J. Farrell MacDonald
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1875-06-05
Day of Death
1952-08-02 (77 years old)
Place of Birth
Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
J. Farrell MacDonald
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.
Known For
Acting
(1997)
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
as Self (archive footage)
(1951)
Here Comes the Groom
as Husband on Airplane (uncredited)
(1951)
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
as Mr. Kroeger
(1951)
Superman and the Mole Men
as Pop Shannon
(1950)
Woman on the Run
as Cap, the Retired Ferryboat Captain
(1950)
When Willie Comes Marching Home
as Gilby - Pharmacist (uncredited)
(1950)
The Daltons' Women
as Alvin
(1950)
Dakota Lil
as Ellis
(1950)
Hostile Country
as Mr. Lane (uncredited)
(1949)
Streets of San Francisco
as Pop Lockhart
(1949)
You're My Everything
as Doorman (uncredited)
(1949)
The Dalton Gang
as Judge Price
(1948)
The Walls of Jericho
as Bailiff (uncredited)
(1948)
If You Knew Susie
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
(1948)
Trouble Preferred
as Apartment House Manager (uncredited)
(1948)
Whispering Smith
as Bill Baggs
(1948)
Panhandle
as Doc Cooper
(1948)
Shep Comes Home
as Sheriff Cap Weatherby
(1948)
Fury at Furnace Creek
as Pops Murphy (uncredited)
(1948)
Belle Starr's Daughter
as Doc Benson
(1948)
Sitting Pretty
as Cop (uncredited)
(1947)
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
as Mac, Bailiff (uncredited)
(1947)
Keeper of the Bees
as Postmaster
(1947)
Web of Danger
as Scotty MacKronish - Bus Driver
(1947)
Christmas Eve
as Policeman (uncredited)
(1947)
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
(1947)
Thunder in the Valley
as McPherson - Innkeeper
(1946)
It's a Wonderful Life
as Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited)
(1946)
My Darling Clementine
as Mac the barman
(1946)
Smoky
as Jim, the Cook
(1946)
Goodbye, Weeds
as Gardener
(1946)
Joe Palooka, Champ
as Long-Count Bowman
(1945)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
as Mr. Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
(1945)
(1945)
Hangover Square
as Street Vendor (uncredited)
(1945)
Johnny Angel
as Capt. Angel
(1945)
Circumstantial Evidence
as Jury Foreman
(1945)
Fallen Angel
as Bank Guard (uncredited)
(1944)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
as Sheriff (uncredited)
(1944)
Texas Masquerade
as John Martindale
(1944)
The Great Moment
as The Priest
(1944)
Greenwich Village
as O'Shea, policeman
(1943)
The Ape Man
as Captain O'Brien
(1943)
True to Life
as Man (uncredited)
(1943)
Tiger Fangs
as Geoffrey MacCardle
(1943)
Harrigan's Kid
as Frank (uncredited)
(1942)
Phantom Killer
as Police Captain
(1942)
Reap the Wild Wind
as Port Captain
(1942)
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
as Henry Hathaway
(1942)
Bowery at Midnight
as Capt. Mitchell
(1942)
The Living Ghost
as Police Lt. 'Pete' Peterson
(1942)
The Palm Beach Story
as Officer O'Donnell (uncredited)
(1942)
(1942)
One Thrilling Night
as Police Sergeant Haggerty
(1942)
Private Snuffy Smith
as Gen. Rosewater
(1942)
Captains of the Clouds
as Dr. Neville
(1941)
The Great Lie
as Dr. Ferguson
(1941)
Riders of the Timberline
as Jim Kerrigan
(1941)
In Old Cheyenne
as Tim Casey
(1941)
Meet John Doe
as 'Sourpuss'
(1941)
Law of the Timber
as Adams
(1941)
Broadway Limited
as Mulcahey
(1940)
Pony Express Days
as Nevada Jim
(1940)
Dark Command
as Dave
(1940)
The Last Alarm
as Jim Hadley
(1940)
Stagecoach War
as Jeff Chapman
(1940)
Light of Western Stars
as Bill Stillwell
(1940)
Knights of the Range
as Cappy
(1940)
Untamed
as Dr. Billar
(1940)
Friendly Neighbors
as Sheiff Potts
(1940)
I Take This Oath
as Insp. Tim Ryan
(1940)
Prairie Law
as Sheriff Jim Austin
(1939)
Mickey the Kid
as Sheriff J.J. Willoughby
(1939)
East Side of Heaven
as Doorman (uncredited)
(1939)
Conspiracy
as Captain of the Falcon
(1939)
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
as Craig Dolan
(1939)
Coast Guard
as Capt. Hansen (uncredited)
(1939)
Full Confession
as Joe, Police Sergeant (uncredited)
(1939)
Susannah of the Mounties
as Pat O'Hannegan
(1939)
Zenobia
as Judge
(1939)
The Housekeeper's Daughter
as Captain
(1939)
They Shall Have Music
as Police Chief (uncredited)
(1939)
The Gentleman from Arizona
as Wild Bill Coburn
(1938)
Come On, Rangers
as Colonel Forbes
(1938)
State Police
as Charlie Wheeler
(1938)
My Old Kentucky Home
as Mayor Jim Hopkins
(1938)
The Last Express
as William Barton (Detective Agency Head)
(1938)
The Crowd Roars
as Father Patrick Ryan
(1938)
Barefoot Boy
as Warden
(1938)
Gang Bullets
as Chief Reardon
(1938)
There Goes My Heart
as Officer
(1938)
Extortion
as Coach Pearson
(1938)
Numbered Woman
as Capt. Ryan
(1938)
Submarine Patrol
as CWO 'Sails' Quincannon
(1938)
White Banners
as Dr. Thompson
(1938)
Little Orphan Annie
as 'Pop' Corrigan
(1937)
Topper
as Policeman
(1937)
Slave Ship
as Proprietor
(1937)
County Fair
as Calvin Williams
(1937)
Roaring Timber
as Andrew MacKinley
(1937)
The Game That Kills
as Joe Holland
(1937)
Slim
as Pop
(1937)
Flying Fists
as Bill 'One-Punch' Fagin
(1937)
My Dear Miss Aldrich
as 'Doc' Howe
(1937)
The Hit Parade
as Sgt. O'Hara
(1937)
Parnell
as Irish Laborer (uncredited)
(1937)
Parnell
as Irish Laborer
(1937)
Maid of Salem
as Captain of Ship
(1937)
The Great Barrier
as Major Rogers
(1937)
Courage of the West
as Buck Saunders
(1936)
Exclusive Story
as Michael Devlin
(1936)
Riffraff
as 'Brains'
(1936)
Show Boat
as Windy MacLaine
(1936)
Florida Special
as Harrigan
(1936)
Mysterious Crossing
as Police Chief Bullock
(1935)
The Best Man Wins
as Captain--Harbor Patrol
(1935)
Shadows of the Orient
as Inspector Sullivan
(1935)
Star of Midnight
as Inspector Doremus
(1935)
Stormy
as Trinidad Dorn
(1935)
The Healer
as Applejack
(1935)
Northern Frontier
as Inspector
(1935)
Danger Ahead
as Harry Cromwell
(1935)
The Arizonian
as Marshal Andy Jordan
(1935)
Fighting Youth
as Coach Parker
(1935)
Maybe It's Love
as The Cop
(1935)
The Irish in Us
as Capt. Jackson
(1935)
Swellhead
as Umpire
(1935)
Romance in Manhattan
as Murphy
(1935)
Front Page Woman
as Hallohan
(1935)
Our Little Girl
as Hobo
(1935)
Waterfront Lady
as Capt. O'Brien
(1935)
The Whole Town's Talking
as Prison Warden (uncredited)
(1935)
Hitch Hike Lady
as Judge Hale
(1935)
Let 'em Have It
as Mr. Keefer
(1935)
Square Shooter
as Sheriff
(1934)
Once to Every Woman
as Flannigan
(1934)
The Crime Doctor
as Kemp
(1934)
The Crosby Case
as The Doorman--Mike Costello
(1934)
Beggar's Holiday
as Pop Malloy
(1934)
Man of Two Worlds
as Michael
(1933)
Peg o' My Heart
as Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell
(1933)
Murder on the Campus
as Police Capt. Ed Kyne
(1933)
How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points
as Himself
(1933)
The Vanishing Frontier
as Waco
(1933)
The Working Man
as Henry 'Hank' Davis
(1933)
The Iron Master
as J.C. Stillman
(1933)
The Power and the Glory
as Mulligan
(1933)
Myrt and Marge
as Grady
(1933)
I Loved a Woman
as Shuster
(1933)
Under Secret Orders
as John Burke
(1933)
Laughing at Life
as Prison Warden
(1932)
The Hurricane Express
as Jim Baker
(1932)
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
as Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited)
(1932)
Hearts of Humanity
as Tom O'Hara
(1932)
Probation
as George Holman
(1932)
The Thirteenth Guest
as Captain Ryan
(1932)
The Pride of the Legion
as Chief Scott
(1932)
Discarded Lovers
as Sommers
(1932)
Steady Company
as Hogan
(1932)
Week-End Marriage
as Mr. Davis
(1932)
Under Eighteen
as Pop Evans
(1932)
Madame Racketeer
as John Adams
(1932)
Me and My Gal
as Pop Riley
(1932)
70,000 Witnesses
as State Coach
(1932)
Hotel Continental
as Detective Martin
(1932)
Men Are Such Fools
as Prison Warden Randolph
(1932)
Heritage of the Desert
as Adam Naab
(1932)
No Man of Her Own
as "Dickie" Collins
(1932)
Scandal for Sale
as Treadway
(1932)
This Sporting Age
as Jerry O'Day
(1932)
The Phantom Express
as D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan
(1932)
The Racing Strain
as Mr. Martin
(1931)
The Spirit of Notre Dame
as The Coach
(1931)
The Maltese Falcon
as Det. Sgt. Tom Polhaus
(1931)
The Easiest Way
as Ben Murdock
(1931)
The Painted Desert
as Jeff Cameron
(1931)
Stranger in Town
as Scout
(1931)
The Stolen Jools
as Policeman
(1931)
Touchdown!
