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J. Farrell MacDonald
Born · June 5, 1875
Died · August 2, 1952 (77 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Bio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Farrell MacDonald (June 6, 1875 – August 2, 1952) was an American character actor and director. He played supporting roles and occasional leads. He appeared in over 325 films over a 41-year career from 1911 to 1951, and directed forty-four silent films from 1912 to 1917. MacDonald was the principal director of L. Frank Baum's Oz Film Manufacturing Company, and he can frequently be seen in the films of Frank Capra, Preston Sturges and, especially, John Ford. Early in his career, MacDonald was a singer in minstrel shows, and he toured the United States extensively for two years with stage productions. He made his first silent film in 1911, a dramatic short entitled The Scarlett Letter made by Carl Laemmle's Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP), the forerunner of Universal Pictures,. He continued to act in numerous films each year from that time on, and by 1912 he was directing them as well. The first film he directed was The Worth of a Man, another dramatic short, again for IMP, and he was to direct 43 more films until his last in 1917, Over the Fence, which he co-directed with Harold Lloyd. MacDonald had crossed paths with Lloyd several years earlier, when Lloyd was an extra and MacDonald had given him much-needed work – and he did the same with Hal Roach, both of whom appearing in small roles in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, which MacDonald directed in 1914. When Roach set up his own studio, with Lloyd as his principal attraction, he hired MacDonald to direct. By 1918, MacDonald, who was to become one of the most beloved character men in Hollywood, had given up directing and was acting full-time, predominantly in Westerns and Irish comedies. He first worked under director John Ford in 1919's A Fight for Love. In all, Ford would use MacDonald on twenty-five films between 1919 and 1950. With a voice that matched his personality, MacDonald made the transition to sound films easily, with no noticeable drop in his acting output – if anything, it went up. In 1931, for instance, MacDonald appeared in 14 films – among them the first version of The Maltese Falcon, in which he played "Detective Tom Polhaus" – and in 22 of them in 1932. Although he played laborers, policemen, military men and priests, among many other characters, his roles were usually a cut above a "bit part". His characters usually had names, and he was most often credited for his performances. A highlight of this period was his performance as the hobo "Mr. Tramp" in Our Little Girl with Shirley Temple (1935). In the 1940s, MacDonald was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in seven films written and directed by Sturges. MacDonald appeared in Sullivan's Travels, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, The Great Moment, The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, Unfaithfully Yours and The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend, Sturges' last American film. Earlier, MacDonald had also appeared in The Power and the Glory, which Sturges wrote. His work on Sturges' films was generally uncredited. He was notable in 1946 in John Ford's My Darling Clementine in which he played "Mac," the bartender in the town saloon. MacDonald also had uncredited roles in It's a Wonderful Life and Here Comes The Groom.
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
Self (archive footage)
7.0
1997
Superman and the Mole Men
Pop Shannon
5.3
1951
Here Comes the Groom
Husband on Airplane (uncredited)
5.2
