J. Farrell MacDonald
Born
June 5, 1875
Died
August 2, 1952 (77 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
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.
Known For
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
Self (archive footage)
1997
Superman and the Mole Men
Pop Shannon
1951
Here Comes the Groom
Husband on Airplane (uncredited)
1951
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
Mr. Kroeger
1951
Woman on the Run
Cap, the Retired Ferryboat Captain
1950
Hostile Country
Mr. Lane (uncredited)
1950
The Daltons' Women
Alvin
1950
When Willie Comes Marching Home
Gilby - Pharmacist (uncredited)
1950
Dakota Lil
Ellis
1950
The Dalton Gang
Judge Price
1949
You're My Everything
Doorman (uncredited)
1949
Streets of San Francisco
Pop Lockhart
1949
Trouble Preferred
Apartment House Manager (uncredited)
1948
Whispering Smith
Bill Baggs
1948
Shep Comes Home
Sheriff Cap Weatherby
1948
The Walls of Jericho
Bailiff (uncredited)
1948
Belle Starr's Daughter
Doc Benson
1948
Fury at Furnace Creek
Pops Murphy (uncredited)
1948
Sitting Pretty
Cop (uncredited)
1948
Panhandle
Doc Cooper
1948
If You Knew Susie
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1948
Thunder in the Valley
McPherson - Innkeeper
1947
Christmas Eve
Policeman (uncredited)
1947
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
Mac, Bailiff (uncredited)
1947
Keeper of the Bees
Postmaster
1947
Web of Danger
Scotty MacKronish - Bus Driver
1947
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
1947
It's a Wonderful Life
Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited)
1946
Goodbye, Weeds
Gardener
1946
My Darling Clementine
Mac the barman
1946
Smoky
Jim, the Cook
1946
Joe Palooka, Champ
Long-Count Bowman
1946
Pillow of Death
1945
Fallen Angel
Bank Guard (uncredited)
1945
Johnny Angel
Capt. Angel
1945
Circumstantial Evidence
Jury Foreman
1945
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Mr. Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
1945
Hangover Square
Street Vendor (uncredited)
1945
Greenwich Village
O'Shea, policeman
1944
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Sheriff (uncredited)
1944
The Great Moment
The Priest
1944
Texas Masquerade
John Martindale
1944
True to Life
Man (uncredited)
1943
Tiger Fangs
Geoffrey MacCardle
1943
The Ape Man
Captain O'Brien
1943
Harrigan's Kid
Frank (uncredited)
1943
The McGuerins from Brooklyn
Cop
1942
Bowery at Midnight
Capt. Mitchell
1942
Phantom Killer
Police Captain
1942
The Palm Beach Story
Officer O'Donnell (uncredited)
1942
The Living Ghost
Police Lt. 'Pete' Peterson
1942
One Thrilling Night
Police Sergeant Haggerty
1942
Reap the Wild Wind
Port Captain
1942
Captains of the Clouds
Dr. Neville (from Churchtown)
1942
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
Henry Hathaway
1942
Private Snuffy Smith
Gen. Rosewater
1942
Law of the Timber
Adams
1941
Riders of the Timberline
Jim Kerrigan
1941
Broadway Limited
Mulcahey
1941
The Great Lie
Dr. Ferguson
1941
In Old Cheyenne
Tim Casey
1941
Meet John Doe
'Sourpuss'
1941
Friendly Neighbors
Sheiff Potts
1940
Untamed
Dr. Billar
1940
Pony Express Days
Nevada Jim
1940
Stagecoach War
Jeff Chapman
1940
The Last Alarm
Jim Hadley
1940
Prairie Law
Sheriff Jim Austin
1940
I Take This Oath
Insp. Tim Ryan
1940
Light of Western Stars
Bill Stillwell
1940
Dark Command
Dave
1940
Knights of the Range
Cappy
1940
The Gentleman from Arizona
Wild Bill Coburn
1939
The Housekeeper's Daughter
Captain
1939
Full Confession
Joe, Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1939
They Shall Have Music
Police Chief (uncredited)