as Pop Stewart
(1931)
The Squaw Man
as Big Bill
(1931)
The Millionaire
as Dan Lewis
(1931)
Woman Hungry
as Buzzard
(1931)
Sporting Blood
as MacGuire
(1931)
The Brat
as Timson, the butler
(1931)
(1931)
Too Young to Marry
as Rev. Stump
(1931)
Other Men's Women
as Peg-Leg
(1930)
River's End
as O'Toole
(1930)
Song o' My Heart
as Rafferty
(1930)
The Truth About Youth
as Colonel Graham
(1930)
The Girl of the Golden West
as Sonora Slim
(1930)
Men Without Women
as Costello
(1929)
Masquerade
as Joe Hickey
(1929)
Strong Boy
as Angus McGregor
(1929)
South Sea Rose
as Hackett
(1929)
Happy Days
as Train Conductor
(1929)
Masked Emotions
as Will Whitten
(1929)
The Painted Angel
as Pa Hudler
(1928)
None But the Brave
as John Craig
(1928)
In Old Arizona
as Stage Passenger (uncredited)
(1928)
Riley the Cop
as James 'Aloysius' Riley
(1928)
The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris
as Patrick Kelly
(1928)
4 Devils
as The Clown
(1928)
Abie's Irish Rose
as Patrick Murphy
(1928)
Bringing Up Father
as Jiggs
(1927)
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
as The Photographer
(1927)
Paid to Love
as Peter Roberts
(1927)
Cradle Snatchers
as George Martin
(1927)
East Side, West Side
as Pug Malone
(1927)
Ankles Preferred
as McGuire
(1926)
The Dixie Merchant
as Jean Paul Fippany
(1926)
The First Year
as Mr. Barstow
(1926)
The Country Beyond
as Sgt. Cassidy
(1926)
3 Bad Men
as Mike Costigan
(1926)
The Family Upstairs
as Joe Heller
(1926)
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
as Sloan
(1926)
A Trip to Chinatown
as Benjamin Strong
(1926)
The Shamrock Handicap
as Con O'Shea
(1925)
Let Women Alone
as Commodore John Gordon
(1925)
The Iron Horse
as Corporal Casey
(1925)
Lightnin'
as Lemuel Townsend
(1925)
Thank You
as Andy
(1925)
Kentucky Pride
as Donavan
(1925)
The Lucky Horseshoe
as Mack
(1925)
The Fighting Heart
as Jerry
(1924)
(1924)
The Brass Bowl
as Hickey
(1924)
The Signal Tower
as Pete
(1924)
Western Luck
as 'Chuck' Campbell
(1924)
Mademoiselle Midnight
as Duc de Moing (Prologue)
(1923)
Quicksands
as Col. Patterson
(1923)
The Age of Desire
as Dan Reagan
(1923)
Drifting
as Murphy
(1923)
(1923)
Racing Hearts
as Silas Martin
(1922)
Manslaughter
as (uncredited)
(1922)
Over the Border
as Peter Galbraith
(1922)
The Bonded Woman
as Captain Gaskell
(1922)
The Young Rajah
as Amhad Beg - Prime Minister
(1922)
Sky High
as Jim Frazer (as J. Farrel MacDonald)
(1922)
The Ghost Breaker
as Sam Marcum
(1922)
The Bachelor Daddy
as Joe Pelton
(1922)
Come on Over
as Michael Morahan
(1921)
Riding with Death
as Sheriff Pat Garrity
(1921)
The Wallop
as Neuces River
(1921)
Trailin'
as Joseph Piotto
(1921)
Action
as Mormon Peters
(1921)
The Freeze-Out
as Bobtail McGuire
(1921)
(1920)
Bullet Proof
as Jim Boone
(1920)
Hitchin' Posts
as Joe Alabam (as J. Farrell McDonald)
(1920)
The Path She Chose
as Father
(1919)
Riders of Vengeance
as Buell
(1919)
Marked Men
as Tom Placer McGraw
(1919)
This Hero Stuff
as Softnose Smith
(1919)
(1919)
Roped
as Butler
(1919)
A Sporting Chance
as Luther Ripley aka Kennedy
(1919)
A Fight For Love
as The Priest
(1918)
$5,000 Reward
as Norcross
(1918)
Fair Enough
as Chief of Police Morgan
(1915)
Rags
as Paul Ferguson (as Joseph Farrell MacDonald)
(1913)
(1912)
A Timely Repentance
as Louis Nordell
(1911)
The Lighthouse Keeper
as The Lighthouse Keeper
(1911)
The Dream
as Secondary Role (uncredited)
(1911)
'Tween Two Loves
as Farmer Howard
(1911)
(1910)
The Time-Lock Safe
as Office Worker
Crew
(1917)
Over the Fence
Director
(1915)
Lonesome Luke, Social Gangster
Director
(1914)
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Director
(1914)
The Magic Cloak of Oz
Director
(1914)
His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz
Director
(1914)
Samson
Director
(1914)
The Backslider
Director
(1913)
Rory o' the Bogs
Director