Acting
J. Farrell MacDonald
EN, FR, NL cinema · 284 credits
Born
5 June 1875
Died
2 August 1952 (aged 77)
Birthplace
Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Also known as Joseph Farrell MacDonald · John Farrell MacDonald · Farrell Macdonald · J. Farrell McDonald · J.F. McDonald
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
Filmography
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
as Self (archive footage)
Superman and the Mole Men
as Pop Shannon
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
as Mr. Kroeger
Here Comes the Groom
as Husband on Airplane (uncredited)
Woman on the Run
as Cap, the Retired Ferryboat Captain
Hostile Country
as Mr. Lane (uncredited)
When Willie Comes Marching Home
as Gilby - Pharmacist (uncredited)
The Daltons' Women
as Alvin
Dakota Lil
as Ellis
You're My Everything
as Doorman (uncredited)
The Dalton Gang
as Judge Price
Panhandle
as Doc Cooper
The Walls of Jericho
as Bailiff (uncredited)
Fury at Furnace Creek
as Pops Murphy (uncredited)
Whispering Smith
as Bill Baggs
Belle Starr's Daughter
as Doc Benson
Sitting Pretty
as Cop (uncredited)
If You Knew Susie
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Shep Comes Home
as Sheriff Cap Weatherby
Trouble Preferred
as Apartment House Manager (uncredited)
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
as Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
as Mac (uncredited)
Thunder in the Valley
as McPherson - Innkeeper
Keeper of the Bees
as Postmaster
Christmas Eve
as Policeman (uncredited)
Web of Danger
as Scotty MacKronish - Bus Driver
It's a Wonderful Life
as Man Whose Grandfather Planted Tree (uncredited)
My Darling Clementine
as Mac the barman
Smoky
as Jim
Goodbye, Weeds
as Gardener
Joe Palooka, Champ
as Long-Count Bowman
Johnny Angel
as Capt. Angel
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
as Mr. Carney The Junkman (uncredited)
Fallen Angel
as Bank Guard (uncredited)
Circumstantial Evidence
as Jury Foreman
Hangover Square
as Street Vendor (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
as Sheriff (uncredited)
Greenwich Village
as O'Shea, policeman
Texas Masquerade
as John Martindale
The Great Moment
as The Priest
The Ape Man
as Captain O'Brien
Harrigan's Kid
as Frank (uncredited)
Tiger Fangs
as Geoffrey MacCardle
True to Life
as Man (uncredited)
The Palm Beach Story
as Officer O'Donnell (uncredited)
Captains of the Clouds
as Dr. Neville
The Living Ghost
as Police Lt. 'Pete' Peterson
Bowery at Midnight
as Capt. Mitchell
Reap the Wild Wind
as Port Captain
Phantom Killer
as Police Captain
Private Snuffy Smith
as Gen. Rosewater
One Thrilling Night
as Police Sergeant Haggerty
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
as Henry Hathaway
Riders of the Timberline
as Jim Kerrigan
In Old Cheyenne
as Tim Casey
The Great Lie
as Dr. Ferguson
Law of the Timber
as Adams
Meet John Doe
as 'Sourpuss'
Broadway Limited
as Mulcahey
The Last Alarm
as Jim Hadley
I Take This Oath
as Insp. Tim Ryan
Stagecoach War
as Jeff Chapman
Untamed
as Dr. Billar
The Light of Western Stars
as Bill Stillwell
Dark Command
as Dave
Knights of the Range
as Cappy
Pony Express Days
as Nevada Jim
Friendly Neighbors
as Sheiff Potts
Prairie Law
as Sheriff Jim Austin
Full Confession
as Joe, Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Zenobia
as Judge
Conspiracy
as Captain of the Falcon
Susannah of the Mounties
as Pat O'Hannegan
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
as Craig Dolan
East Side of Heaven
as Doorman (uncredited)
They Shall Have Music
as Police Chief (uncredited)
Coast Guard
as Capt. Hansen (uncredited)
The Housekeeper's Daughter
as Captain
The Gentleman from Arizona
as Wild Bill Coburn
Mickey the Kid
as Sheriff J.J. Willoughby
Barefoot Boy
as Warden
Come On, Rangers
as Colonel Forbes
Submarine Patrol
as CWO 'Sails' Quincannon
White Banners
as Dr. Thompson
Gang Bullets
as Chief Reardon
The Crowd Roars
as Father Patrick Ryan
There Goes My Heart
as Officer
My Old Kentucky Home
as Mayor Jim Hopkins
The Last Express
as William Barton (Detective Agency Head)
Numbered Woman
as Capt. Mike Ryan
Little Orphan Annie
1938
Little Orphan Annie
as 'Pop' Corrigan
State Police
as Charlie Wheeler
Extortion
as Coach Pearson
Topper
as Policeman
The Hit Parade
as Sgt. O'Hara
Flying Fists
as Bill 'One-Punch' Fagin
Slave Ship
as Proprietor
My Dear Miss Aldrich
as 'Doc' Howe
County Fair
as Calvin Williams
Maid of Salem
as Captain of Ship
The Game That Kills
as Joe Holland
Slim
as Pop
Roaring Timber
as Andrew MacKinley
Parnell
as Irish Laborer (uncredited), as Irish Laborer
Courage of the West
as Buck Saunders
The Great Barrier
as Major Rogers
Riffraff
as 'Brains'
Exclusive Story
as Michael Devlin
Mysterious Crossing
as Police Chief Bullock
Florida Special
as Harrigan
Show Boat
as Windy MacLaine
Stormy
as Trinidad Dorn
The Whole Town's Talking
as Prison Warden (uncredited)
Swellhead
as Umpire
The Healer
as Applejack
Danger Ahead
as Harry Cromwell
Shadows of the Orient
as Inspector Sullivan
Waterfront Lady
as Capt. O'Brien
The Best Man Wins
as Captain--Harbor Patrol
Hitch Hike Lady
as Judge Hale
Let 'em Have It
as Mr. Keefer
Our Little Girl
as Mr. Tramp
Maybe It's Love
as The Cop
Northern Frontier
as Inspector
Square Shooter
as Sheriff
Star of Midnight
as Inspector Doremus
Front Page Woman
as Hallohan
The Irish in Us
as Capt. Jackson
The Arizonian
as Marshal Andy Jordan
Fighting Youth
as Coach Parker
The Crime Doctor
as Kemp
Romance in Manhattan
as Murphy
Man of Two Worlds
as Michael
Beggar's Holiday
as Pop Malloy
Once to Every Woman
as Flannigan
The Crosby Case
as The Doorman--Mike Costello
The Cat's-Paw
as Shigley
The Working Man
as Henry 'Hank' Davis
The Power and the Glory
as Mulligan
I Loved a Woman
as Shuster
Peg o' My Heart
as Patrick Shamus 'Pat' O'Connell
Murder on the Campus
as Police Capt. Ed Kyne
Laughing at Life
as Prison Warden
Myrt and Marge
as Grady
The Iron Master
as J.C. Stillman
This Sporting Age
as Jerry O'Day
No Man of Her Own
as "Dickie" Collins
Steady Company
as Hogan
The Thirteenth Guest
as Captain Ryan
The Phantom Express
as D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan
Under Eighteen
as Pop Evans
Heritage of the Desert
as Adam Naab
Hotel Continental
as Detective Martin
Scandal for Sale
as Treadway
Discarded Lovers
as Sommers
Hearts of Humanity
as Tom O'Hara
The Pride of the Legion
as Chief Scott
Probation
as George Holman
Men Are Such Fools
as Prison Warden Randolph
The Racing Strain
as Mr. Martin
Week-End Marriage
as Mr. Davis
Me and My Gal
as Pop Riley
Madame Racketeer
as John Adams
The Hurricane Express
as Jim Baker
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
as Police Sgt. J.B. Antrim (uncredited)
70,000 Witnesses
as State Coach
Stranger in Town
as Scout
The Maltese Falcon
as Det. Sgt. Tom Polhaus
The Stolen Jools
as Policeman
The Easiest Way
as Ben Murdock
The Squaw Man
as Big Bill
The Millionaire
as Dan Lewis
Sporting Blood
as MacGuire
Other Men's Women
as Peg-Leg
The Painted Desert
as Jeff Cameron
The Brat
as Timson, the butler
Too Young to Marry
as Rev. Stump
Woman Hungry
as Buzzard
The Spirit of Notre Dame
as The Coach
Touchdown!
