Maclyn Arbuckle (July 9, 1866 – March 31, 1931) was an American

screen Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing or ''silkscreening'', a printing method * Big screen, a nickname for motion pictures * Split screen (filmmaking), showing two or more images side by side * Stochastic screening and Halftone ...

and

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. He was the brother of actor Andrew Arbuckle and cousin of

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked with Mabel ...

Early life

Arbuckle was born in

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

, on July 9, 1866. The son of Mr. and Mrs. James Arbuckle, he was educated in Glasgow before studying law in Boston. When he was 21, he was admitted to the bar, but he stopped practicing law after a year and became an actor. The change of careers came after Arbuckle lost an election for justice of the peace. In a journal entry dated December 1888, he wrote why he hoped to not practice law much longer: "The profession is overcrowded and clients can dictate fees. I have set my heart on other fields where I can get something for my labor, and as soon as an opportunity offers I will go on the stage, where I can have the same chance at the 'greenbacks' and silver of this country."

Career

Arburckle debuted on stage in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

, on December 25, 1888. For four years, he acted in a company headed by R. D. McLean. His first

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 Stre ...

play, ''Why Smith Left Home'', was in 1899. Some of his many Broadway successes were '' The County Chairman'' (1903) (which he made as a

silent film A silent film is a film without 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 ...

in 1914), ''The Round Up'' (1907) with Julia Dean (and which Roscoe Arbuckle made as a silent in 1920) and revivals of older plays like ''The Rivals'' and ''She Stoops To Conquer''. He entered silent films with

Adolph Zukor Adolph Zukor (; ; January 7, 1873 – June 10, 1976) was a Hungarian-American film producer best known as one of the three founders of Paramount Pictures.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'' (June 16, 1976), p. 76. He produced one of Ameri ...

Famous Players Film Company The Famous Players Film Company was a film company founded in New York City in 1912 by Adolph Zukor in partnership with the Frohman brothers, powerful theatre owners and producers there. History Discussions to form the company were held at Th ...

in 1914 as an established Broadway star. In May 1919, