![Image of J. Farrell MacDonald](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w342/hSINvJ003UJAohrEgqBPkXzu1cM.jpg)
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.
Movie | Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line | Self (archive footage) | 1997-05-12 |
Movie | Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell | Mr. Kroeger | 1951-08-01 |
Movie | Here Comes the Groom | Husband on Airplane | 1951-09-20 |
Movie | Superman and the Mole-Men | Pop Shannon | 1951-11-23 |
Movie | When Willie Comes Marching Home | Gilby - Pharmacist (uncredited) | 1950-02-17 |
Movie | The Daltons' Women | Alvin | 1950-02-25 |
Movie | Dakota Lil | Ellis | 1950-02-17 |
Movie | Woman on the Run | Cap, the Retired Ferryboat Captain | 1950-11-10 |
Movie | Hostile Country | Mr. Lane (uncredited) | 1950-03-24 |
Movie | Streets of San Francisco | Pop Lockhart | 1949-04-15 |
Movie | You're My Everything | Doorman (uncredited) | 1949-07-22 |
Movie | The Dalton Gang | Judge Price | 1949-10-20 |
Movie | Sitting Pretty | Cop (uncredited) | 1948-03-10 |
Movie | If You Knew Susie | Police Sergeant (uncredited) | 1948-02-07 |
Movie | Belle Starr's Daughter | Doc Benson | 1948-11-13 |
Movie | Fury at Furnace Creek | Pops Murphy (uncredited) | 1948-04-30 |
Movie | Trouble Preferred | Apartment House Manager (uncredited) | 1948-12-31 |
Movie | Whispering Smith | Bill Baggs | 1948-12-09 |
Movie | The Walls of Jericho | Bailiff (uncredited) | 1948-11-22 |
Movie | Web of Danger | Scotty MacKronish - Bus Driver | 1947-06-10 |
Movie | Keeper of the Bees | Postmaster | 1947-07-10 |
Movie | The Sin of Harold Diddlebock | Desk Sergeant (uncredited) | 1947-04-04 |
Movie | The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer | Mac, Bailiff (uncredited) | 1947-09-01 |
Movie | Thunder in the Valley | McPherson - Innkeeper | 1947-11-01 |
Movie | Christmas Eve | Policeman (uncredited) | 1947-10-31 |
Movie | Smoky | Jim, the Cook | 1946-06-26 |
Movie | Joe Palooka, Champ | Long-Count Bowman | 1946-05-26 |
Movie | My Darling Clementine | Mac the barman | 1946-10-17 |
Movie | Goodbye, Weeds | Gardener | 1946-10-30 |
Movie | It's a Wonderful Life | Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited) | 1946-12-20 |
Movie | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Mr. Carney The Junkman (uncredited) | 1945-02-28 |
Movie | Circumstantial Evidence | Jury Foreman | 1945-04-20 |
Movie | Hangover Square | Street Vendor (uncredited) | 1945-02-07 |
Movie | Johnny Angel | Capt. Angel | 1945-10-25 |
Movie | Pillow of Death | 1945-12-14 | |
Movie | Fallen Angel | Bank Guard (uncredited) | 1945-11-15 |
Movie | Texas Masquerade | John Martindale | 1944-02-08 |
Movie | The Great Moment | The Priest | 1944-07-18 |
Movie | Greenwich Village | O'Shea, policeman | 1944-09-27 |
Movie | Harrigan's Kid | Frank (uncredited) | 1943-03-01 |
Movie | The Ape Man | Captain O'Brien | 1943-03-05 |
Movie | The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek | Sheriff (uncredited) | 1943-12-12 |
Movie | Tiger Fangs | Geoffrey MacCardle | 1943-09-10 |
Movie | True to Life | Man (uncredited) | 1943-12-24 |
Movie | Captains of the Clouds | Dr. Neville (from Churchtown) | 1942-02-12 |
Movie | Wild Bill Hickok Rides | Henry Hathaway | 1942-01-31 |
Movie | Private Snuffy Smith | Gen. Rosewater | 1942-01-16 |
Movie | Reap the Wild Wind | Port Captain | 1942-03-26 |
Movie | One Thrilling Night | Police Sergeant Haggerty | 1942-06-05 |
Movie | The McGuerins from Brooklyn | Cop | 1942-12-31 |
Movie | Bowery at Midnight | Capt. Mitchell | 1942-10-30 |
Movie | Phantom Killer | Police Captain | 1942-10-02 |
Movie | The Palm Beach Story | Officer O'Donnell (uncredited) | 1942-08-28 |
Movie | The Living Ghost | Police Lt. 'Pete' Peterson | 1942-08-11 |
Movie | In Old Cheyenne | Tim Casey | 1941-04-04 |
Movie | Meet John Doe | 'Sourpuss' | 1941-03-14 |
Movie | The Great Lie | Dr. Ferguson | 1941-04-05 |
Movie | Broadway Limited | Mulcahey | 1941-06-13 |
Movie | Law of the Timber | Adams | 1941-12-19 |
Movie | Riders of the Timberline | Jim Kerrigan | 1941-09-17 |
Movie | I Take This Oath | Insp. Tim Ryan | 1940-05-20 |
Movie | Light of Western Stars | Bill Stillwell | 1940-04-17 |
Movie | Knights of the Range | Cappy | 1940-02-23 |
Movie | Prairie Law | Sheriff Jim Austin | 1940-06-14 |
Movie | Dark Command | Dave | 1940-04-15 |
Movie | Friendly Neighbors | Sheiff Potts | 1940-11-17 |
Movie | Untamed | Doctor Billar | 1940-07-24 |
Movie | Pony Express Days | Nevada Jim | 1940-07-13 |
Movie | The Last Alarm | Jim Hadley | 1940-06-25 |
Movie | Stagecoach War | Jeff Chapman | 1940-07-12 |
Movie | Susannah of the Mounties | Pat O'Hannegan | 1939-06-13 |
Movie | Zenobia | Judge | 1939-04-21 |
Movie | The Lone Ranger Rides Again | Craig Dolan | 1939-02-25 |
Movie | Conspiracy | Captain of the Falcon | 1939-08-01 |
Movie | East Side of Heaven | Doorman (uncredited) | 1939-04-07 |
Movie | Mickey the Kid | Sheriff J.J. Willoughby | 1939-07-03 |
Movie | The Housekeeper's Daughter | Captain | 1939-10-26 |
Movie | Full Confession | Joe, Police Sergeant (uncredited) | 1939-09-08 |
Movie | The Gentleman from Arizona | Wild Bill Coburn | 1939-12-25 |
Movie | They Shall Have Music | Police Chief (uncredited) | 1939-08-18 |
Movie | Coast Guard | Capt. Hansen (uncredited) | 1939-08-04 |
Movie | White Banners | Dr. Thompson | 1938-06-23 |
Movie | Barefoot Boy | Warden | 1938-08-03 |
Movie | Numbered Woman | Capt. Ryan | 1938-05-22 |
Movie | My Old Kentucky Home | Mayor Jim Hopkins | 1938-02-09 |
Movie | The Crowd Roars | Father Patrick Ryan | 1938-08-06 |
Movie | State Police | Charlie Wheeler | 1938-03-18 |
Movie | Submarine Patrol | CWO 'Sails' Quincannon | 1938-11-25 |
Movie | There Goes My Heart | Officer | 1938-10-14 |
Movie | Come On, Rangers | Colonel Forbes | 1938-11-21 |
Movie | Little Orphan Annie | 'Pop' Corrigan | 1938-12-02 |
Movie | Gang Bullets | Chief Reardon | 1938-11-10 |
Movie | The Last Express | William Barton (Detective Agency Head) | 1938-10-27 |
Movie | Slim | Pop | 1937-06-24 |
Movie | Slave Ship | Proprietor | 1937-06-16 |
Movie | Parnell | Irish Laborer (uncredited) | 1937-06-04 |
Movie | Maid of Salem | Captain of Ship | 1937-02-12 |
Movie | Flying Fists | Bill 'One-Punch' Fagin | 1937-07-01 |
Movie | The Great Barrier | Major Rogers | 1937-01-02 |
Movie | The Hit Parade | Sgt. O'Hara | 1937-04-26 |
Movie | Courage of the West | Buck Saunders | 1937-12-01 |
Movie | County Fair | Calvin Williams | 1937-11-24 |
Movie | Roaring Timber | Andrew MacKinley | 1937-07-03 |
Movie | The Game That Kills | Joe Holland | 1937-09-21 |
Movie | My Dear Miss Aldrich | 'Doc' Howe | 1937-09-17 |
Movie | Topper | Policeman | 1937-07-16 |
Movie | Shadows of the Orient | Inspector Sullivan | 1937-08-18 |
Movie | Florida Special | Captain Timothy Harrigan | 1936-04-21 |
Movie | Riffraff | 'Brains' | 1936-01-03 |
Movie | Exclusive Story | Michael Devlin | 1936-01-17 |
Movie | Show Boat | Windy MacLaine | 1936-05-17 |
Movie | Mysterious Crossing | Police Chief Bullock | 1936-12-27 |
Movie | The Whole Town's Talking | Prison Warden (uncredited) | 1935-02-22 |
Movie | Let 'em Have It | Mr. Keefer | 1935-05-15 |
Movie | Northern Frontier | Inspector | 1935-02-01 |