1951
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
Mr. Kroeger
6.6
1951
Woman on the Run
Cap, the Retired Ferryboat Captain
6.8
1950
Hostile Country
Mr. Lane (uncredited)
3.0
1950
The Daltons' Women
Alvin
2.0
1950
When Willie Comes Marching Home
Gilby - Pharmacist (uncredited)
6.8
1950
Dakota Lil
Ellis
5.0
1950
The Dalton Gang
Judge Price
5.0
1949
You're My Everything
Doorman (uncredited)
3.8
1949
Streets of San Francisco
Pop Lockhart
0.0
1949
Trouble Preferred
Apartment House Manager (uncredited)
0.0
1948
Whispering Smith
Bill Baggs
6.4
1948
Shep Comes Home
Sheriff Cap Weatherby
6.0
1948
The Walls of Jericho
Bailiff (uncredited)
5.7
1948
Belle Starr's Daughter
Doc Benson
4.4
1948
Fury at Furnace Creek
Pops Murphy (uncredited)
6.0
1948
Sitting Pretty
Cop (uncredited)
7.2
1948
Panhandle
Doc Cooper
5.8
1948
If You Knew Susie
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
7.5
1948
Thunder in the Valley
McPherson - Innkeeper
7.5
1947
Christmas Eve
Policeman (uncredited)
5.3
1947
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
Mac, Bailiff (uncredited)
6.9
1947
Keeper of the Bees
Postmaster
0.0
1947
Web of Danger
Scotty MacKronish - Bus Driver
4.8
1947
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
6.3
1947
It's a Wonderful Life
Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited)
8.3
1946
Goodbye, Weeds
Gardener
0.0
1946
My Darling Clementine
Mac the barman
7.4
1946
Smoky
Jim, the Cook
5.2
1946
Joe Palooka, Champ
Long-Count Bowman
0.0
1946
Pillow of Death
6.5
1945
Fallen Angel
Bank Guard (uncredited)
6.5
1945
Johnny Angel
Capt. Angel
5.9
1945
Circumstantial Evidence
Jury Foreman
4.8
1945
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Mr. Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
7.6
1945
Hangover Square
Street Vendor (uncredited)
6.8
1945
Greenwich Village
O'Shea, policeman
6.0
1944
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Sheriff (uncredited)
6.8
1944
The Great Moment
The Priest
5.8
1944
Texas Masquerade
John Martindale
0.0
1944
True to Life
Man (uncredited)
6.0
1943
Tiger Fangs
Geoffrey MacCardle
4.0
1943
The Ape Man
Captain O'Brien
4.2
1943
Harrigan's Kid
Frank (uncredited)
0.0
1943
The McGuerins from Brooklyn
Cop
5.5
1942
Bowery at Midnight
Capt. Mitchell
5.1
1942
Phantom Killer
Police Captain
4.3
1942
The Palm Beach Story
Officer O'Donnell (uncredited)
7.0
1942
The Living Ghost
Police Lt. 'Pete' Peterson
4.3
1942
One Thrilling Night
Police Sergeant Haggerty
5.2
1942
Reap the Wild Wind
Port Captain
6.4
1942
Captains of the Clouds
Dr. Neville (from Churchtown)
6.6
1942
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
Henry Hathaway
4.7
1942
Private Snuffy Smith
Gen. Rosewater
3.8
1942
Law of the Timber
Adams
0.0
1941
Riders of the Timberline
Jim Kerrigan
0.0
1941
Broadway Limited
Mulcahey
5.1
1941
The Great Lie
Dr. Ferguson
6.8
1941
In Old Cheyenne
Tim Casey
4.1
1941
Meet John Doe
'Sourpuss'
7.3
1941
Friendly Neighbors
Sheiff Potts
0.0
1940
Untamed
Dr. Billar
4.3
1940
Pony Express Days
Nevada Jim
6.0
1940
Stagecoach War
Jeff Chapman
4.0
1940
The Last Alarm
Jim Hadley
4.6
1940
Prairie Law
Sheriff Jim Austin
5.5
1940
I Take This Oath
Insp. Tim Ryan
4.3
1940
Light of Western Stars
Bill Stillwell
4.0
1940
Dark Command
Dave
6.3
1940
Knights of the Range
Cappy
0.0
1940
The Gentleman from Arizona
Wild Bill Coburn
0.0
1939
The Housekeeper's Daughter
Captain
3.5
1939
Full Confession
Joe, Police Sergeant (uncredited)
4.7
1939
They Shall Have Music
Police Chief (uncredited)
6.0
1939
Coast Guard
Capt. Hansen (uncredited)
5.0
1939
Conspiracy
Captain of the Falcon
5.5
1939
Mickey the Kid
Sheriff J.J. Willoughby
0.0
1939
Susannah of the Mounties
Pat O'Hannegan
6.3
1939
Zenobia
Judge
4.6
1939
East Side of Heaven
Doorman (uncredited)
7.1
1939
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
Craig Dolan
6.0
1939
Little Orphan Annie
'Pop' Corrigan
0.0
1938
Submarine Patrol
CWO 'Sails' Quincannon
6.6
1938
Come On, Rangers
Colonel Forbes
6.0
1938
Gang Bullets
Chief Reardon
5.7
1938
The Last Express
William Barton (Detective Agency Head)
1.0
1938
There Goes My Heart
Officer
7.2
1938
The Crowd Roars
Father Patrick Ryan
6.5
1938
Barefoot Boy
Warden
5.6
1938
White Banners
Dr. Thompson
5.8
1938
Numbered Woman
Capt. Ryan
0.0
1938
Extortion
Coach Pearson
5.0
1938
State Police
Charlie Wheeler
6.0
1938
My Old Kentucky Home
Mayor Jim Hopkins
5.0
1938
Courage of the West
Buck Saunders
0.0
1937
County Fair
Calvin Williams
6.0
1937
The Game That Kills
Joe Holland
5.3
1937
My Dear Miss Aldrich
'Doc' Howe
6.1
1937
Topper
Policeman
6.7
1937
Roaring Timber
Andrew MacKinley
5.0
1937
Flying Fists
Bill 'One-Punch' Fagin
5.0
1937
Slim
Pop
6.3
1937
Slave Ship
Proprietor
4.8
1937
Parnell
Irish Laborer (uncredited)
4.6
1937
Parnell
Irish Laborer
4.6
1937
The Hit Parade
Sgt. O'Hara
4.0
1937
Maid of Salem
Captain of Ship
5.9
1937
The Great Barrier
Major Rogers
5.0
1937
Mysterious Crossing
Police Chief Bullock
0.0
1936
Show Boat
Windy MacLaine
6.7
1936
Florida Special
Captain Timothy Harrigan
6.0
1936
Exclusive Story
Michael Devlin
6.5
1936
Riffraff
'Brains'
5.0
1936
Hitch Hike Lady
Judge Hale
6.8
1935
Fighting Youth
Coach Parker
7.0
1935
Stormy
Trinidad Dorn
0.0
1935
Waterfront Lady
Capt. O'Brien
5.5
1935
Danger Ahead
Harry Cromwell
4.8
1935
The Irish in Us
Capt. Jackson
7.6
1935
Front Page Woman
Hallohan
5.8
1935
Shadows of the Orient
Inspector Sullivan
5.0
1935
The Arizonian
Marshal Andy Jordan
0.0
1935
The Healer
Applejack
5.7
1935
Let 'em Have It
Mr. Keefer
7.0
1935
Swellhead
Umpire
0.0
1935
Star of Midnight
Inspector Doremus
6.0
1935
The Whole Town's Talking
Prison Warden (uncredited)
6.8
1935
Northern Frontier
Inspector
0.0
1935
Square Shooter
Sheriff
6.0
1935
The Best Man Wins
Captain--Harbor Patrol
5.8
1935
Maybe It's Love
The Cop
6.0
1935
Romance in Manhattan
Murphy
7.8
1935
Our Little Girl
Hobo
4.8
1935
Beggar's Holiday
Pop Malloy
0.0
1934
Once to Every Woman
John Flannigan
5.8
1934
The Crime Doctor
Kemp
3.5
1934
The Crosby Case
The Doorman--Mike Costello
4.2
1934
Man of Two Worlds
Michael
6.0
1934
Murder on the Campus
Police Capt. Ed Kyne
5.5
1933
Under Secret Orders
John Burke
0.0
1933
Myrt and Marge
Grady
4.2
1933
The Power and the Glory
Mulligan
5.9
1933
I Loved a Woman
Shuster
4.8
1933
How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points
Himself
0.0
1933
Laughing at Life
Prison Warden
6.0
1933
Peg o' My Heart
Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell
5.2
1933
The Working Man
Henry 'Hank' Davis
6.6
1933
The Vanishing Frontier
Waco
0.0
1933
The Iron Master
J.C. Stillman
0.0
1933
No Man of Her Own
'Dickie' Collins
6.5
1932
The Racing Strain
Mr. Martin
0.0
1932
Me and My Gal
Pop Riley
6.5
1932
Men Are Such Fools
Prison Warden Randolph
0.0
1932
The Pride of the Legion
Chief Scott
6.0
1932
Heritage of the Desert
Adam Naab
5.0
1932
This Sporting Age
Jerry O'Day
0.0
1932
70,000 Witnesses
State Coach
4.8
1932
Hearts of Humanity
Tom O'Hara
6.0
1932
The Phantom Express
D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan
4.7
1932
The Thirteenth Guest
Captain Ryan
5.2
1932
The Hurricane Express
Jim Baker
5.2
1932
Madame Racketeer
John Adams
4.8
1932
Week-End Marriage
Mr. Davis
6.0
1932
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited)
5.9
1932
Scandal for Sale
Treadway
7.0
1932
Probation
George Holman
5.0
1932
Steady Company
Hogan
0.0
1932
Hotel Continental
Detective Martin
6.0
1932
Discarded Lovers
Sommers
4.8
1932
Under Eighteen
Pop Evans
6.6
1932
Touchdown!
Pop Stewart
0.0
1931
The Spirit of Notre Dame
The Coach
6.3
1931
The Brat
Timson, the butler
5.6
1931
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 9: 'The Driver'
0.0
1931
Sporting Blood
MacGuire
5.5
1931
Stranger in Town
Scout
3.0
1931
The Squaw Man
Big Bill
5.4
1931
The Maltese Falcon
Det. Sgt. Tom Polhaus
6.4
1931
Too Young to Marry
Rev. Stump
0.0
1931
The Millionaire
Dan Lewis
7.5
1931
The Stolen Jools
Policeman
5.6
1931
Woman Hungry
Buzzard
0.0
1931
The Easiest Way
Ben Murdock
5.4
1931
The Painted Desert
Jeff Cameron
5.1
1931
Other Men's Women
Peg-Leg
5.7
1931
The Truth About Youth
Colonel Graham
5.7
1930
River's End
O'Toole
6.2
1930
The Girl of the Golden West
Sonora Slim
0.0
1930
Song o' My Heart
Rafferty
4.4
1930
Men Without Women
Costello
6.3
1930
South Sea Rose
Hackett
0.0
1929
The Painted Angel
Pa Hudler
0.0
1929
Happy Days
Train Conductor
6.0
1929
Masquerade
Joe Hickey
0.0
1929
Masked Emotions
Will Whitten
0.0
1929
Strong Boy
Angus McGregor
5.0
1929
In Old Arizona
Stage Passenger (uncredited)
5.3
1928
Riley the Cop
James 'Aloysius' Riley
5.6
1928
4 Devils
The Clown
7.0
1928
None But the Brave
John Craig
0.0
1928
Abie's Irish Rose
Patrick Murphy
0.0
1928
Bringing Up Father
Jiggs
3.0
1928
The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris
Patrick Kelly
0.0
1928
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
The Photographer
7.8
1927
East Side, West Side
Pug Malone
7.2
1927
Paid to Love
Peter Roberts
6.0
1927
Cradle Snatchers
George Martin
3.5
1927
Ankles Preferred
McGuire
0.0
1927
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
Sloan
0.0
1926
The Country Beyond
Sgt. Cassidy
0.0
1926
The Family Upstairs
Joe Heller
0.0
1926
3 Bad Men
Mike Costigan
6.8
1926
A Trip to Chinatown
Benjamin Strong
0.0
1926
The Shamrock Handicap
Con O'Shea
5.1
1926
The Dixie Merchant
Jean Paul Fippany
0.0
1926
The First Year
Mr. Barstow
0.0
1926
The Fighting Heart
Jerry
5.0
1925
Thank You
Andy
4.0
1925
The Iron Horse
Corporal Casey
6.7
1925
Kentucky Pride
Donavan
5.9
1925
The Lucky Horseshoe
Mack
0.0
1925
Lightnin'
Lemuel Townsend
5.2
1925
Let Women Alone
Commodore John Gordon
0.0
1925
Those Who Dare
0.0
1924
The Brass Bowl
Hickey
0.0
1924
The Signal Tower
Pete
5.2
1924
Western Luck
'Chuck' Campbell
0.0
1924
Mademoiselle Midnight
Duc de Moing (Prologue)
5.8
1924
The Age of Desire
Dan Reagan
0.0
1923
Drifting
Murphy
6.2
1923
Racing Hearts
Silas Martin
0.0
1923
Quicksands
Col. Patterson
5.0
1923
While Paris Sleeps
0.0
1923
The Young Rajah
Amhad Beg - Prime Minister
6.5
1922
Manslaughter
(uncredited)
5.4
1922
The Ghost Breaker
Sam Marcum
0.0
1922
The Bonded Woman
Captain Gaskell
3.0
1922
Over the Border
Peter Galbraith
0.0
1922
The Bachelor Daddy
Joe Pelton
0.0
1922
Come on Over
Michael Morahan
0.0
1922
Sky High
Jim Frazer (as J. Farrel MacDonald)
5.5
1922
Trailin'
Joseph Piotto
4.5
1921
Riding with Death
Sheriff Pat Garrity
0.0
1921
Action
Mormon Peters
4.0
1921
The Wallop
Neuces River
4.0
1921
Desperate Youth
0.0
1921
The Freeze-Out
Bobtail McGuire
4.0
1921
Hitchin' Posts
Joe Alabam (as J. Farrell McDonald)
5.0
1920
The Path She Chose
Father
0.0
1920
Bullet Proof
Jim Boone
0.0
1920
Marked Men
Tom Placer McGraw
5.0
1919
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
4.0
1919
A Sporting Chance
Luther Ripley aka Kennedy
4.7
1919
Riders of Vengeance
Buell
3.0
1919
A Fight For Love
The Priest
5.0
1919
Roped
Butler
5.0
1919
$5,000 Reward
Norcross
0.0
1918
Rags
Paul Ferguson (as Joseph Farrell MacDonald)
7.5
1915
The Calling of Louis Mona
0.0
1913
A Timely Repentance
Louis Nordell
0.0
1912
'Tween Two Loves
Farmer Howard
0.0
1911
The Lighthouse Keeper
The Lighthouse Keeper
0.0
1911
The Scarlet Letter
0.0
1911
The Dream
Secondary Role (uncredited)
5.5
1911
The Time-Lock Safe
Office Worker
0.0
1910