10.0
10.0
Samson
1914
Director
J. Farrell MacDonald
Also known as: J. Farrell McDonald, John Farrell MacDonald, J. Farrell Macdonald
Acting
Born:June 5, 1875
Died:August 2, 1952(aged 77)
Birthplace:Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Nationality:United States
Education:Yale University
N/A
CommunityBiography
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 (253 movies)
7.8
7.8
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
1927
as The Photographer
7.8
7.8
Romance in Manhattan
1935
as Murphy
7.6
7.6
The Irish in Us
1935
as Capt. Jackson
7.5
7.5
The Millionaire
1931
as Dan Lewis
7.5
7.5
Thunder in the Valley
1947
as McPherson - Innkeeper
7.5
7.5
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945
as Mr. Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
7.5
7.5
Rags
1915
as Paul Ferguson (as Joseph Farrell MacDonald)
7.4
7.4
My Darling Clementine
1946
as Mac the barman
7.3
7.3
Meet John Doe
1941
as 'Sourpuss'
7.2
7.2
East Side, West Side
1927
as Pug Malone
7.1
7.1
There Goes My Heart
1938
as Officer
7.0
7.0
Let 'em Have It
1935
as Mr. Keefer
7.0
7.0
Fighting Youth
1935
as Coach Parker
7.0
7.0
Scandal for Sale
1932
as Treadway
7.0
7.0
4 Devils
1928
as The Clown
6.9
6.9
Hangover Square
1945
as Street Vendor (uncredited)
6.9
6.9
The Great Lie
1941
as Dr. Ferguson
6.8
6.8
Hitch Hike Lady
1935
as Judge Hale
6.8
6.8
Show Boat
1936
as Windy MacLaine
6.8
6.8
3 Bad Men
1926
as Mike Costigan
6.8
6.8
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
as Prison Warden (uncredited)
6.7
6.7
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
1944
as Sheriff (uncredited)
6.7
6.7
Woman on the Run
1950
as Cap, the Retired Ferryboat Captain
6.7
6.7
Topper
1937
as Policeman
6.6
6.6
The Iron Horse
1925
as Corporal Casey
6.6
6.6
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951
as Mr. Kroeger
6.6
6.6
Submarine Patrol
1938
as CWO 'Sails' Quincannon
6.6
6.6
The Working Man
1933
as Henry 'Hank' Davis
6.5
6.5
The Young Rajah
1922
as Amhad Beg - Prime Minister
6.5
6.5
Pillow of Death
1945
6.5
6.5
No Man of Her Own
1932
as "Dickie" Collins
6.5
6.5
Whispering Smith
1948
as Bill Baggs
6.5
6.5
The Crowd Roars
1938
as Father Patrick Ryan
6.5
6.5
Exclusive Story
1936
as Michael Devlin
6.4
6.4
Captains of the Clouds
1942
as Dr. Neville
6.3
6.3
Dark Command
1940
as Dave
6.3
6.3
The Maltese Falcon
1931
as Det. Sgt. Tom Polhaus
6.3
6.3
Susannah of the Mounties
1939
as Pat O'Hannegan
6.3
6.3
Men Without Women
1930
as Costello
6.3
6.3
Me and My Gal
1932
as Pop Riley
6.3
6.3
Slim
1937
as Pop
6.3
6.3
The Spirit of Notre Dame
1931
as The Coach
6.3
6.3
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
1947
as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
6.2
6.2
River's End
1930
as O'Toole
6.2
6.2
Drifting
1923
as Murphy
6.2
6.2
Under Eighteen
1932
as Pop Evans
6.1
6.1
My Dear Miss Aldrich
1937
as 'Doc' Howe
6.0
6.0
Man of Two Worlds
1934
as Michael
6.0
6.0
Fury at Furnace Creek
1948
as Pops Murphy (uncredited)
6.0
6.0
Paid to Love
1927
as Peter Roberts
6.0
6.0
State Police
1938
as Charlie Wheeler
