John Farrell MacDonald (April 14, 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 four-decade 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 years MacDonald was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. George A. Katchme's A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses gives his date of birth as April 14, 1875, although notes that one source gives a date of June 6. He was sometimes billed as Joseph Farrell MacDonald, J. F. Mcdonald and Joseph Farrell Macdonald as well as other variations.
MacDonald graduated from Yale University with a B.A. degree in 1903 and played football while he was there.
Career
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,.Erickson, Hal Biography (Allmovie) 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 and was to make three more with the director that same year. In all, Ford would use MacDonald on twenty-five films between 1919 and 1950, during the silent era notably in The Iron Horse (1924), 3 Bad Men (1926) and Riley the Cop (1927).
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); he also had large comedic roles in Alexander Hall's Madame Racketeer (1932) with Alison Skipworth and Richard Bennett as well as Raoul Walsh's Me and My Gal (1932) with Spencer Tracy and Richard Bennett's daughter Joan Bennett.
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 starring Spencer Tracy, which Sturges wrote. His work on Sturges' films was generally uncredited, which was more often the case as his career went on – although the quality of his work was undiminished. 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.
MacDonald made his last film in 1951, a comedy called Elopement. His few television appearances also occurred in that same year.
Death MacDonald died in Hollywood on August 2, 1952, at the age of 77. He was married to actress Edith Bostwick until her death in 1943, and they had a daughter, Lorna. His grave is located at Chapel of the Pines Crematory.
Filmography Silent
The Scarlet Letter (1911, Short) – Minor Role (film debut) The Worth of a Man (1912, director) Rory o' the Bogs (1913, director) Samson (1914, director) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914, director) The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914, director) His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914, director) The Last Egyptian (1914, director) – Kara, the Last Egyptian The Heart of Maryland (1915) – Col. Thorpe Rags (1915) – Paul Ferguson Lonesome Luke, Social Gangster (1915, director) Over the Fence (1917, director) The Best Man (1917) – Minor Role (uncredited) $5,000 Reward (1918) – Norcross Fair Enough (1918) – Chief of Police Morgan Roped (1919) – Butler Molly of the Follies (1919) – Swannick A Fight for Love (1919) – The Priest A Charge to Keep (1919) – Officer Hennessey Riders of Vengeance (1919) – Buell Trixie from Broadway (1919) – Slim Hayes A Sporting Chance (1919) – Luther Ripley aka Kennedy The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1919) This Hero Stuff (1919) – Softnose Smith Marked Men (1919) – Tom Placer McGraw Bullet Proof (1920) – Jim Boone The Path She Chose (1920) – Father Hitchin' Posts (1920) – Joe Alabam The Freeze-Out (1921) – Bobtail McGuire Desperate Youth (1921) – 'Mendocino' Bill The Wallop (1921) – Neuces River Little Miss Hawkshaw (1921) – Inspector Hahn Action (1921) – Mormon Peters Bucking the Line (1921) – Dave Kinsey Riding with Death (1921) – Sheriff Pat Garrity Trailin' (1921) – Joseph Piotto Sky High (1922) – Jim Frazer Come on Over (1922) – Michael Morahan The Bachelor Daddy (1922) – Joe Pelton Tracks (1922) – Jack Bess Over the Border (1922) – Peter Galbraith The Bonded Woman (1922) – Captain Gaskell The Ghost Breaker (1922) – Sam Marcum Manslaughter (1922) – (uncredited) The Young Rajah (1922) – Amhad Beg – Prime Minister While Paris Sleeps (1923) – George Morier Quicksands (1923) – Col. Patterson Racing Hearts (1923) – Silas Martin Drifting (1923) – Murphy The Age of Desire (1923) – Dan Reagan Fashionable Fakers (1923) – Pat O'Donnell Fair Week (1924) – Jasper Remus The Storm Daughter (1924) – Con Mullaney Mademoiselle Midnight (1924) – Duc de Moing (Prologue) Western Luck (1924) – 'Chuck' Campbell The Signal Tower (1924) – Pete The Iron Horse (1924) – Cpl. Casey Gerald Cranston's Lady (1924) – Rennie Those Who Dare (1924) The Brass Bowl (1924) – Hickey Let Women Alone (1925) – Commodore John Gordon The Scarlet Honeymoon (1925) – Joshua Thorpe Lightnin' (1925) – Lemuel Townsend The Lucky Horseshoe (1925) – Mack Kentucky Pride (1925) – Donovan Thank You (1925) – Andy The Fighting Heart (1925) – Jerry The First Year (1926) – Mr. Barstow The Dixie Merchant (1926) – Jean