Willard Mack (September 18, 1873 – November 18, 1934) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

, director, and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Life and career

He was born Charles Willard McLaughlin in

Morrisburg, Ontario Morrisburg is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of South Dundas, located in Eastern Ontario, Canada. History On November 11, 1813, the Battle of Crysler's Farm, at which a British force repelled an invading American army, took pla ...

. At an early age his family moved to

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. After two years, they moved to

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

, where McLaughlin finished high school. His parents returned to Canada, but he went on to study at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, the university has grown to comprise eleven undergraduate and graduate ...

in Washington, D. C., where he became involved in student plays. Adopting the stage name Willard Mack, after graduation he took minor acting jobs for a few years and did

Shakespearian William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

repertoire. However, writing scripts was what he was most interested in, and his second effort, about the

North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territo ...

, ''In Wyoming'', was a commercial success and was later the basis for his film ''Nanette of the Wilds''. Throughout his life, Mack frequently returned to Canada. Some of his other plays, including '' Tiger Rose'' and '' The Scarlet Fox'', were set in northern

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

. In 1914 he made his

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...

debut on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in a play he had written. Over the next fourteen years, he would write a further twenty-two Broadway productions, acting in ten of them and producing four. For a time, Willard Mack operated a stock company with actress Maude Leone. In the mid 1920s, he met an aspiring stage actress named Ruby Stevens hired as a chorus girl for his new play. Mack coached Stevens's acting and rewrote parts of the play to expand her role and then persuaded her to change her name to

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

. During his time on Broadway, Mack began writing for

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s, and although he performed in fifteen films and directed four, he was primarily a writer. At first he remained on the east coast but later moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. A number of his plays were made into motion pictures, and between 1916 and 1953 he was involved with the writing of more than seventy film scripts. Starting out in

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

, he made his

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

debut as actor, director, and co-writer of the 1929 film ''

Voice of the City ''The Voice of the City'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code film by Willard Mack and starring Robert Ames. Modeled on a stage play, it is not related to the story of the same name by O. Henry.What Price Innocence?''. He then wrote and directed ''

Broadway to Hollywood ''Broadway to Hollywood'' is an American television program broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network. While the daytime version was mainly a talk show with news, celebrity gossip, and home-viewer quizzes, the quiz portion became a ...

'', a

backstage musical A backstage musical is a genre of musical with a plot set in a theatrical context that revolves around the production of a play or musical revue. The film's narrative trajectory often comes to a halt one or more times to allow a performance. The son ...

that spanned nearly five decades recounting the struggles of a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

family. He was married four times, to actresses Maude Leone,

Marjorie Rambeau Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...

Pauline Frederick Pauline Frederick (born Pauline Beatrice Libbey, August 12, 1883 – September 19, 1938) was an American stage and film actress. Early life Frederick was born Pauline Beatrice Libbey (later changed to Libby) in Boston in 1883 (some sources stat ...

, and

Beatrice Banyard Beatrice Banyard was an American screenwriter and actress active in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Biography Beatrice was born in Spring Valley, Iowa, to A.T. Banyard and Ida Burnett, the second of two daughters. She grew up primarily in Salt ...

. His writing success made him a wealthy man. He died from heart disease at his home in

Brentwood, Los Angeles Brentwood is a suburban neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles. History General Modern development began after the establishment of the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers and Sailors in the 1880s. A sma ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1934.

Plays

* ''Kick In'' (1914) * ''Tiger Rose'' (1917) * ''Blind Youth'' (1917) * ''The Logic of Larry'' (1919) * ''The Dove'' (1925, based on a story by Gerald Beaumont) * '' The Noose'' (1926) * ''A Free Soul'' (1928, based on a novel by Adela Rogers St. Johns) * ''Spring 3100'' (1928)

Filmography

*'' Kick In'', directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

(1917, based on the play ''Kick In'') *'' Aladdin's Other Lamp'', directed by John H. Collins (1917, based on the play ''The Dream Girl'') *''

Blind Youth ''Blind Youth'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Walter McGrail, Leatrice Joy, and Claire McDowell. It was based upon the play of the same name by Lou Tellegen and Willard Mack.Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1886, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an English silent film director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 films as an actor betwee ...