6.0
6.0
The Pride of the Legion
1932
as Chief Scott
6.0
6.0
Maybe It's Love
1935
as The Cop
6.0
6.0
Pony Express Days
1940
as Nevada Jim
6.0
6.0
Once to Every Woman
1934
as Flannigan
6.0
6.0
Law of the Timber
1941
as Adams
6.0
6.0
Laughing at Life
1933
as Prison Warden
6.0
6.0
Hotel Continental
1932
as Detective Martin
6.0
6.0
Shep Comes Home
1948
as Sheriff Cap Weatherby
6.0
6.0
Come On, Rangers
1938
as Colonel Forbes
6.0
6.0
Florida Special
1936
as Harrigan
6.0
6.0
County Fair
1937
as Calvin Williams
6.0
6.0
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
1939
as Craig Dolan
5.9
5.9
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
1932
as Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited)
5.9
5.9
Kentucky Pride
1925
as Donavan
5.9
5.9
Johnny Angel
1945
as Capt. Angel
5.8
5.8
Star of Midnight
1935
as Inspector Doremus
5.8
5.8
Front Page Woman
1935
as Hallohan
5.8
5.8
The Healer
1935
as Applejack
5.8
5.8
White Banners
1938
as Dr. Thompson
5.8
5.8
The Best Man Wins
1935
as Captain--Harbor Patrol
5.7
5.7
Gang Bullets
1938
as Chief Reardon
5.7
5.7
Panhandle
1948
as Doc Cooper
5.7
5.7
The Truth About Youth
1930
as Colonel Graham
5.7
5.7
Over the Fence
1917
Director
5.7
5.7
The Power and the Glory
1933
as Mulligan
5.6
5.6
The Great Moment
1944
as The Priest
5.6
5.6
Riley the Cop
1928
as James 'Aloysius' Riley
5.6
5.6
His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz
1914
Director
5.5
5.5
Other Men's Women
1931
as Peg-Leg
5.5
5.5
The Dream
1911
as Secondary Role (uncredited)
5.5
5.5
The McGuerins from Brooklyn
1942
as Cop
5.5
5.5
Murder on the Campus
1933
as Police Capt. Ed Kyne
5.5
5.5
Prairie Law
1940
as Sheriff Jim Austin
5.5
5.5
Conspiracy
1939
as Captain of the Falcon
5.5
5.5
Sky High
1922
as Jim Frazer (as J. Farrel MacDonald)
5.4
5.4
Mademoiselle Midnight
1924
as Duc de Moing (Prologue)
5.3
5.3
Superman and the Mole Men
1951
as Pop Shannon
5.3
5.3
In Old Arizona
1928
as Stage Passenger (uncredited)
5.3
5.3
The Game That Kills
1937
as Joe Holland
5.3
5.3
Square Shooter
1935
as Sheriff
5.2
5.2
The Brat
1931
as Timson, the butler
5.2
5.2
The Signal Tower
1924
as Pete
5.2
5.2
Lightnin'
1925
as Lemuel Townsend
5.2
5.2
One Thrilling Night
1942
as Police Sergeant Haggerty
5.2
5.2
The Hurricane Express
1932
as Jim Baker
5.2
5.2
Smoky
1946
as Jim, the Cook
5.1
5.1
Sporting Blood
1931
as MacGuire
5.1
5.1
The Shamrock Handicap
1926
as Con O'Shea
5.1
5.1
The Easiest Way
1931
as Ben Murdock
5.0
5.0
My Old Kentucky Home
1938
as Mayor Jim Hopkins
5.0
5.0
Extortion
1938
as Coach Pearson
5.0
5.0
Marked Men
1919
as Tom Placer McGraw
5.0
5.0
Roaring Timber
1937
as Andrew MacKinley
5.0
5.0
Flying Fists
1937
as Bill 'One-Punch' Fagin
5.0
5.0
A Fight For Love
1919
as The Priest
5.0
5.0
The Fighting Heart
1925
as Jerry
5.0
5.0
Strong Boy
1929
as Angus McGregor
5.0
5.0
Hitchin' Posts
1920
as Joe Alabam (as J. Farrell McDonald)
5.0
5.0
70,000 Witnesses
1932
as State Coach
5.0
5.0
Shadows of the Orient
1935
as Inspector Sullivan
5.0
5.0
Roped
1919
as Butler
5.0
5.0
The Iron Master
1933
as J.C. Stillman
