Known for
Popular titles
Photos
More stills of Mack Swain
Biography
A closer look
Read full biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mack Swain (born Moroni Swain, February 16, 1876 – August 25, 1935) was an early American film actor, who appeared in many of Mack Sennett's comedies at Keystone Studios, including the Keystone Cops series. He also appeared in major features by Charlie Chaplin. In the early 1900s Swain had his own stock theater company, which performed in the western and midwestern United States. Swain worked in vaudeville before starting in silent film at Keystone Studios under Mack Sennett. While with Keystone, he was teamed with Chester Conklin to make a series of comedy films. With Swain as "Ambrose" and Conklin as the grand mustachioed "Walrus", they performed these roles in several films including The Battle of Ambrose and Walrus and Love, Speed and Thrills, both made in 1915. Besides these comedies, the two appeared together in a variety of other films, 26 all told, and they also appeared separately and/or together in films starring Mabel Normand, Charles Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle and most of the rest of the roster of Keystone players. Swain later took his Ambrose character with him to the L-KO Kompany. Having already worked with Charles Chaplin at Keystone, Swain began working with him again at First National in 1921, appearing in The Idle Class, Pay Day, and The Pilgrim. He is also remembered for his large supporting role as Big Jim McKay in the 1925 film The Gold Rush, for United Artists, written by and starring Chaplin. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Mack Swain received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1500 Vine Street.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
1998
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists
Movie Big Jim McKay (archive footage)
-
1959
The Chaplin Revue
Movie Various (archive footage)
-
1953
Yesterday and Today
Movie (archive footage)
-
1943
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
Movie (archive footage)
-
1935
Bad Boy
Movie Man on Rowing Machine
-
1932
Lighthouse Love
Movie Captain Wiggins—the Lighthouse Keeper
-
1932
The Midnight Patrol
Movie
-
1931
Stout Hearts and Willing Hands
Movie Kop(as the Original Keystone Kops)
-
1931
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Movie Doctor
-
1931
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Movie Doctor
-
1931
Finn and Hattie
Movie Le Bottin
-
1930
Soup to Nuts
Movie First Fat Diner (uncredited)
-
1930
Cleaning Up
Movie Mack
-
1930
The Sea Bat
Movie Dutchy
-
1930
Redemption
Movie Magistrate
-
1929
The Locked Door
Movie Hotel Proprietor
More credits
-
1929
The Cohens and Kellys in Atlantic City
Movie Mr. Tom Kelly
-
1928
The Last Warning
Movie Robert Bunce
-
1928
Caught in the Fog
Movie Detective Ryan
-
1928
The Girl from Nowhere
Movie Wilbur Ashcraft
-
1928
Tillie's Punctured Romance
Movie Tillie's Father
-
1928
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Movie Sir Francis Beekman
-
1927
The Girl from Everywhere
Movie Wilfred Ashcraft - Director
-
1927
A Texas Steer
Movie Bragg
-
1927
Becky
Movie Irving Spiegelberg
-
1927
My Best Girl
Movie Judge
-
1927
Finnegan's Ball
Movie Patrick Flannigan
-
1927
Mockery
Movie Vladimir Gaidaroff
-
1927
See You in Jail
Movie Slossom
-
1927
The Shamrock and the Rose
Movie Mike Kelly
-
1927
The Beloved Rogue
Movie Nicholas
-
1926
Whispering Wires
Movie McCarthy
-
1926
Her Big Night
Movie Myers, film producer
-
1926
The Nervous Wreck
Movie Jerome Underwood
-
1926
Footloose Widows
Movie Ludwig
-
1926
Kiki
Movie Pastryman (uncredited)
-
1926
Sea Horses
Movie Bimbo-Bomba
-
1926
Torrent
Movie Don Matías
-
1926
The Devil's Circus
Movie
-
1926
Hands Up!
Movie Silas Woodstock