(1920, based on the play ''Blind Youth'') *''The Common Sin'', directed by Burton L. King (1920, based on the play ''The Common Sin'') *'' Kick In'', directed by

(1922, based on the play ''Kick In'') *''Your Friend and Mine'', directed by

Clarence G. Badger Clarence G. Badger (June 9, 1880 – June 17, 1964) was an American film director of feature films in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. His films include '' It'' and ''Red Hair'', more than a dozen features and shorts starring Will Rogers, and two feat ...

(1923, based on the play ''Your Friend and Mine'') *'' Tiger Rose'', directed by Sidney Franklin (1923, based on the play ''Tiger Rose'') *'' The Dove'', directed by Roland West (1927, based on the play ''The Dove'') *'' The Noose'', directed by John Francis Dillon (1928, based on the play '' The Noose'') *'' Tiger Rose'', directed by

(1929, based on the play ''Tiger Rose'') *'' Kick In'', directed by Richard Wallace (1931, based on the play ''Kick In'') *''

A Free Soul ''A Free Soul'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film that tells the story of an alcoholic San Francisco defense attorney who must defend his daughter's ex-boyfriend on a charge of murdering the mobster she had started a relationship with, who ...

'', directed by

Clarence Brown Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director. Early life Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when he ...

(1931, based on the play ''A Free Soul'') *''

Girl of the Rio ''Girl of the Rio'' is a 1932 American pre-Code RKO musical film starred Dolores del Río and Leo Carrillo. Directed by Herbert Brenon, the screenplay was written by Elizabeth Meehan and Louis Stevens, based on the play, ''The Dove'' by Will ...

'', directed by

Herbert Brenon Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through the 1930s. Brenon was among the early film ...

(1932, based on the play ''The Dove'') *''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...

'', directed by

Roy William Neill Roy William Neill (4 September 1887 – 14 December 1946) was an Irish-born American film director best known for directing the last eleven of the fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, made between 1943 and 1 ...

(1934, based on the play ''Spring 3100'') *''The Drag-Net'', directed by

Vin Moore Vin or VIN may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Vîn TV, a Kurdish language satellite television channel founded in 2007 * '' Vos Iz Neias?'', an American Jewish online news site * Coastal radio station VIN Geraldton (callsign), a sta ...

(1936, based on the play ''The Drag-Net'') *'' I'd Give My Life'', directed by

Edwin L. Marin Edwin L. Marin (February 21, 1899 – May 2, 1951) was an American film director who directed 58 films between 1932 and 1951, working with Randolph Scott, Anna May Wong, John Wayne, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, Eddi ...

(1936, based on the play '' The Noose'') *''

The Girl and the Gambler ''The Girl and the Gambler'' is a 1939 Western film, from RKO Radio Pictures, starring Tim Holt. It was an early starring Western for Holt, who soon replaced George O'Brien as the studio's main Western star. The film was based on a play which ...

'', directed by

Lew Landers Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director. Biography Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...

(1939, based on the play ''The Dove'') *'' The Girl Who Had Everything'', directed by

Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Biography Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, Richard Thorpe began his ...

(1953, based on the play ''A Free Soul'')

Screenwriter

*'' The Lost Bridegroom'' (dir. James Kirkwood, 1916) *'' The Saleslady'' (dir. Frederick A. Thomson, 1916) *''

Her Maternal Right ''Her Maternal Right'' is lost American silent film directed by John Ince and Robert Thornby and stars Kitty Gordon. World Film Corporation distributed. Cast *Kitty Gordon - Nina Seasbury *Zena Keefe - Mary Winslow *George Relph - Emory Townse ...

'' (dir. John Ince and

Robert Thornby Robert Thornby (March 27, 1888 – March 6, 1953) was an American director and actor of the silent era. He directed 75 films between 1913 and 1927. He also appeared in 48 films between 1911 and 1930. He was born in New York, New York, and di ...

, 1916) *''

A Gutter Magdalene ''A Gutter Magdalene'' is a lost 1916 American drama silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot e ...

'' (dir.

George Melford George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...