Paul Fippany The Shamrock Handicap (1926) – Con O'Shea A Trip to Chinatown (1926) – Benjamin Strong The Last Frontier (1926) – Wild Bill Hickok 3 Bad Men (1926) – Mike Costigan The Family Upstairs (1926) – Joe Heller The Country Beyond (1926) – Sgt. Cassidy Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl (1926) – Sloan The Scarlet Honeymoon (1926) Ankles Preferred (1927) – McGuire Love Makes 'Em Wild (1927) – W. Barden Rich But Honest (1927) – Diamond Jim O'Grady Cradle Snatchers (1927) – George Martin Colleen (1927) – Mr. O'Flynn Paid to Love (1927) – Peter Roberts Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) – The Photographer East Side, West Side (1927) – Pug Malone The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris (1928) – Patrick Kelly Bringing Up Father (1928) – Jiggs None but the Brave (1928) – John Craig 4 Devils (1928) – The Clown Riley the Cop (1928) – James 'Aloysius' Riley Strong Boy (1929) – Angus McGregor Masked Emotions (1929) – Will Whitten
Sound
Abie's Irish Rose (1928) – Patrick Murphy In Old Arizona (1928) – Stage Passenger (uncredited) Masquerade (1929) – Joe Hickey Happy Days (1929) – Train Conductor The Painted Angel (1929) – Pa Hudler South Sea Rose (1929) – Hackett Men Without Women (1930) – Costello Song o' My Heart (1930) – Rafferty The Girl of the Golden West (1930) – Sonora Slim Born Reckless (1930) – Pat O'Toole The Truth About Youth (1930) – Colonel Graham Other Men's Women (1931) – Peg-Leg The Painted Desert (1931) – Jeff Cameron The Easiest Way (1931) – Ben Woman Hungry (1931) – Buzzard The Millionaire (1931) – Dan Lewis Too Young to Marry (1931) – Rev. Stump The Maltese Falcon (1931) – Det. Sgt. Tom Polhouse Sporting Blood (1931) – MacGuire The Brat (1931) – Timothy Timson – the Butler The Squaw Man (1931) – Big Bill The Spirit of Notre Dame (1931) – Coach Touchdown (1931) – Pop Stewart Under Eighteen (1931) – Pop Evans Discarded Lovers (1932) – Chief Sommers Hotel Continental (1932) – Detective Martin Steady Company (1932) – Hogan Probation (1932) – Uncle George Scandal for Sale (1932) – Treadway The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932) – Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited) Week-End Marriage (1932) – Mr. Davis Stranger in Town (1932) – Scout (uncredited) Madame Racketeer (1932) – John Adams The Vanishing Frontier (1932) – Waco The Hurricane Express (1932) – Jim Baker The Thirteenth Guest (1932) – Police Capt. Ryan The Phantom Express (1932) – D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan Hearts of Humanity (1932) – Tom O'Hara 70,000 Witnesses (1932) – State Coach This Sporting Age (1932) – Jerry O'Day Heritage of the Desert (1932) – Adam Naab The Pride of the Legion (1932) – Police Chief Scott Men Are Such Fools (1932) – Prison Warden Randolph Me and My Gal (1932) – Pop Riley No Man of Her Own (1932) – 'Dickie' Collins The Racing Strain (1932) – Mr. Martin The Iron Master (1933) – J.C. Stillman The Working Man (1933) – Henry Davis Peg o' My Heart (1933) – Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell Laughing at Life (1933) – Prison Warden The Power and the Glory (1933) – Mulligan I Loved a Woman (1933) – Shuster Murder on the Campus (1933) – Police Capt. Ed Kyne Myrt and Marge (1933) – Grady Under Secret Orders (1933) – John Burke Man of Two Worlds (1934) – Michael The Crosby Case (1934) – The Doorman—Mike Costello The Crime Doctor (1934) – Kemp Once to Every Woman (1934) – Flannigan She Made Her Bed (1934) – Bookmaker (uncredited) The Cat's-Paw (1934) – Shigley Beggar's Holiday (1934) – Pop Malloy The Best Man Wins (1935) – Captain—Harbor Patrol Romance in Manhattan (1935) – Officer Murphy Maybe It's Love (1935) – The Cop Square Shooter (1935) – Sheriff Northern Frontier (1935) – Inspector McKenzie The Whole Town's Talking (1935) – Prison Warden (uncredited) Star of Midnight (1935) – Police Inspector Doremus Swellhead (1935) – Umpire Let 'Em Have It (1935) – Mr. Keefer Our Little Girl (1935) – Mr. Tramp The Healer (1935) – Applejack The Arizonian (1935) – Marshal Andy Jordan Shadows of the Orient (1935) – Inspector Sullivan Front Page Woman (1935) – Hallohan Danger Ahead (1935) – Harry Cromwell – City Editor The Irish in Us (1935) – Capt. Jackson The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935) – (uncredited) Waterfront Lady (1935) – Capt. O'Brien Stormy (1935) – Trinidad Dorn Fighting Youth (1935) – Coach Parker Hitch Hike Lady (1935) – Judge Hale Riffraff (1936) – 'Brains' McCall Exclusive Story (1936) – Michael Devlin Florida Special (1936) – Captain Timothy Harrigan Show Boat (1936) – Windy McClain Mysterious Crossing (1936) – Police Chief Bullock Maid of Salem (1937) – Captain of Ship