Mack Swain
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1876-02-15
Day of Death
1935-08-25 (59 years old)
Place of Birth
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Mack Swain
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mack Swain (born Moroni Swain, February 16, 1876 – August 25, 1935) was an early American film actor, who appeared in many of Mack Sennett's comedies at Keystone Studios, including the Keystone Cops series. He also appeared in major features by Charlie Chaplin.
In the early 1900s Swain had his own stock theater company, which performed in the western and midwestern United States.
Swain worked in vaudeville before starting in silent film at Keystone Studios under Mack Sennett. While with Keystone, he was teamed with Chester Conklin to make a series of comedy films. With Swain as "Ambrose" and Conklin as the grand mustachioed "Walrus", they performed these roles in several films including The Battle of Ambrose and Walrus and Love, Speed and Thrills, both made in 1915.
Besides these comedies, the two appeared together in a variety of other films, 26 all told, and they also appeared separately and/or together in films starring Mabel Normand, Charles Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle and most of the rest of the roster of Keystone players.
Swain later took his Ambrose character with him to the L-KO Kompany. Having already worked with Charles Chaplin at Keystone, Swain began working with him again at First National in 1921, appearing in The Idle Class, Pay Day, and The Pilgrim. He is also remembered for his large supporting role as Big Jim McKay in the 1925 film The Gold Rush, for United Artists, written by and starring Chaplin.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Mack Swain received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1500 Vine Street.
Known For
Acting
(1998)
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists
as Big Jim McKay (archive footage)
(1959)
The Chaplin Revue
as Various (archive footage)
(1953)
Yesterday and Today
as (archive footage)
(1943)
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
as (archive footage)
(1935)
Bad Boy
as Man on Rowing Machine
(1932)
(1932)
Lighthouse Love
as Captain Wiggins - the Lighthouse Keeper
(1931)
(1931)
Finn and Hattie
as Le Bottin
(1930)
The Sea Bat
as Dutchy
(1930)
Redemption
as Magistrate
(1930)
Soup to Nuts
as First Fat Diner (uncredited)
(1930)
Cleaning Up
as Mack
(1929)
The Locked Door
as Hotel Proprietor
(1928)
The Last Warning
as Robert Bunce
(1928)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
as Sir Francis Beekman
(1928)
Tillie's Punctured Romance
as Tillie's Father
(1928)
Caught in the Fog
as Detective Ryan
(1928)
The Girl from Nowhere
as Wilbur Ashcraft
(1927)
My Best Girl
as Judge
(1927)
The Shamrock and the Rose
as Mike Kelly
(1927)
Mockery
as Vladimir Gaidaroff
(1927)
The Beloved Rogue
as Nicholas
(1927)
The Girl from Everywhere
as Wilfred Ashcraft - Director
(1927)
Becky
as Irving Spiegelberg
(1927)
A Texas Steer
as Bragg
(1926)
Sea Horses
as Bimbo-Bomba
(1926)
Torrent
as Don Matías
(1926)
Kiki
as Pastryman (uncredited)
(1926)
Hands Up!
as Silas Woodstock
(1926)
Footloose Widows
as Ludwig
(1926)
The Nervous Wreck
as Jerome Underwood
(1926)
Whispering Wires
as McCarthy
(1926)
Her Big Night
as Myers, film producer
(1925)
The Gold Rush
as Big Jim McKay
(1925)
The Eagle
as Innkeeper (uncredited)
(1923)
The Pilgrim
as Deacon
(1923)
Pitfalls of a Big City
as The Vamp's Husband
(1923)
This Way Out
as The Girl's Father
(1922)
Pay Day
as Foreman
(1921)
The Idle Class
as Edna's Father (uncredited)
(1920)
(1920)
Innocent Ambrose
as Ambrose Schnitz
(1919)
Her First False Hare
as Unknown
(1919)
Oh, What a Knight
as The Sheriff
(1919)
Heroic Ambrose
as Ambrose Schnitz
(1918)
Adventurous Ambrose
as Ambrose
(1917)
Thirst
as Ambrose
(1917)
The Pullman Bride
as Rover Peabody - the Chosen One
(1917)
The Late Lamented
as Boarder (unconfirmed)
(1917)
Lost: A Cook
as Farmer Ambrose
(1917)
His Naughty Thought
as Walter Ambrose
(1916)
His Bitter Pill
as Jim - a Big Hearted Sheriff
(1916)
A Movie Star
as Handsome Jack
(1916)
Madcap Ambrose
as Ambrose
(1915)
That Little Band Of Gold
as Audience Member (uncredited)
(1915)
Love, Speed and Thrills
as Ambrose
(1915)
Ambrose's Fury
as Ambrose
(1915)
Ambrose's Lofty Perch
as Ambrose
(1915)
Saved by Wireless
as The Spy
(1915)
Fatty's New Role
as Ambrose Schnitz
(1915)
Hogan's Romance Upset
as Fight Spectator
(1915)
When Ambrose Dared Walrus
as Ambrose
(1915)
Ambrose's Nasty Temper
as Ambrose
(1915)
The Home Breakers
as Ambrose
(1915)
Mabel Lost and Won
as Mabel's Rival's Husband
(1915)
Ambrose's Sour Grapes
as Ambrose
(1915)
Ye Olden Grafter
as The Grafter
(1915)
Caught in a Park
as The Bartender
(1915)
Willful Ambrose
as Pa Ambrose
(1915)
Ambrose's Little Hatchet
as Ambrose
(1914)
Caught in a Cabaret
as Tough Patron / Party Guest / Boy's Father (uncredited)
(1914)
Tillie's Punctured Romance
as Tillie's Father
(1914)
The Knockout
as Gambler (uncredited)
(1914)
His Trysting Places
as Ambrose
(1914)
The Fatal Mallet
as Rival Suitor (uncredited)
(1914)
Getting Acquainted
as Ambrose
(1914)
A Busy Day
as Husband
(1914)
Mabel at the Wheel
as Race Spectator (uncredited)
(1914)
Mabel's Married Life
as Wellington, a Ladykiller
(1914)
Caught in the Rain
as Husband (uncredited)
(1914)
His Prehistoric Past
as King Lowbrow
(1914)
Gentlemen of Nerve
as Mr. Walrus
(1914)
Laughing Gas
as Patient
(1914)
Double Crossed
as The Belle's Boyfriend
(1914)
A Thief Catcher
as Crook (uncredited)
(1914)
A Gambling Rube
as (unconfirmed)
(1914)
Leading Lizzie Astray
as Cafe Patron - In from the Mines
(1914)
The Under-Sheriff
as Villager
(1914)
His Musical Career
as Mike, Charlie's Partner
(1914)
Gussle, the Golfer
as Ambrose
(1914)
(1914)
Hello, Mabel
as The Married Flirt
(1914)
Ambrose's First Falsehood
as Ambrose
(1914)
The Sea Nymphs
as Ambrose
(1914)
(1914)
(1914)
A Rowboat Romance
as (unconfirmed)
(1914)
(1914)
(1914)
Fatty's Wine Party
as Restaurant Proprietor
(1913)
The Gusher
as Villager / Cop
(1913)
A Muddy Romance
as Desk Sergeant / Park Attendant
(1913)
Fatty Joins the Force
as Cop at Station House
Crew
(1920)
Innocent Ambrose
Director
(1919)
Heroic Ambrose
Director