, 1916) *''

Nanette of the Wilds ''Nanette of the Wilds'' is a 1916 American drama silent film directed by Joseph Kaufman and written by Willard Mack. The film stars Pauline Frederick, Willard Mack, Macey Harlam, Charles Brandt, Frank Joyner and Daniel Pennell. The film was r ...

'' (dir. Joseph Kaufman, 1916) *''

The Highway of Hope ''The Highway of Hope'' is a lost 1917 American Western silent film directed by Howard Estabrook and written by Harvey Gates and Willard Mack. The film stars House Peters, Sr., Kathlyn Williams, Jim Farley and Harry De Vere. The film was rel ...

'' (dir.

Howard Estabrook Howard Estabrook (born Howard Bolles, July 11, 1884 – July 16, 1978) was an American actor, film director and producer, and screenwriter. Biography Born Howard Bolles in Detroit, Michigan, Howard Estabrook began his career in 1904 as a stag ...

, 1917) *''

Who's Your Neighbor? ''Who's Your Neighbor?'' is a 1917 silent American propaganda and drama film directed by S. Rankin Drew. The film's plot focuses around reformers who pass a law to force prostitutes, including Hattie Fenshaw, out of the red light district. Fe ...

'' (dir. S. Rankin Drew, 1917) * ''

Yankee Pluck ''Yankee Pluck'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Ethel Clayton, Montagu Love, and Johnny Hines.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 149 Cast * Ethel Clayton as Polly Pollard * Ed ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Woman Beneath ''The Woman Beneath'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Travers Vale and starring Ethel Clayton, Crauford Kent and Isabel Berwin. Cast * Ethel Clayton as Betty Fairchild * Curtis Cooksey as Tom Connolly * Isabel Berwin as Mrs. ...

'' (1917) * ''

Go West, Young Man Go west, young man may refer to: * " Go West, young man", a quote often attributed to American author Horace Greeley concerning America's expansion westward Film and television * ''Go West, Young Man'' (1918 film), an American comedy western film ...

'' (1918) *'' The Wasp'' (1918) *'' The Hell Cat'' (dir. Reginald Barker, 1918) *''

Shadows A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, ...

'' (dir. Reginald Barker, 1919) *''

One Week of Life ''One Week of Life'' is a 1919 American silent drama film produced and distributed through Goldwyn Pictures. It was directed by Hobart Henley and starred Pauline Frederick. It is now considered to be a lost film. Plot As described in a film mag ...

'' (dir.

Hobart Henley Hobart Henley (born Hess Manassah Henle; November 23, 1887 – May 22, 1964) was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He was involved in over 60 films either as an actor or director or both in his twenty-year career ...

, 1919) * ''

The Valley of Doubt ''The Valley of Doubt'' is a 1920 American silent northern drama film directed by Burton George and starring Arline Pretty, Thurston Hall and Anna Lehr.Connelly p.427 Cast * Arline Pretty as Marion * Thurston Hall as Jules * Anna Lehr as A ...

'' (1920) *''

Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...

'' (dir. William L. Roubert, 1920) *''

Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...

'' (dir. James Young, 1924) *''

Little Robinson Crusoe ''Little Robinson Crusoe'' is a 1924 American comedy film starring Jackie Coogan. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Willard Mack. Plot Mickey Hogan (Jackie Coogan) is an orphan cabin boy on a ship commanded by a cruel capt ...

'' (dir. Edward F. Cline, 1924) *''

The Rag Man ''The Rag Man'' is a 1925 American comedy-drama film starring Jackie Coogan. The film was directed by Edward F. Cline, and written by Willard Mack. This was the first Jackie Coogan movie made entirely under the MGM banner. Plot Tim Kelly (Jack ...

'' (dir. Edward F. Cline, 1925) *'' The Monster'' (dir. Roland West, 1925) *''

Old Clothes ''Old Clothes'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Edward F. Cline and starring Jackie Coogan and Joan Crawford. This was the first film in which Crawford was credited with her new name — Joan Crawford. She had been renamed b ...

'' (dir. Edward F. Cline, 1925) *''

Madame X ''Madame X'' (original title ''La Femme X'') is a 1908 play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912). It was novelized in English and adapted for the American stage; it was also adapted for the screen twelve times over sixty-fiv ...

