John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years.
Early years Mulhall was born in Wappingers Falls, New York. He was one of six children born to an Irish father and a Scottish mother. He began helping with carnival acts when he was 14 years old.
Career Before acting in films, Mulhall worked in legitimate theater, musical comedy, and vaudeville. He also worked as a model for magazine illustrators. His first film appearance (other than as an extra) was in The Fugitive (1910).
During the silent era, Mulhall was a popular screen player, particularly in the 1920s, and he starred in such films as The Social Buccaneer, The Mad Whirl and We Moderns. Some of his more prominent mid-career roles were in The Three Musketeers (1933), Burn 'Em Up Barnes (1934) and The Clutching Hand (1936). He last appeared in a film in 1959 (The Atomic Submarine).
In the late 1940s, Mulhall joined Blackouts, a stage revue produced by Ken Murray. After that production ended in 1949, he went on to appear on television programs in the 1950s. His last television appearance was on 77 Sunset Strip.
After he left acting, Mulhall worked for the Screen Actors Guild as a contract negotiator until 1974.
Personal life During the peak of his success in films, Mulhall bought "large land holdings in what is now Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley." However, losses in the Great Depression wiped out his fortune.
Mulhall's first wife was Bertha Vuillot, who died soon after they wed. His second wife, Laura Brunton, committed suicide in 1921. Later in 1921, he married Evelyn Winans. They remained married until his death in 1979.
Death In 1979, Mulhall died from congestive heart failure at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 91. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Recognition For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Mulhall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.Hollywood Walk of Fame - Jack MulhallJack Mulhall - LA Times Hollywood Star Walk It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.
Filmography
1910 The Fugitive (Short) as New Boy Friend Sunshine Sue (Short) as Piano Store Employee A Child's Stratagem (Short) as In Office
1913 The House of Discord (Short)
1914 Strongheart (Short) as In Stadium Crowd Who's Looney Now? (Short) The Fall of Muscle-Bound Hicks (Short) as Harry They Called It 'Baby''' (Short) as 1st PolicemanThe Broken Rose (Short) as Dick Guild as an AdultAll for Business (Short) as The Broker's SecretaryA Better Understanding (Short) as The Young ComposerBlacksmith Ben (Short)Little Miss Make-Believe (Short) as The BachelorFor Her People (Short) as The Young Art StudentThe Suffering of Susan (Short) as Pupil
1915All for the Boy (Short) as The BoyThe Gang's New Member (Short) as The Cub ReporterTheir Divorce Suit (Short) as The HusbandRose o' the Shore (Short) as Rose's 1st SuitorHis Brother's Keeper (Short) as Jack, 2nd BrotherThe Bridge Across (Short) as The Northern BoyThe Girl and the Matinee Idol (Short) as The Girl's SuitorOne Hundred Dollars (Short) as Billy Harvey, the HusbandWhen Hearts Are Young (Short) as Jack PrenticeHis Poor Little Girl (Short) as The Poor Girl's SweetheartA Much-Needed Lesson (Short) as The Young HusbandThe Little Scapegoat (Short) as Jack, the BachelorBobby's Bargain (Short) as Bobby's FatherHis Ward's Scheme (Short) as The Ward's SweetheartThe Girl Hater (Short) as John Morgan, Ralph's SonLove's Melody (Short) as The Young ActorThe Little Runaways (Short) as Mr. HiltonA Letter to Daddy (Short) as Young TownsendThe Fixer (Short) as JackThe Little Slavey (Short) as The Crook's Young PalHis Last Wish (Short) as McGraw - the Doctor's SonThe Need of Money (Short) as The Young LaborerDora (Short) as William AllenAt the Road's End (Short) as The BoyA Kentucky Episode (Short) as Jack BensonThe Girl Who Didn't Forget (Short) as The Grocery ClerkArline's Chauffeur (Short) as The ChauffeurHarvest (Short)The Sheriff's Trap (Short) as The Widow's SonWoman Without a Soul (Short) as CliftonHer Stepchildren (Short) as FrankThe Tides of Retribution (Short) as Jim CarpenterPère Goriot as Eugene
1916The Avenging Shot (Short)The Skating Rink (Short)Stronger Than Woman's Will (Short)The Chain of Evidence (Short)The Iron Will (Short) as KalamonThe Guilt of Stephen Eldridge (Short) as Douglas GordonThe Mystery of Orcival (Short) as M. Plantat, Justice of the PeaceThe Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary (Short) as CloverAlias Jimmy Barton (Short) as Chester RandolphThe Man Who Called After Dark (Short) as Robert WhitmoreCeleste (Short) as The TouristA Spring Chicken (Short) as Farmer ChickweedMerry Mary (Short) as Brannigan - the LunaticThe Crimson Yoke (Short) as CasimirThe Whirlpool of Destiny as George BellWanted: A Home as Dr. PrineThe Place Beyond the Winds as Dick TraversThe Eyes of Love (Short) as RobertThe Price of Silence as Ralph Kelton
1917 Fighting for Love as JimLove Aflame as Jack CalvertThe Terror as Chuck ConnellyThe Saintly Sinner as George Barnes Mr. Dolan of New York as Jimmy DolanHer Primitive Man (Short) as WadsworthThe Hero of the Hour as Billy BrooksThe Gunman's Gospel (Short) as Harry DonovanThe Flame of Youth as Jimmy GordonThree Women of France (Short) as Raoul RenfretHigh Speed as 'Speed' CannonThe Midnight Man as Bob MooreSirens of the Sea as Gerald Waldron
1918The Grand Passion as Jack RipleyThe Flames of Chance as Harry LedyardMadame Spy as Robert WesleyWild Youth as Orlando GuiseThe Whispering Chorus as Priest (uncredited)The Brass Bullet as Jack JamesDanger, Go Slow as Jimmy, the Eel
1919Don't Change Your Husband as Member of Gambling Club (uncredited)Creaking Stairs as Fred MillardWhom the Gods Would Destroy as Jack RandallFools and Their Money as Richard TompkinsThe Solitary Sin as BobA Favor To A Friend as Robert GarrisonThe Spite Bride as Rodney DolsonThe Merry-Go-Round as Jack HamiltonShould a Woman Tell? as Albert Tuley
1920All of a Sudden Peggy as Honorable Jimmy KeppelMiss Hobbs as Percy HackettThe Hope as Harold, Lord IngestreYou Never Can Tell as Prince
1921The Off-Shore Pirate as Toby MorelandThe Little Clown as Dick BeverleyTwo Weeks with Pay as J. Livingston SmithThe Ne'er to Return Road (Short) as The StrangerMolly O' as Dr. John S. BryantSleeping Acres (Short)
1922The Fourteenth Lover as Richard HardyTurn To The Right as Joe BascomMidnight as Jack DartThe Sleepwalker as Phillip CarruthersFlesh and Blood as Ted BurtonDusk to Dawn as Philip RandallThe White and Yellow (Short) as Charley Le GrantThe Channel Raiders (Short) as Charley Le GrantBroad Daylight as Joel MorganThe Forgotten Law as Victor JarnettePirates of the Deep (Short) as Charley Le GrantThe Law of the Sea (Short) as Charley Le GrantThe Siege of the Lancashire Queen (Short) as Charley Le GrantHeroes of the Street as Howard Lane
1923Dangerous Waters (Short) as Charley Le GrantThe Social Buccaneer as Jack NortonThe Yellow Handkerchief (Short) as Charley Le GrantThe Wolves of the Waterfront (Short) as Charley Le GrantWithin the Law as Richard Gilder, his sonDulcy as Gordon SmithThe Call of the Wild as John ThorntonThe Bad Man as Gilbert JonesThe Marriage Market as Roland CarruthersThe Drums of Jeopardy as Jerome Hawksley
1924The Goldfish as Jimmy WetherbyInto the Net as Robert 'Bob' ClaytonThe Breath of Scandal as Bill WallaceThe Folly of Vanity as Robert (modern sequence)
1925Three Keys as Jack MillingtonThe Mad Whirl as Jack HerringtonFriendly Enemies as William PfeifferShe Wolves as Lucien 'D'ArtoisWild West as Jimmy WhitehawkClassified as Lloyd WhitingWe Moderns as John AshlerJoanna as John Wilmore
1926Pleasures of the Rich as Dick ClaytonThe Far Cry as Frank ClaytonThe Dixie Merchant as Jimmy PickettSilence as Arthur LawrenceSweet Daddies as Jimmy O'BrienSubway Sadie as Herb McCarthyGod Gave Me Twenty Cents as Steve DorenJust Another Blonde as Jimmy O'Connor
1927Orchids and Ermine as Richard TaborSee You in Jail as Jerry MarsdenThe Poor Nut as John 'Jack' MillerSmile, Brother, Smile as Jack LoweryThe Crystal Cup as Geoffrey PelhamMan Crazy as Jeffery Pell
1928Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath as 'Speed' DawsonLady Be Good as Jack The Butter and Egg Man as Peter JonesWaterfront as Jack DowlingNaughty Baby as Terry Vandeveer
1929Children of the Ritz as Dewey HainesTwo Weeks Off as Dave PickettTwin Beds as Danny BrownDark Streets as Pat McGlone / Danny McGloneThe Show of Shows as Performer in '$20 Bet' Sketch and 'Bicycle Built for Two' Number
1930Second Choice as Owen MalleryIn the Next Room as James GodfreyThe Golden Calf as Philip HomerMurder Will Out as Leonard StauntonShowgirl in Hollywood as Jimmie DoyleThe Fall Guy as Johnny QuinlanRoad to Paradise as George WellsFor the Love o' Lil as Wyn HuntleyReaching for the Moon as Jimmy Carrington
1931Lover Come Back as Tom EvansNight Beat as Johnny Molinas
1932Sally of the Subway as Grand Duke Ludwig of Saxe-ThalbergMurder at Dawn as DannySinister Hands as Detective Captain Herbert DevlinLove Bound as Richard 'Dick' Randolph, posing as Dick RowlandPassport to Paradise as BobHell's Headquarters as Ross King
1933The Three Musketeers (Serial) as ClancyCurtain at Eight as Carey WeldonSecret Sinners as Jeff GilbertThe Mystery Squadron as Henry 'Hank' Davis
1934Many Happy Returns as ActorBurn 'Em Up Barnes as 'Burn-'em-Up' BarnesWhom the Gods Destroy as Godfrey Elliot (uncredited)The Old Fashioned Way as Dick BronsonThe Notorious Sophie Lang as Jewelry ClerkThe Human Side as Actor (uncredited)Cleopatra as Roman Greeting Antony (uncredited)Evelyn Prentice as Gregory (uncredited)It's a Gift as Butler (uncredited)Broadway Bill (uncredited)Bandits and Ballads (Short)Behold My Wife as Reporter at Train (uncredited)One Hour Late as Whittaker (uncredited)
1935The Woman in Red as Mr. Crozier, Seated Guest on Yacht (uncredited)I've Been Around as Minor RoleMississippi as Duelist (uncredited)Straight from the Heart as Reporter (uncredited)George White's 1935 Scandals as Theater Ticket Seller (uncredited)Wig-Wag (Short) as Jack WinchellRoaring Roads as Donald McDowellThe Fighting Lady as George DavisReckless as Paul's Restrainer in Bar (uncredited)Love in Bloom as Beggar (uncredited)The Informer as Man at Wake (uncredited)The Headline Woman as Police Sergeant BlairPeople Will Talk as Sam Baxter (uncredited)What Price Crime? as HopkinsParis in Spring as George, Cafe Simone DoormanChinatown Squad as Desk Clerk, St. Francis Hotel (uncredited)Pickled Peppers (Short)The Glass Key (uncredited)Love Me Forever as Gambler (scenes deleted)Men Without Names as Reporter (uncredited)Lady Tubbs as Stevens - Hotel Clerk (uncredited)Here's to Romance as Secretary (uncredited)Here Comes the Band as Soldier (scenes deleted)Page Miss Glory as Reporter (uncredited)Two for Tonight as Gordon's Doctor (uncredited)The Gay Deception as Bank Teller (uncredited)The Big Broadcast of 1936 as Radio Executive (uncredited)His Night Out as SalesmanThe Last Days of Pompeii as Citizen of Pompeii (uncredited)Your Uncle Dudley as Advertising Man (uncredited)Skull and Crown as EdThe Shadow of Silk Lennox as Ferguson, alias 'Fingers' Farley