5.0
5.0
The Squaw Man
1931
as Big Bill
5.0
5.0
The Great Barrier
1937
as Major Rogers
5.0
5.0
Week-End Marriage
1932
as Mr. Davis
5.0
5.0
Quicksands
1923
as Col. Patterson
5.0
5.0
Probation
1932
as George Holman
5.0
5.0
Dakota Lil
1950
as Ellis
5.0
5.0
The Hit Parade
1937
as Sgt. O'Hara
5.0
5.0
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
1914
Director
5.0
5.0
Bowery at Midnight
1942
as Capt. Mitchell
4.9
4.9
The Thirteenth Guest
1932
as Captain Ryan
4.9
4.9
Riffraff
1936
as 'Brains'
4.8
4.8
Web of Danger
1947
as Scotty MacKronish - Bus Driver
4.8
4.8
Barefoot Boy
1938
as Warden
4.8
4.8
Madame Racketeer
1932
as John Adams
4.7
4.7
Full Confession
1939
as Joe, Police Sergeant (uncredited)
4.7
4.7
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
1942
as Henry Hathaway
4.7
4.7
The Phantom Express
1932
as D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan
4.7
4.7
A Sporting Chance
1919
as Luther Ripley aka Kennedy
4.7
4.7
The Painted Desert
1931
as Jeff Cameron
4.6
4.6
Zenobia
1939
as Judge
4.6
4.6
Broadway Limited
1941
as Mulcahey
4.5
4.5
I Loved a Woman
1933
as Shuster
4.5
4.5
Trailin'
1921
as Joseph Piotto
4.5
4.5
Slave Ship
1937
as Proprietor
4.5
4.5
Heritage of the Desert
1932
as Adam Naab
4.4
4.4
Peg o' My Heart
1933
as Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell
4.4
4.4
The Crosby Case
1934
as The Doorman--Mike Costello
4.4
4.4
The Magic Cloak of Oz
1914
Director
4.3
4.3
Discarded Lovers
1932
as Sommers
4.3
4.3
I Take This Oath
1940
as Insp. Tim Ryan
4.3
4.3
The Ape Man
1943
as Captain O'Brien
4.3
4.3
Phantom Killer
1942
as Police Captain
4.2
4.2
The Last Alarm
1940
as Jim Hadley
4.2
4.2
Untamed
1940
as Dr. Billar
4.2
4.2
Danger Ahead
1935
as Harry Cromwell
4.2
4.2
The Living Ghost
1942
as Police Lt. 'Pete' Peterson
4.1
4.1
Parnell
1937
as Irish Laborer (uncredited)
4.1
4.1
In Old Cheyenne
1941
as Tim Casey
4.1
4.1
Song o' My Heart
1930
as Rafferty
4.1
4.1
Belle Starr's Daughter
1948
as Doc Benson
4.0
4.0
Stagecoach War
1940
as Jeff Chapman
4.0
4.0
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1919
4.0
4.0
Waterfront Lady
1935
as Capt. O'Brien
4.0
4.0
The Freeze-Out
1921
as Bobtail McGuire
4.0
4.0
The Wallop
1921
as Neuces River
4.0
4.0
Our Little Girl
1935
as Hobo
4.0
4.0
Hearts of Humanity
1932
as Tom O'Hara
4.0
4.0
Action
1921
as Mormon Peters
4.0
4.0
Tiger Fangs
1943
as Geoffrey MacCardle
3.8
3.8
Private Snuffy Smith
1942
as Gen. Rosewater
3.7
3.7
Myrt and Marge
1933
as Grady
3.7
3.7
Thank You
1925
as Andy
3.0
3.0
Texas Masquerade
1944
as John Martindale
3.0
3.0
Stranger in Town
1931
as Scout
3.0
3.0
The Dalton Gang
1949
as Judge Price
3.0
3.0
The Bonded Woman
1922
as Captain Gaskell
3.0
3.0
Riders of Vengeance
1919
as Buell
3.0
3.0
Bringing Up Father
1928
as Jiggs
2.7
2.7
The Crime Doctor
1934
as Kemp
2.7
2.7
Cradle Snatchers
1927
as George Martin
2.5
2.5
Light of Western Stars
1940
as Bill Stillwell
2.3
2.3
Hostile Country
1950
as Mr. Lane (uncredited)
2.0
2.0
The Daltons' Women
1950
as Alvin
2.0
2.0
Riders of the Timberline
1941
as Jim Kerrigan
1.0
1.0