1939
Coast Guard
Capt. Hansen (uncredited)
1939
Conspiracy
Captain of the Falcon
1939
Mickey the Kid
Sheriff J.J. Willoughby
1939
Susannah of the Mounties
Pat O'Hannegan
1939
Zenobia
Judge
1939
East Side of Heaven
Doorman (uncredited)
1939
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
Craig Dolan
1939
Little Orphan Annie
'Pop' Corrigan
1938
Submarine Patrol
CWO 'Sails' Quincannon
1938
Come On, Rangers
Colonel Forbes
1938
Gang Bullets
Chief Reardon
1938
The Last Express
William Barton (Detective Agency Head)
1938
There Goes My Heart
Officer
1938
The Crowd Roars
Father Patrick Ryan
1938
Barefoot Boy
Warden
1938
White Banners
Dr. Thompson
1938
Numbered Woman
Capt. Ryan
1938
Extortion
Coach Pearson
1938
State Police
Charlie Wheeler
1938
My Old Kentucky Home
Mayor Jim Hopkins
1938
Courage of the West
Buck Saunders
1937
County Fair
Calvin Williams
1937
The Game That Kills
Joe Holland
1937
My Dear Miss Aldrich
'Doc' Howe
1937
Topper
Policeman
1937
Roaring Timber
Andrew MacKinley
1937
Flying Fists
Bill 'One-Punch' Fagin
1937
Slim
Pop
1937
Slave Ship
Proprietor
1937
Parnell
Irish Laborer (uncredited)
1937
Parnell
Irish Laborer
1937
The Hit Parade
Sgt. O'Hara
1937
Maid of Salem
Captain of Ship
1937
The Great Barrier
Major Rogers
1937
Mysterious Crossing
Police Chief Bullock
1936
Show Boat
Windy MacLaine
1936
Florida Special
Harrigan
1936
Exclusive Story
Michael Devlin
1936
Riffraff
'Brains'
1936
Hitch Hike Lady
Judge Hale
1935
Fighting Youth
Coach Parker
1935
Stormy
Trinidad Dorn
1935
Waterfront Lady
Capt. O'Brien
1935
Danger Ahead
Harry Cromwell
1935
The Irish in Us
Capt. Jackson
1935
Front Page Woman
Hallohan
1935
Shadows of the Orient
Inspector Sullivan
1935
The Arizonian
Marshal Andy Jordan
1935
The Healer
Applejack
1935
Let 'em Have It
Mr. Keefer
1935
Swellhead
Umpire
1935
Star of Midnight
Inspector Doremus
1935
The Whole Town's Talking
Prison Warden (uncredited)
1935
Northern Frontier
Inspector
1935
Square Shooter
Sheriff
1935
The Best Man Wins
Captain--Harbor Patrol
1935
Maybe It's Love
The Cop
1935
Romance in Manhattan
Murphy
1935
Our Little Girl
Hobo
1935
Beggar's Holiday
Pop Malloy
1934
Once to Every Woman
Flannigan
1934
The Crime Doctor
Kemp
1934
The Crosby Case
The Doorman--Mike Costello
1934
Man of Two Worlds
Michael
1934
Murder on the Campus
Police Capt. Ed Kyne
1933
Under Secret Orders
John Burke
1933
Myrt and Marge
Grady
1933
The Power and the Glory
Mulligan
1933
I Loved a Woman
Shuster
1933
How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points
Himself
1933
Laughing at Life
Prison Warden
1933
Peg o' My Heart
Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell
1933
The Working Man
Henry 'Hank' Davis
1933
The Vanishing Frontier
Waco
1933
The Iron Master
J.C. Stillman
1933
No Man of Her Own
"Dickie" Collins
1932
The Racing Strain
Mr. Martin
1932
Me and My Gal
Pop Riley
1932
Men Are Such Fools
Prison Warden Randolph
1932
The Pride of the Legion
Chief Scott
1932
Heritage of the Desert
Adam Naab
1932
This Sporting Age
Jerry O'Day
1932
70,000 Witnesses
State Coach
1932
Hearts of Humanity
Tom O'Hara
1932
The Phantom Express
D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan
1932
The Thirteenth Guest
Captain Ryan
1932
The Hurricane Express
Jim Baker
1932
Madame Racketeer
John Adams
1932
Week-End Marriage
Mr. Davis
1932
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited)
1932
Scandal for Sale
Treadway
1932
Probation
George Holman
1932
Steady Company
Hogan
1932
Hotel Continental
Detective Martin
1932
Discarded Lovers
Sommers
1932
Under Eighteen
Pop Evans
1932
Touchdown!
