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The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.



(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany)
Edward Peil

His last name is often misspelled as:
Piel, Peel, Pell, etc.

Full name:
Edward John Peil
(may or may not be Sr.)

1882 or 1883 - 1958


Photo left: Edward Peil, circa 1943, and about 60 years of age.


Edward Peil was born on January 18, 1882 in Racine, Wisconsin. His parents were John H. Peil (born in Germany; occupation "Mason") and Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Tetard Peil, and Edward was one of five children. As a young man, he worked as an apprentist druggist and also graduated from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. Marriage followed and by 1910, he and wife Henrietta were in Chicago, and Peil had made a career change to theater work. A few years later, the couple were in Hollywood.

During the silent era, he did films for director D. W. Griffith, including the role of "Evil Eye" in Griffith's BROKEN BLOSSOMS in 1919. Peil also appeared in some westerns including several opposite Tom Mix. In the sound era, he free lanced hither and yon in support/character roles at various production companies in westerns, serials and other films. His movie career spanned about forty years, from approximately 1913 - 1953, and he did 400+ movies. Les Adams has Peil identified in 220+ sound films, and that includes 108 westerns and 19 serials.

Peil was the brains heavy in a couple of John Wayne oaters, THE MAN FROM UTAH (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934) and BLUE STEEL (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934). He also had a minor role in Wayne's cliffhanger THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Mascot, 1933). Mascot boss Nat Levine employed him in other serials: THE GALLOPING GHOST (Mascot, 1931), THE DEVIL HORSE (Mascot, 1932), THE MYSTERY SQUADRON (Mascot, 1933), THE LAW OF THE WILD (Mascot, 1934), and THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935).

Peil seemed to get attached to Columbia and Charles Starrett - he appeared in fourteen Starrett sagebrush adventures during 1936 - 1943. In about half of those, he played a lawman. He didn't get many paychecks from Republic Pictures. The best of his five Republic westerns is COME ON, COWBOYS! (Republic, 1937), a Three Mesquiteers yarn with Peil as the crooked half-owner of a circus.

In the 1940s, an older and balder Edward Peil was often relegated to background/bit parts and his roles were mostly mild mannered rather than villainous. During this period, you can spot him as a rancher, jailer, townsman, etc. at PRC (with Bob Steele, Buster Crabbe, George Houston, Tim McCoy) and Monogram (with the Range Busters, Rough Riders).


On the right is a screen capture from the 1919 D. W. Griffith production of BROKEN BLOSSOMS showing Edward Peil as "Evil Eye".

He was billed fifth, behind Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp and Arthur Howard.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)
From left to right are Edward Peil, Eleanor Hunt and Yakima Canutt in a scene from the John Wayne BLUE STEEL (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934). Peil was the brains heavy and billed fourth as "Edward Peil". Canutt was the "Polka Dot Bandit".

Eleanor Hunt was a Ziegfeld girl and her biggest movie role was the leading lady to Eddie Cantor in WHOOPEE! (Samuel Goldwyn, 1930). She was married several times and her husbands included Rex Lease and producer George A. Hirliman.


On the right is a screen capture from the Gene Autry cliffhanger THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935) showing J. Frank Glendon (as "Professor Beetson") and Edward Peil (wearing glasses in the role of "Dr. Cooper").

Peil was billed eleventh in this serial ... but his name was misspelled as "Edward Piel, Sr.".

That wasn't the first nor last time that Peil's name was spelled incorrectly - another example is the Charles Starrett THE COWBOY STAR (Columbia, 1936) and he is billed fifth as "Edward Piel, Sr.".



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)
From left to right are Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, Edward Peil and Tom London in a scene from the Range Busters' FUGITIVE VALLEY (Monogram, 1941). London played the marshal and Peil was the jailer.

Peil, who at the time was about 58 years old, did get opening title credit and was billed eighth as "Edward Peil Sr.".


I recently saw the Frank Capra YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Columbia, 1938) on Turner Classic Movies. With about five minutes left in the film, the Sycamore family is being forced to move out of their home. And who appears, helping with the move and carrying one end of a sofa out the front door? Yup - a balding Edward Peil (in an uncredited part with no dialog).

Peil didn't have the heft or viciousness of Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft, Fred Kohler or Noah Beery Sr. But during the 1930s, Edward Peil provided us with some memorable moments of skullduggery.

In later life, Peil suffered from heart disease and he passed away from a cardiac arrest on December 29, 1958 at the Motion Picture Hospital, Woodland Hills, California.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

From left to right in this lobby card from THE TEXAS RANGER (Columbia, 1931) are Buck Jones, Harry Woods and an unbilled Edward Peil. A few months earlier, Peil was the brains heavy in one of Jones' worst, THE AVENGER (Columbia, 1931), with Buck sporting a moustache and playing Joaquin Murieta. These two films were among the series that Jones made in the early 1930s for producer Sol Lesser.



(Courtesy of Minard Coons)

On the far left is Edward Peil and next to him is Yakima Canutt. On the right is Wayne restraining pretty Eleanor Hunt while George Hayes handles the other six gun. From BLUE STEEL (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934), probably the best of Wayne's Lone Star series of westerns. Peil was the brains heavy and Canutt was the "Polka Dot Bandit".



(Pressbook ad courtesy of Les Adams)

Above is a pressbook ad from HEROES OF THE ALAMO (1937) from producer Anthony J. Xydias and his Sunset production company. Edward Piel (another wrong spelling) was Sam Houston. In 1938, Columbia Pictures needed to fill a hole in their schedule and picked up this independent production for distribution as a Columbia film.



(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Above from left to right are bartender Ethan Laidlaw, Charles Starrett, Forbes Murray, Edward LeSaint, Edmund Cobb and Edward Peil in a scene still from Starrett's SPOILERS OF THE RANGE (Columbia, 1939).



On the trail of Edward Peil ... and his son

The Family Search website (free), California Death Index and the Death Certificate provide more about Edward Peil and family:

  • 1890 census is unavailable - it was lost in a 1921 fire (and water damage) at the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C.
  • 1900 census summary and census takers worksheet - living in Racine, Wisconsin were 61 year old John H. Peil (born Germany; occupation "Mason"), his 58 year old wife Elizabeth (born Illinois), 25 year old son William H. (born Wisconsin), 23 year old Charles (born Wisconsin), 21 year old son Oscar G. (born Wisconsin), 18 year old son Edward J. (born Wisconsin) and 22 year old adopted daughter Catharine (born Wisconsin). The occupation of Edward was "Apprentice Druggist": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MM27-LNR
  • July 2, 1907 marriage in Wabash, Indiana of Edward J. Peil (actor, born January 18, 1882 in Racine, Wisconsin) and Henrietta Gundaker (actress, born May 20, 1884 in Connecticut): https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27VK-MVR
  • 1910 census summary and census takers worksheet - 28 year old Edward Peil (born Wisconsin) and 24 year old wife Henrietta were among many lodgers at 810 Dearborn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Edward's occupation was "Theatrical" and Henrietta was a "Ticket Seller - Theater": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKZ8-JY3
  • World War I draft registration - Edward John Peil was born January 18, 1882 and lived at 243 S. Olive (?), Los Angeles. Occupation was "Actor - D. W. Griffith, Los Angeles" and his contact was wife Henrietta: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1SL-7J7?mode=g&wc=9FHP-923%3A928312301%2C1070294701%3Fcc%3D1968530&cc=1968530
  • 1920 census summary and census takers worksheet - living in Los Angeles were 37 year old Edward J. Peil (born Wisconsin), his 35 year old wife Henrietta (born Connecticut), 12 year old son Edward (born Wisconsin) and 4 year old daughter Virginia (born California). They're one of many families renting at 1729 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. father Ed and son Ed had occupations of "Actor - Moving Pictures": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQ8-Y2K
  • 1930 census summary and census takers worksheet - living in Los Angeles were 48 year old Edward J. Peil (born Wisconsin), his 45 year old wife Henrietta E. (born Connecticut), 22 year old son Edward J. Peil Jr. (really Charles E.) (born Wisconsin), 14 year old daughter Virginia M. (born California), and Edward's 40 year old sister, Mabelle J. Mayles (born Connecticut). They are one of many families renting at the Cherokee Manor Apartments, 1842 Cherokee Avenue, Los Angeles. Henrietta's occupation was "Actress - Theater", while Ed and Ed Jr. had occupations of "Actor - Motion Pict": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCVM-VYC
  • 1940 census summary and census takers worksheet - renting in Los Angeles were 58 year old Edward J. Peil (born Wisconsin), his 53 year old wife Henrietta (born Connecticut), 32 year old son Charles E. (born Wisconsin) and 24 year old daughter Virginia (born California). Peil, his son and daughter, had occupations of "Actor or Actress - Motion Pictures": https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CK-1K3
  • 1942 World War II draft registration for Edward John Peil, born January 18, 1882 in Racine, Wisconsin, and his employment was "Free lance Actor". Contact was his wife and they lived at 1437 1/2 North Crescent Heights Boulevard, Los Angeles: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16389-38484-57?cc=1861144
  • Death certificate: 75 year old Edward John Peil was born January 18, 1883 in Wisconsin; occupation was "Actor - Free Lance - Stage and Screen"; parents were John Peil (born Austria) and Elizabeth Tetart (born Wisconsin). He passed away on December 29, 1958 at the Motion Picture Hospital, Woodland Hills, California. Cause of death was cardiac arrest and heart disease (10 years duration). Home address was 10929 Calvert Street, North Hollywood, and the death certificate informant was his wife Henrietta Peil. Pierce Bros. Vallhalla was the funeral director and burial at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.
  • California Death Index mirrors the death certificate - Edward John Peil, born 1/18/1883 in Wisconsin, Mother's maiden name of Tetart, and he passed away at age 75 years in the Los Angeles area on 12/29/1958.
  • December 31, 1958 and January 1, 1959 issues of the Los Angeles (California) Times newspaper had an obituary and funeral notice. Excerpt: "... leaves his widow, Mrs. Henrietta Peil, a daughter, Virginia Margulies, and son, Edward Jr. Interment ... in San Fernando Mission Cemetery."
  • California Death Index has a record for Henrietta E. Peil , born May 20, 1884, and passed away on September 15, 1974 in the Los Angeles area.
    The California Death Index also has a record for their son, Charles E. Peil, born 11/18/1907 in Wisconsin, and he died 11/7/1962 at age 54 in the Calaveros, California area.

Find A Grave website confirms that Peil is interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6689970/edward-peil

Hans Wollstein found the following on Peil's son in the 1921 Motion Picture Studio Directory and Trade Annual:

JONES, Johnny; born Beloit, WI; educated Caldwell Military Coll., NY, schools in LA; stage career: "The Barrier", "Salomy Jane" company. Screen career: Harold Bell Wright Co. ("Shepherd of the Hills"), Morosco ("The Shuttle"), Wm. Fox ("Walls of Jericho"), Edgar in Booth Tarkington "Edgar" series. Height: 4, 6. Brown hair, grey eyes. Home ad.: 4211 Delmar Ave., Los Angeles, CA.

Jack Tillmany found a photo and telephone number for Peil in the 1939 Casting Directory: he listed himself as "Edward Peil, Sr."

Doesn't appear to be too much confusion with our Edward Peil - except that he may not be Senior - just plain Edward Peil. And his acting son is probably not Junior, but is Charles Edward Peil. Methinks that "Senior" and "Junior" were added to differentiate the father and son in their Hollywood careers.



Above are photo ads for Peil father and son from the 1925 Standard Casting Directory (available at the Internet Archive).



In the early 1920s, Gertrude 'Gertie' Messinger co-starred in the "Johnny Jones" comedies for Pathe. Her brother was prolific silent screen kid star Buddie Messinger. Starring as Johnny Jones was Charles Edward Peil (1907 - 1962), Edward Peil's son. Above is a 1922 ad from Motion Picture News (available at the Internet Archive) with images of Gertrude on the left and Peil on the right.


Peil Links

  Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Edward Peil: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0081361/

and the Internet Movie Database has information on Peil's actor son, Edward (1907 - 1962) (but his real name is listed as Charles Edward Peil Jr., when it probably should be Charles Edward Peil): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0670523/

Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana has an alumni newsletter from March, 1959 which includes a mention of the December 29, 1958 death of Edward J. Peil, actor ... and a graduate of the class of 1904. This link is to a pdf file to download/view that newsletter. Scroll to page 36 to view the Peil death notice: https://archives.nd.edu/Alumnus/VOL_0016/VOL_0016_ISSUE_0005.pdf

Boyd Magers has a profile on Peil at his Westerns Clippings website: http://www.westernclippings.com/heavies/edwardjpeil_charactersheavies.shtml

Kay Shackleton's SilentHollywood.com website has several photos of the young Edward Peil Jr. in EDGAR'S FEAST DAY (Goldwyn Pictures, 1921), one of the series of two-reel "Edgar Pomeroy" shorts with Peil's son billed as "Johnny Jones". That website is no longer working. A saved copy is available at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20210612211823/https://www.silenthollywood.com/edgarsfeastday.html

You can download or stream the D. W. Griffith BROKEN BLOSSOMS from the Internet Archive: https://www.archive.org/details/brokenblossoms1919



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