Movie | Star of Midnight | Inspector Doremus | 1935-04-19 |
Movie | The Best Man Wins | Captain--Harbor Patrol | 1935-01-14 |
Movie | Our Little Girl | Hobo | 1935-01-01 |
Movie | Romance in Manhattan | Murphy | 1935-01-11 |
Movie | Maybe It's Love | The Cop | 1935-01-12 |
Movie | Square Shooter | Sheriff | 1935-01-21 |
Movie | Swellhead | Umpire | 1935-05-04 |
Movie | Stormy | Trinidad Dorn | 1935-10-21 |
Movie | Fighting Youth | Coach Parker | 1935-11-01 |
Movie | The Healer | Applejack | 1935-06-14 |
Movie | Waterfront Lady | Capt. O'Brien | 1935-10-04 |
Movie | Hitch Hike Lady | Judge Hale | 1935-12-28 |
Movie | Danger Ahead | Harry Cromwell | 1935-08-01 |
Movie | The Arizonian | Marshal Andy Jordan | 1935-06-27 |
Movie | Front Page Woman | Hallohan | 1935-07-11 |
Movie | The Irish in Us | Capt. Jackson | 1935-07-31 |
Movie | Man of Two Worlds | Michael | 1934-01-13 |
Movie | The Crosby Case | The Doorman--Mike Costello | 1934-03-05 |
Movie | The Crime Doctor | Kemp | 1934-03-14 |
Movie | Once to Every Woman | John Flannigan | 1934-03-24 |
Movie | Peg o' My Heart | Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell | 1933-05-26 |
Movie | The Working Man | Henry 'Hank' Davis | 1933-04-20 |
Movie | The Iron Master | J.C. Stillman | 1933-02-04 |
Movie | Laughing at Life | Prison Warden | 1933-07-12 |
Movie | The Power and the Glory | Mulligan | 1933-10-06 |
Movie | How to Break 90 #6: Fine Points | 1933-08-04 | |
Movie | Myrt and Marge | Grady | 1933-11-25 |
Movie | Murder on the Campus | Police Capt. Ed Kyne | 1933-12-26 |
Movie | I Loved a Woman | Shuster | 1933-09-23 |
Movie | The Strange Love of Molly Louvain | Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited) | 1932-05-28 |
Movie | Scandal for Sale | Treadway | 1932-04-01 |
Movie | Week-End Marriage | Mr. Davis | 1932-06-18 |
Movie | Probation | George Holman | 1932-03-15 |
Movie | Madame Racketeer | John Adams | 1932-07-23 |
Movie | Discarded Lovers | Sommers | 1932-01-03 |
Movie | The Hurricane Express | Jim Baker | 1932-08-01 |
Movie | Under Eighteen | Pop Evans | 1932-01-02 |
Movie | Hotel Continental | Detective Martin | 1932-02-21 |
Movie | Steady Company | Hogan | 1932-03-13 |
Movie | The Thirteenth Guest | Captain Ryan | 1932-08-09 |
Movie | Men Are Such Fools | Prison Warden Randolph | 1932-11-18 |
Movie | The Racing Strain | Mr. Martin | 1932-12-16 |
Movie | No Man of Her Own | 'Dickie' Collins | 1932-12-30 |
Movie | The Pride of the Legion | Chief Scott | 1932-10-17 |
Movie | Me and My Gal | Pop Riley | 1932-12-04 |
Movie | Heritage of the Desert | Adam Naab | 1932-09-30 |
Movie | The Phantom Express | D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan | 1932-08-15 |
Movie | Hearts of Humanity | Tom O'Hara | 1932-08-31 |
Movie | 70,000 Witnesses | State Coach | 1932-09-09 |
Movie | The Stolen Jools | Policeman | 1931-04-04 |
Movie | The Millionaire | Dan Lewis | 1931-05-01 |
Movie | Woman Hungry | Buzzard | 1931-04-04 |
Movie | Other Men's Women | Peg-Leg | 1931-01-17 |
Movie | Too Young to Marry | Rev. Stump | 1931-05-03 |
Movie | The Painted Desert | Jeff Cameron | 1931-01-18 |
Movie | The Easiest Way | Ben Murdock | 1931-02-07 |
Movie | The Maltese Falcon | Det. Sgt. Tom Polhaus | 1931-05-23 |
Movie | The Brat | Timson, the butler | 1931-08-23 |
Movie | The Spirit of Notre Dame | The Coach | 1931-10-13 |
Movie | How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 9: 'The Driver' | 1931-08-18 | |
Movie | Sporting Blood | MacGuire | 1931-08-08 |
Movie | The Squaw Man | Big Bill | 1931-07-21 |
Movie | Stranger in Town | Scout | 1931-08-06 |
Movie | Men Without Women | Costello | 1930-02-08 |
Movie | Song o' My Heart | Rafferty | 1930-03-11 |
Movie | The Truth About Youth | Colonel Graham | 1930-11-03 |
Movie | The Girl of the Golden West | Sonora Slim | 1930-10-12 |
Movie | River's End | O'Toole | 1930-11-01 |
Movie | Masked Emotions | Will Whitten | 1929-06-22 |
Movie | Masquerade | Joe Hickey | 1929-07-14 |
Movie | Strong Boy | Angus McGregor | 1929-03-03 |
Movie | South Sea Rose | Hackett | 1929-12-09 |
Movie | The Painted Angel | Pa Hudler | 1929-12-01 |
Movie | Happy Days | Train Conductor | 1929-09-16 |
Movie | Bringing Up Father | Jiggs | 1928-03-18 |
Movie | The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris | 1928-01-15 | |
Movie | Abie's Irish Rose | Patrick Murphy | 1928-04-19 |
Movie | None But the Brave | John Craig | 1928-08-05 |
Movie | In Old Arizona | Stage Passenger (uncredited) | 1928-12-25 |
Movie | Riley the Cop | James 'Aloysius' Riley | 1928-11-25 |
Movie | 4 Devils | The Clown | 1928-10-03 |
Movie | Ankles Preferred | McGuire | 1927-02-27 |
Movie | Paid to Love | Peter Roberts | 1927-07-23 |
Movie | Cradle Snatchers | George Martin | 1927-05-28 |
Movie | Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans | The Photographer | 1927-11-04 |
Movie | East Side, West Side | Pug Malone | 1927-10-09 |
Movie | The Shamrock Handicap | Con O'Shea | 1926-05-02 |
Movie | A Trip to Chinatown | Benjamin Strong | 1926-06-06 |
Movie | The First Year | Mr. Barstow | 1926-01-24 |
Movie | 3 Bad Men | Mike Costigan | 1926-08-28 |
Movie | The Family Upstairs | Joe Heller | 1926-08-29 |
Movie | The Lucky Horseshoe | Mack | 1925-08-30 |
Movie | Lightnin' | Lemuel Townsend | 1925-08-23 |
Movie | Kentucky Pride | Donavan | 1925-09-06 |
Movie | Thank You | Andy | 1925-10-05 |
Movie | The Fighting Heart | Jerry | 1925-10-18 |
Movie | Western Luck | 'Chuck' Campbell | 1924-06-22 |
Movie | The Signal Tower | Pete | 1924-07-19 |
Movie | Mademoiselle Midnight | Duc de Moing (Prologue) | 1924-04-14 |
Movie | The Iron Horse | Corporal Casey | 1924-08-24 |
Movie | Those Who Dare | 1924-11-15 | |
Movie | While Paris Sleeps | 1923-01-21 | |
Movie | Quicksands | Col. Patterson | 1923-02-28 |
Movie | Racing Hearts | Silas Martin | 1923-07-15 |
Movie | Drifting | Murphy | 1923-08-26 |
Movie | Come on Over | 1922-03-11 | |
Movie | Sky High | Jim Frazer (as J. Farrel MacDonald) | 1922-01-15 |
Movie | Over the Border | Peter Galbraith | 1922-06-04 |
Movie | The Young Rajah | Amhad Beg - Prime Minister | 1922-11-11 |
Movie | Manslaughter | (uncredited) | 1922-09-24 |
Movie | The Ghost Breaker | Sam Marcum | 1922-09-10 |
Movie | The Bonded Woman | Captain Gaskell | 1922-08-21 |
Movie | The Freeze-Out | Bobtail McGuire | 1921-04-09 |
Movie | The Wallop | Neuces River | 1921-05-09 |
Movie | Action | Mormon Peters | 1921-09-12 |
Movie | Trailin' | Joseph Piotto | 1921-12-11 |
Movie | Bullet Proof | Jim Boone | 1920-05-03 |
Movie | Hitchin' Posts | Joe Alabam (as J. Farrell McDonald) | 1920-09-13 |
Movie | A Fight For Love | The Priest | 1919-03-24 |
Movie | Roped | Butler | 1919-01-03 |
Movie | Riders of Vengeance | Buell | 1919-06-09 |
Movie | Marked Men | Tom Placer McGraw | 1919-12-21 |
Movie | The Outcasts of Poker Flat | Unknown | 1919-06-29 |
Movie | A Sporting Chance | Luther Ripley aka Kennedy | 1919-06-28 |
Movie | Rags | Paul Ferguson (as Joseph Farrell MacDonald) | 1915-08-02 |
Movie | The Calling of Louis Mona | 1913-03-28 | |
Movie | A Timely Repentance | Louis Nordell | 1912-03-11 |
Movie | The Dream | Secondary Role (uncredited) | 1911-01-23 |
Movie | 'Tween Two Loves | Farmer Howard | 1911-09-28 |
Movie | The Lighthouse Keeper | The Lighthouse Keeper | 1911-05-18 |