as Pop Stewart
The Truth About Youth
as Colonel Graham
River's End
as O'Toole
Men Without Women
as Costello
Song o' My Heart
as Rafferty
The Girl of the Golden West
as Sonora Slim
Masquerade
as Joe Hickey
South Sea Rose
as Hackett
Happy Days
as Train Conductor
Masked Emotions
as Will Whitten
Strong Boy
as Angus McGregor
The Painted Angel
as Pa Hudler
4 Devils
as The Clown
Riley the Cop
as James 'Aloysius' Riley
None But the Brave
as John Craig
Bringing Up Father
as Jiggs
Abie's Irish Rose
as Patrick Murphy
The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris
as Patrick Kelly
In Old Arizona
as Stage Passenger (uncredited)
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
as The Photographer
Paid to Love
as Peter Roberts
East Side, West Side
as Pug Malone
Cradle Snatchers
as George Martin
Ankles Preferred
as McGuire
3 Bad Men
as Mike Costigan
A Trip to Chinatown
as Benjamin Strong
The Shamrock Handicap
as Con O'Shea
The First Year
as Mr. Barstow
The Dixie Merchant
as Jean Paul Fippany
The Family Upstairs
as Joe Heller
The Country Beyond
as Sgt. Cassidy
The Last Frontier
as Wild Bill Hickok
Let Women Alone
as Commodore John Gordon
The Iron Horse
as Corporal Casey
Lightnin'
as Lemuel Townsend
Kentucky Pride
as Donavan
The Fighting Heart
as Jerry
Thank You
as Andy
The Brass Bowl
as Hickey
The Signal Tower
as Pete
Mademoiselle Midnight
as Duc de Moing (Prologue)
Western Luck
as 'Chuck' Campbell
Gerald Cranston's Lady
as Rennie
The Storm Daughter
as Con Mullaney
Drifting
as Murphy
Quicksands
as Col. Patterson
Racing Hearts
as Silas Martin
The Age of Desire
as Dan Reagan
Fashionable Fakers
as Pat O'Donnell
Over the Border
as Peter Galbraith
Manslaughter
as (uncredited)
Sky High
as Jim Frazer (as J. Farrel MacDonald)
Come on Over
as Michael Morahan
The Young Rajah
as Amhad Beg - Prime Minister
The Ghost Breaker
as Sam Marcum
The Bonded Woman
as Captain Gaskell
The Bachelor Daddy
as Joe Pelton
Tracks
as Jack Bess
The Wallop
as Neuces River
The Freeze-Out
as Bobtail McGuire
Riding with Death
as Sheriff Pat Garrity
Trailin'
as Joseph Piotto
Action
as Mormon Peters
Bullet Proof
as Jim Boone
Hitchin' Posts
as Joe Alabam (as J. Farrell McDonald)
Roped
as Butler
A Fight For Love
as The Priest
Riders of Vengeance
as Buell
A Sporting Chance
as Luther Ripley aka Kennedy
Marked Men
as Tom Placer McGraw
This Hero Stuff
as Softnose Smith
Molly of the Follies
as Swannick
Trixie from Broadway
as Slim Hayes
$5,000 Reward
as Norcross
Fair Enough
1918
Fair Enough
as Chief of Police Morgan
Over the Fence
Director
Rags
as Paul Ferguson (as Joseph Farrell MacDonald)
Samson
Director
Rory o' the Bogs
Director
A Timely Repentance
as Louis Nordell
The Dream
as Secondary Role (uncredited)
The Lighthouse Keeper
1911
The Lighthouse Keeper
as The Lighthouse Keeper
'Tween Two Loves
as Farmer Howard
The Time-Lock Safe
1910
The Time-Lock Safe
as Office Worker