The Scarlet Letter
1911
1.0
1.0
The Last Express
1938
as William Barton (Detective Agency Head)
Men Are Such Fools
1932
as Prison Warden Randolph
Desperate Youth
1921
Knights of the Range
1940
as Cappy
Friendly Neighbors
1940
as Sheiff Potts
Goodbye, Weeds
1946
as Gardener
The Age of Desire
1923
as Dan Reagan
Too Young to Marry
1931
as Rev. Stump
The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris
1928
as Patrick Kelly
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
1926
as Sloan
The Path She Chose
1920
as Father
Bullet Proof
1920
as Jim Boone
The Family Upstairs
1926
as Joe Heller
Trouble Preferred
1948
as Apartment House Manager (uncredited)
$5,000 Reward
1918
as Norcross
Harrigan's Kid
1943
as Frank (uncredited)
The Ghost Breaker
1922
as Sam Marcum
The Lucky Horseshoe
1925
as Mack
Stormy
1935
as Trinidad Dorn
The Painted Angel
1929
as Pa Hudler
The Girl of the Golden West
1930
as Sonora Slim
The Arizonian
1935
as Marshal Andy Jordan
Woman Hungry
1931
as Buzzard
The Time-Lock Safe
1910
as Office Worker
Joe Palooka, Champ
1946
as Long-Count Bowman
This Sporting Age
1932
as Jerry O'Day
Swellhead
1935
as Umpire
Abie's Irish Rose
1928
as Patrick Murphy
Masquerade
1929
as Joe Hickey
A Trip to Chinatown
1926
as Benjamin Strong
Touchdown!
1931
as Pop Stewart
The Dixie Merchant
1926
as Jean Paul Fippany
Over the Border
1922
as Peter Galbraith
While Paris Sleeps
1923
Racing Hearts
1923
as Silas Martin
Let Women Alone
1925
as Commodore John Gordon
Riding with Death
1921
as Sheriff Pat Garrity
The Brass Bowl
1924
as Hickey
The Vanishing Frontier
1933
as Waco
Under Secret Orders
1933
as John Burke
Beggar's Holiday
1934
as Pop Malloy
Those Who Dare
1924
The Calling of Louis Mona
1913
The Bachelor Daddy
1922
as Joe Pelton
Fair Enough
1918
as Chief of Police Morgan
How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points
1933
as Himself
Keeper of the Bees
1947
as Postmaster
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 9: 'The Driver'
1931
Courage of the West
1937
as Buck Saunders
Steady Company
1932
as Hogan
Mysterious Crossing
1936
as Police Chief Bullock
The Racing Strain
1932
as Mr. Martin
A Timely Repentance
1912
as Louis Nordell
'Tween Two Loves
1911
as Farmer Howard
The First Year
1926
as Mr. Barstow
Come on Over
1922
as Michael Morahan
Ankles Preferred
1927
as McGuire
None But the Brave
1928
as John Craig
The Country Beyond
1926
as Sgt. Cassidy
The Last Frontier
1926
as Wild Bill Hickok
This Hero Stuff
1919
as Softnose Smith
Masked Emotions
1929
as Will Whitten
The Lighthouse Keeper
1911
as The Lighthouse Keeper
Northern Frontier
1935
as Inspector
Streets of San Francisco
1949
as Pop Lockhart
Western Luck
1924
as 'Chuck' Campbell
Mickey the Kid
1939
as Sheriff J.J. Willoughby
Numbered Woman
1938
as Capt. Ryan
The Gentleman from Arizona
1939
as Wild Bill Coburn
Little Orphan Annie
1938
as 'Pop' Corrigan
South Sea Rose
1929
as Hackett
Lonesome Luke, Social Gangster
1915
Director
Rory o' the Bogs
1913
Director
The Backslider
1914
Director
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