Pop Stewart
1931
The Spirit of Notre Dame
The Coach
1931
The Brat
Timson, the butler
1931
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 9: 'The Driver'
1931
Sporting Blood
MacGuire
1931
Stranger in Town
Scout
1931
The Squaw Man
Big Bill
1931
The Maltese Falcon
Det. Sgt. Tom Polhaus
1931
Too Young to Marry
Rev. Stump
1931
The Millionaire
Dan Lewis
1931
The Stolen Jools
Policeman
1931
Woman Hungry
Buzzard
1931
The Easiest Way
Ben Murdock
1931
The Painted Desert
Jeff Cameron
1931
Other Men's Women
Peg-Leg
1931
The Truth About Youth
Colonel Graham
1930
River's End
O'Toole
1930
The Girl of the Golden West
Sonora Slim
1930
Song o' My Heart
Rafferty
1930
Men Without Women
Costello
1930
South Sea Rose
Hackett
1929
The Painted Angel
Pa Hudler
1929
Happy Days
Train Conductor
1929
Masquerade
Joe Hickey
1929
Masked Emotions
Will Whitten
1929
Strong Boy
Angus McGregor
1929
In Old Arizona
Stage Passenger (uncredited)
1928
Riley the Cop
James 'Aloysius' Riley
1928
4 Devils
The Clown
1928
None But the Brave
John Craig
1928
Abie's Irish Rose
Patrick Murphy
1928
Bringing Up Father
Jiggs
1928
The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris
Patrick Kelly
1928
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
The Photographer
1927
East Side, West Side
Pug Malone
1927
Paid to Love
Peter Roberts
1927
Cradle Snatchers
George Martin
1927
Ankles Preferred
McGuire
1927
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
Sloan
1926
The Country Beyond
Sgt. Cassidy
1926
The Family Upstairs
Joe Heller
1926
3 Bad Men
Mike Costigan
1926
A Trip to Chinatown
Benjamin Strong
1926
The Shamrock Handicap
Con O'Shea
1926
The Dixie Merchant
Jean Paul Fippany
1926
The First Year
Mr. Barstow
1926
The Fighting Heart
Jerry
1925
Thank You
Andy
1925
The Iron Horse
Corporal Casey
1925
Kentucky Pride
Donavan
1925
The Lucky Horseshoe
Mack
1925
Lightnin'
Lemuel Townsend
1925
Let Women Alone
Commodore John Gordon
1925
Those Who Dare
1924
The Brass Bowl
Hickey
1924
The Signal Tower
Pete
1924
Western Luck
'Chuck' Campbell
1924
Mademoiselle Midnight
Duc de Moing (Prologue)
1924
The Age of Desire
Dan Reagan
1923
Drifting
Murphy
1923
Racing Hearts
Silas Martin
1923
Quicksands
Col. Patterson
1923
While Paris Sleeps
1923
The Young Rajah
Amhad Beg - Prime Minister
1922
Manslaughter
(uncredited)
1922
The Ghost Breaker
Sam Marcum
1922
The Bonded Woman
Captain Gaskell
1922
Over the Border
Peter Galbraith
1922
The Bachelor Daddy
Joe Pelton
1922
Come on Over
Michael Morahan
1922
Sky High
Jim Frazer (as J. Farrel MacDonald)
1922
Trailin'
Joseph Piotto
1921
Riding with Death
Sheriff Pat Garrity
1921
Action
Mormon Peters
1921
The Wallop
Neuces River
1921
Desperate Youth
1921
The Freeze-Out
Bobtail McGuire
1921
Hitchin' Posts
Joe Alabam (as J. Farrell McDonald)
1920
The Path She Chose
Father
1920
Bullet Proof
Jim Boone
1920
Marked Men
Tom Placer McGraw
1919
This Hero Stuff
Softnose Smith
1919
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1919
A Sporting Chance
Luther Ripley aka Kennedy
1919
Riders of Vengeance
Buell
1919
A Fight For Love
The Priest
1919
Roped
Butler
1919
$5,000 Reward
Norcross
1918
Rags
Paul Ferguson (as Joseph Farrell MacDonald)
1915
The Calling of Louis Mona
1913
A Timely Repentance
Louis Nordell
1912
'Tween Two Loves
Farmer Howard
1911
The Lighthouse Keeper
The Lighthouse Keeper
1911
The Scarlet Letter
1911
The Dream
Secondary Role (uncredited)
1911
The Time-Lock Safe
Office Worker
1910