J. Farrell MacDonald, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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J. Farrell MacDonald
Acting

J. Farrell MacDonald
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1875-06-05,Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Gender
Male
Biography
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.

Filmography

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

7.814

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
1927-11-04

It's a Wonderful Life

8.282

It's a Wonderful Life
1946-12-20

My Darling Clementine

7.459

My Darling Clementine
1946-10-17

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

6.375

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
1947-04-04

6.743

Topper
1937-07-16

7

Stormy
1935-10-21

6.5

The Wallop
1921-05-09

The Vanishing Frontier

8

The Vanishing Frontier
1933-03-13

The Palm Beach Story

7

The Palm Beach Story
1942-08-28

5.8

Panhandle
1948-02-22

6.851

3 Bad Men
1926-08-28

Captains of the Clouds

6.55

Captains of the Clouds
1942-02-12

This Sporting Age

8

This Sporting Age
1932-09-14

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

6.904

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
1947-09-01

7

The Freeze-Out
1921-04-09

The Maltese Falcon

6.398

The Maltese Falcon
1931-05-23

Woman on the Run

6.8

Woman on the Run
1950-11-10

The Living Ghost

4.273

The Living Ghost
1942-08-11

No Man of Her Own

6.6

No Man of Her Own
1932-12-30

5.967

Johnny Angel
1945-10-25

9

Bullet Proof
1920-05-03

Over the Border

10

Over the Border
1922-06-04

Superman and the Mole Men

5.4

Superman and the Mole Men
1951-11-23

0

$5,000 Reward
1918-05-25

Thunder in the Valley

8.25

Thunder in the Valley
1947-11-01

4.395

The Ape Man
1943-03-05

7

Drifting
1923-08-26

10

Steady Company
1932-03-13

7

Quicksands
1923-02-28

8

Racing Hearts
1923-07-15

Bowery at Midnight

5.061

Bowery at Midnight
1942-10-30

Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell

7.167

Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951-08-01

Reap the Wild Wind

6.4

Reap the Wild Wind
1942-03-26

Let Women Alone

8

Let Women Alone
1925-01-04

A Trip to Chinatown

10

A Trip to Chinatown
1926-06-06

5.429

Barefoot Boy
1938-08-03

The Crime Doctor

3.75

The Crime Doctor
1934-03-14

Riding with Death

9

Riding with Death
1921-11-13

Hostile Country

4.25

Hostile Country
1950-03-24

Riders of the Timberline

4.5

Riders of the Timberline
1941-09-17

The Whole Town's Talking

6.9

The Whole Town's Talking
1935-02-22

6.687

The Iron Horse
1925-10-04

The Stolen Jools

5.629

The Stolen Jools
1931-04-04

Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl

9

Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
1926-12-19

7

Harrigan's Kid
1943-03-01

The Walls of Jericho

5.563

The Walls of Jericho
1948-11-22

Desperate Youth

8

Desperate Youth
1921-04-25

You're My Everything

4.833

You're My Everything
1949-07-22

The Thirteenth Guest

5.2

The Thirteenth Guest
1932-08-09

The Working Man

6.5

The Working Man
1933-04-20

The Power and the Glory

5.882

The Power and the Glory
1933-10-06

The Phantom Express

5

The Phantom Express
1932-08-15

6.286

Under Eighteen
1932-01-02

5.353

Riffraff
1936-01-03

5.538

Manslaughter
1922-09-24

In Old Cheyenne

4.563

In Old Cheyenne
1941-04-04

Full Confession

5.583

Full Confession
1939-09-08

I Loved a Woman

4.786

I Loved a Woman
1933-09-23

6.5

Paid to Love
1927-07-23

10

Masquerade
1929-07-14

5.625

Sky High
1922-01-15

4.9

Zenobia
1939-04-21

4.5

The Last Alarm
1940-06-25

Streets of San Francisco

9

Streets of San Francisco
1949-04-15

Fury at Furnace Creek

6.286

Fury at Furnace Creek
1948-04-30

The Easiest Way

5.357

The Easiest Way
1931-02-07

10

Swellhead
1935-05-04

Come On, Rangers

8

Come On, Rangers
1938-11-21

Heritage of the Desert

5.667

Heritage of the Desert
1932-09-30

Hotel Continental

8

Hotel Continental
1932-02-21

5.25

Phantom Killer
1942-10-02

Scandal for Sale

8.5

Scandal for Sale
1932-04-01

Discarded Lovers

4.875

Discarded Lovers
1932-01-03

Peg o' My Heart

5

Peg o' My Heart
1933-05-26

10

The Brass Bowl
1924-11-06

Hearts of Humanity

4.75

Hearts of Humanity
1932-08-31

Exclusive Story

7.2

Exclusive Story
1936-01-17

Murder on the Campus

5.5

Murder on the Campus
1933-12-26

6.2

The Healer
1935-06-14

East Side, West Side

7.167

East Side, West Side
1927-10-09

5

Danger Ahead
1935-08-01

Shadows of the Orient

6

Shadows of the Orient
1935-07-06

6.583

Lightnin'
1925-08-23

7.6

4 Devils
1928-10-03

5.417

The Squaw Man
1931-07-21

Waterfront Lady

5.25

Waterfront Lady
1935-10-04

The Truth About Youth

6.167

The Truth About Youth
1930-11-03

Romance in Manhattan

7.808

Romance in Manhattan
1935-01-11

5.727

Riley the Cop
1928-11-25

Cradle Snatchers

3.75

Cradle Snatchers
1927-05-28

The Millionaire

7.857

The Millionaire
1931-05-01

The Pride of the Legion

7

The Pride of the Legion
1932-10-17

6.333

Probation
1932-03-15

I Take This Oath

5.75

I Take This Oath
1940-05-20

The Best Man Wins

6.6

The Best Man Wins
1935-01-14

Man of Two Worlds

6.5

Man of Two Worlds
1934-01-13

6.333

The Hit Parade
1937-04-26

6

Flying Fists
1937-07-01

The Signal Tower

5.778

The Signal Tower
1924-07-19

5.4

Sporting Blood
1931-08-08

Keeper of the Bees

10

Keeper of the Bees
1947-07-10

Submarine Patrol

6.714

Submarine Patrol
1938-11-25

Other Men's Women

5.688

Other Men's Women
1931-01-17

6.375

River's End
1930-11-01

Laughing at Life

7.333

Laughing at Life
1933-07-12

6.143

White Banners
1938-06-23

5.667

Smoky
1946-06-26

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

6.851

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
1944-09-18

Private Snuffy Smith

4.25

Private Snuffy Smith
1942-01-16

Ankles Preferred

8

Ankles Preferred
1927-02-27

Hitch Hike Lady

7.833

Hitch Hike Lady
1935-12-28

Beggar's Holiday

9

Beggar's Holiday
1934-08-17

5.9

Gang Bullets
1938-11-10

Let 'em Have It

7.6

Let 'em Have It
1935-05-15

The Crowd Roars

7

The Crowd Roars
1938-08-06

The Shamrock Handicap

5.417

The Shamrock Handicap
1926-05-02

Men Without Women

6.4

Men Without Women
1930-02-08

The Painted Desert

5.2

The Painted Desert
1931-01-18

6.667

Conspiracy
1939-08-01

4.111

Myrt and Marge
1933-11-25

Men Are Such Fools

7

Men Are Such Fools
1932-11-18

6.2

Kentucky Pride
1925-09-06

Mysterious Crossing

10

Mysterious Crossing
1936-12-27

One Thrilling Night

5.438

One Thrilling Night
1942-06-05

Mademoiselle Midnight

5.667

Mademoiselle Midnight
1924-04-14

The Racing Strain

10

The Racing Strain
1932-12-16

Our Little Girl

5

Our Little Girl
1935-01-01

5.063

Slave Ship
1937-06-16

8

The First Year
1926-01-24

9

Come on Over
1922-03-11

Susannah of the Mounties

6.5

Susannah of the Mounties
1939-06-13

None But the Brave

10

None But the Brave
1928-08-05

Whispering Smith

6.688

Whispering Smith
1948-12-09

The Lone Ranger Rides Again

7.333

The Lone Ranger Rides Again
1939-02-25

Belle Starr's Daughter

5.083

Belle Starr's Daughter
1948-11-13

There Goes My Heart

7.267

There Goes My Heart
1938-10-14

My Dear Miss Aldrich

6.25

My Dear Miss Aldrich
1937-09-17

Week-End Marriage

5.5

Week-End Marriage
1932-06-18

7.5

County Fair
1937-11-24

Greenwich Village

6.667

Greenwich Village
1944-09-27

Maybe It's Love

7

Maybe It's Love
1935-01-12

The Young Rajah

7.667

The Young Rajah
1922-11-11

Northern Frontier

8

Northern Frontier
1935-02-01

East Side of Heaven

7.357

East Side of Heaven
1939-04-07

They Shall Have Music

6.455

They Shall Have Music
1939-08-18

7.102

Sitting Pretty
1948-03-10

6

Coast Guard
1939-08-04

6.2

Square Shooter
1935-01-21

The Housekeeper's Daughter

4.6

The Housekeeper's Daughter
1939-10-26

Under Secret Orders

10

Under Secret Orders
1933-12-06

7

Western Luck
1924-06-22

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line

7.667

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997-05-12

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

7.537

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945-02-28

Star of Midnight

5.88

Star of Midnight
1935-04-19

The Iron Master

7

The Iron Master
1933-02-04

6

Stagecoach War
1940-07-12

5.4

Christmas Eve
1947-10-31

8

Those Who Dare
1924-11-15

When Willie Comes Marching Home

6.867

When Willie Comes Marching Home
1950-02-17

5

Untamed
1940-07-24

Bringing Up Father

5

Bringing Up Father
1928-03-18

My Old Kentucky Home

7.5

My Old Kentucky Home
1938-02-09

6.188

Maid of Salem
1937-02-12

7.01

The Great Lie
1941-04-05

The Scarlet Letter

1

The Scarlet Letter
1911-04-27

The Calling of Louis Mona

8

The Calling of Louis Mona
1913-03-28

Front Page Woman

5.9

Front Page Woman
1935-07-11

The Daltons' Women

4.5

The Daltons' Women
1950-02-25

The Game That Kills

6.25

The Game That Kills
1937-09-21

6.4

Me and My Gal
1932-12-04

The Last Express

4

The Last Express
1938-10-27

7

Numbered Woman
1938-05-22

The Gentleman from Arizona

10

The Gentleman from Arizona
1939-12-25

Little Orphan Annie

8

Little Orphan Annie
1938-12-02

10

South Sea Rose
1929-12-09

Law of the Timber

7

Law of the Timber
1941-12-19

7

Tiger Fangs
1943-09-10

The Light of Western Stars

5

The Light of Western Stars
1940-04-17

Once to Every Woman

6.111

Once to Every Woman
1934-03-24

6.4

Dark Command
1940-04-15

The Irish in Us

7.5

The Irish in Us
1935-07-31

5.667

Trailin'
1921-12-11

Texas Masquerade

6.5

Texas Masquerade
1944-02-08

6.572

Fallen Angel
1945-11-15

Here Comes the Groom

5.444

Here Comes the Groom
1951-09-20

6.5

Slim
1937-06-24

5.5

The Dream
1911-01-23

If You Knew Susie

7.333

If You Knew Susie
1948-02-07

8

The Arizonian
1935-06-27

5.423

The Brat
1931-08-23

Knights of the Range

7

Knights of the Range
1940-02-23

While Paris Sleeps

10

While Paris Sleeps
1923-01-21

Pony Express Days

6.5

Pony Express Days
1940-07-13

6.333

Happy Days
1929-09-16

Friendly Neighbors

8

Friendly Neighbors
1940-11-17

0

Goodbye, Weeds
1946-10-30

7.324

Meet John Doe
1941-03-14

7

Roped
1919-01-03

The Dixie Merchant

7

The Dixie Merchant
1926-03-07

Too Young to Marry

8

Too Young to Marry
1931-05-03

5.5

Web of Danger
1947-06-10

Masked Emotions

8

Masked Emotions
1929-06-22

Madame Racketeer

5.333

Madame Racketeer
1932-07-23

Wild Bill Hickok Rides

5.5

Wild Bill Hickok Rides
1942-01-31

The Fighting Heart

6

The Fighting Heart
1925-10-18

6

Strong Boy
1929-03-03

4.75

Thank You
1925-10-05

A Fight For Love

6

A Fight For Love
1919-03-24

Riders of Vengeance

6.5

Riders of Vengeance
1919-06-09

The Dalton Gang

5.333

The Dalton Gang
1949-10-20

A Sporting Chance

6

A Sporting Chance
1919-06-28

Song o' My Heart

4.75

Song o' My Heart
1930-03-11

The Hurricane Express

5.412

The Hurricane Express
1932-08-01

The Lighthouse Keeper

0

The Lighthouse Keeper
1911-05-18

7.5

Rags
1915-08-02

'Tween Two Loves

0

'Tween Two Loves
1911-09-28

A Timely Repentance

7

A Timely Repentance
1912-03-11

Florida Special

7

Florida Special
1936-05-01

6

Roaring Timber
1937-07-03

The Lucky Horseshoe

8

The Lucky Horseshoe
1925-08-30

The Girl of the Golden West

10

The Girl of the Golden West
1930-10-12

The Ghost Breaker

10

The Ghost Breaker
1922-09-10

The Crosby Case

5

The Crosby Case
1934-03-05

5.4

Dakota Lil
1950-02-17

How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 9: 'The Driver'

10

How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 9: 'The Driver'
1931-08-18

How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points

8

How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points
1933-08-04

4.6

Parnell
1937-06-04

6.5

Marked Men
1919-12-21

The Painted Angel

10

The Painted Angel
1929-12-01

The Strange Love of Molly Louvain

6.083

The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
1932-05-28

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

6

The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1919-06-29

10

Woman Hungry
1931-04-04

7.667

Fighting Youth
1935-11-01

70,000 Witnesses

5.7

70,000 Witnesses
1932-09-09

The McGuerins from Brooklyn

6.667

The McGuerins from Brooklyn
1942-12-31

Courage of the West

8

Courage of the West
1937-12-01

6.333

Action
1921-09-12

Circumstantial Evidence

5.167

Circumstantial Evidence
1945-04-20

8

True to Life
1943-12-24

Joe Palooka, Champ

8

Joe Palooka, Champ
1946-05-26

8

State Police
1938-03-18

The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris

8

The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris
1928-01-15

Abie's Irish Rose

10

Abie's Irish Rose
1928-04-19

The Family Upstairs

8

The Family Upstairs
1926-08-29

Stranger in Town

5

Stranger in Town
1931-08-06

Hangover Square

7

Hangover Square
1945-02-07

6.745

Show Boat
1936-05-17

The Spirit of Notre Dame

7.25

The Spirit of Notre Dame
1931-10-13

Broadway Limited

5

Broadway Limited
1941-06-13

The Bonded Woman

4.75

The Bonded Woman
1922-08-21

6.333

Hitchin' Posts
1920-09-13

7

Prairie Law
1940-06-14

5.5

In Old Arizona
1928-12-25

7

Extortion
1938-05-09

8

Touchdown!
1931-11-15

9

Mickey the Kid
1939-07-03

The Great Barrier

7.5

The Great Barrier
1937-01-02

Shep Comes Home

6.5

Shep Comes Home
1948-12-03

Pillow of Death

6.7

Pillow of Death
1945-12-14

The Great Moment

5.795

The Great Moment
1944-07-18

The Path She Chose

7

The Path She Chose
1920-05-24

Trouble Preferred

6

Trouble Preferred
1948-12-31

The Country Beyond

10

The Country Beyond
1926-10-17

The Age of Desire

10

The Age of Desire
1923-09-01

4.6

Parnell
1937-06-04

The Time-Lock Safe

0

The Time-Lock Safe
1910-07-08

The Bachelor Daddy

8

The Bachelor Daddy
1922-04-29

This Hero Stuff

9

This Hero Stuff
1919-08-10

9

Fair Enough
1918-12-29

The Last Frontier

9

The Last Frontier
1926-08-16

Gerald Cranston's Lady

9

Gerald Cranston's Lady
1924-10-19

8

Tracks
1922-05-07

Fashionable Fakers

9

Fashionable Fakers
1923-12-16

The Storm Daughter

9

The Storm Daughter
1924-03-23

Molly of the Follies

8

Molly of the Follies
1919-02-16

Trixie from Broadway

7

Trixie from Broadway
1919-06-15