'', (dir.

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931 ...

, 1929) *'' His Glorious Night'', (dir.

, 1929) *'' Untamed'' (dir. Jack Conway, 1929) *'' It's a Great Life'' (dir.

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as '' A Night at the Opera'', '' A Day at the Races'', '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', '' ...

, 1929) *'' Caught Short'' (dir.

Charles Reisner Charles Francis Reisner (March 14, 1887 – September 24, 1962) was an American film director and actor of the 1920s and 1930s. The German-American directed over 60 films between 1920 and 1950 and acted in over 20 films between 1916 and 1 ...

, 1930) *'' Men of the North'' (dir.

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

, 1930) *'' Reducing'' (dir.

, 1931) *'' Sidewalks of New York'' (dir. and

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; hu, Weisz Gyula; 17 September 190030 April 1985) was a Hungarian-American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges Early years White began working in m ...

, 1931) *'' The Billion Dollar Scandal'' (dir.

Harry Joe Brown Harry Joe Brown (September 22, 1890 – April 28, 1972) was an American film producer, and earlier a theatre and film director. Biography Harry Joe Brown was born in 1890 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a producer, he had a partnership wit ...

, 1933) *'' Strictly Personal'' (dir.

Ralph Murphy Ralph Murphy (May 1, 1895 – February 10, 1967) was an American film and television director. Born in Rockville, Connecticut, Murphy was active in films from 1931 through 1962, with some work in television. From 1941 to 1944 he was married to ...

, 1933) *''

Night of Terror ''Night of Terror'' is a 1933 American pre-Code horror film directed by Benjamin Stoloff, and starring Bela Lugosi, Sally Blane, Wallace Ford, and Tully Marshall. Despite receiving top billing, Bela Lugosi has a relatively small part. The film ...

'' (dir.

Benjamin Stoloff Benjamin Stoloff (October 6, 1895 – September 8, 1960) was an American film director and producer. He began his career as a short film comedy director and gradually moved into feature film directing and production later in his career. Directo ...

, 1933) *''

Song of the Eagle ''Song of the Eagle'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Charles Bickford, Richard Arlen, Mary Brian and Jean Hersholt. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Its release coincided with th ...

'' (dir.

, 1933) *'' Nana'' (dir.

Dorothy Arzner Dorothy Emma Arzner (January 3, 1897 – October 1, 1979) was an American film director whose career in Hollywood spanned from the silent era of the 1920s into the early 1940s. With the exception of longtime silent film director Lois Weber (who d ...

and

, 1934)

Director

*''

'' (1933) *''

Together We Live ''Together We Live'' is a 1935 drama film distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film was directed by Willard Mack. The film's events are related to the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike. Two starring actors were dead at the time of release which ...

'' (1935)

Actor

*'' Aloha Oe'' (1915), as David Harmon *''

The Edge of the Abyss ''The Edge of the Abyss'' is a lost 1915 silent drama film directed by Walter Edwards and distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. It stars Mary Boland, then a stage comedic actress, in her film debut. Thomas H. Ince, one of the three key found ...

'' (1915), as Jim Sims *''

The Corner ''The Corner'' is a 2000 HBO drama television miniseries based on the nonfiction book '' The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood'' (1997) by David Simon and Ed Burns, and adapted for television by David Simon and David Mi ...

'' (1916), as John Adams *''

'' (1916), as Constable Thomas O'Brien *''

The Woman on the Index ''The Woman on the Index'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film directed by Hobart Henley and starring Pauline Frederick and her then husband playwright Willard Mack. It was Frederick's first film at Goldwyn Pictures after coming over from ...

'' (1923), as Hugo Declasse *''Your Friend and Mine'' (1923), as Ted Mason *''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mack, Willard American dramatists and playwrights American theatre managers and producers 1873 births 1934 deaths American male dramatists and playwrights American male film actors American male screenwriters American male stage actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male film actors Vaudeville performers Male actors from Los Angeles Writers from Los Angeles Canadian emigrants to the United States Writers from Ontario People from the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Georgetown University alumni 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Canadian male actors Film directors from Los Angeles Screenwriters from California 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters