parnell (who was sometimes credited as "Emery" or "Parnel") was married to Effie Laird, and they had two children together, one of whom, James Parnell, also became an actor.
Career
Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside CollegeMorningside College
Morningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
in Iowa and spent his early years as a performer as a concert violinist. He performed on the Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
and Lyceum
Lyceum movement
The lyceum movement in the United States was a trend in architecture inspired by Aristotle's Lyceum in ancient Greece....
circuits until 1930, when he went to Detroit where he narrated and acted in commercial and industrial films. Seeking better opportunities in Hollywood, Parnell and his wife moved to California, where, helped by his red-faced Irish look of frustration, he immediately began to appear in films in a variety of role, such as policemen, doormen, landlords, and small town businessmen.
Although his appearances were often in "B" films
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
, such as the Ma and Pa Kettle
Ma and Pa Kettle
Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by Universal Studios, in the late '40s and '50s. They are a hillbilly couple with fifteen children whose lives turn upside-down when they win a model-home-of-the-future in a slogan-writing contest...
series, he also made credible showings in "A" films as well. One notable part was as a Paramount studio executive who sang about avoiding libel suits to open 1941's Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase (film)
Louisiana Purchase is a 1941 film adaptation of the musical theater play, Louisiana Purchase. A Paramount Pictures production, the film was directed by Irving Cummings with Robert Emmett Dolan serving as musical director as he had done for the play. Starring comedian Bob Hope, the film featured...
. Parnell was also part of writer-director Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
Preston Sturges Unofficial Stock Company Actors
Actors who frequently worked with film director Preston Sturges: !! Christmas in July !! The Lady Eve !! Sullivan's Travels !! The Palm Beach Story !! The Miracle of Morgan's Creek !! Hail the Conquering Hero !! The Great Moment !! The Sin of Harold Diddlebock !! Unfaithfully Yours !! The...
in the 1940s, appearing in five of Sturges' films, including The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek is a 1944 screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall...
, where he played the crooked banker, "Mr. Tuerck", the chief antagonist of William Demarest's "Constable Kockenlocker". He also made a memorable appearance as grumpy socialite Ajax Bullion in the Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
All the World's a Stooge
All the World's a Stooge
All the World's a Stooge is the 55th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
.
In May 1949, Parnell appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
for the first and only time, in the play Mr. Adam, which ran for only five performances. In the 1950s, Parnell began to appear on television, in both dramatic shows and situation comedies, playing much the same kinds of parts he played in movies. Most of his TV appearances were one-offs or for two episodes, although he did play William Bendix
William Bendix
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
's factory foreman "Hank Hawkins" on The Life of Riley
The Life of Riley
The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, is a popular American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a long-run 1950s television series , and a 1958 Dell comic book...
, and the character "Bill Anders" on five episodes of Maverick
Maverick (TV series)
Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
.
Later years
Parnell's last acting appearance on television was in as a prospector on GunsmokeGunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, and he made his final movie, Girls on the Road, in which he played a bartender, in 1973. His final public appearance came in , when he and his wife were interviewed by TV talk-show host Tom Snyder
Tom Snyder
Thomas James "Tom" Snyder was an American television personality, news anchor and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows The Tomorrow Show, on the NBC television network in the 1970s and 1980s, and The Late Late Show, on the CBS Television Network in the 1990s...
along with other residents of the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital.