Emil went to see Jules White and passed an impromptu audition. At first Emil was considered for his own short-subject series, but "the brass" decided to make use of Emil's versatility and employ him as a supporting actor for various stars of the day. Emil's first film role was in the Columbia Pictures short-subject comedy, "Hiss and Yell," which starred Vera Vague and which was actually nominated for an Academy Award. It was a small role, really a bit part with only a few spoken lines, but it had taken a decade of hard work, commitment and sacrifice to get it. Emil had fulfilled his dream. Things began moving fast after this. Several months and six films later, Emil was given an assignment that would ultimately change his acting career forever. He was told to show up on the set of a film called "Half-Wits Holiday" starring The Three Stooges. At this time, Emil had heard of The Three Stooges but was not really aware of who they were. When he reported to the set, he was a little confused because some of the workmen there had actors' makeup on. It turned out to be the Stooges themselves, dressed as workmen. Emil didn't even recognize the stars of the film he was about to be in!
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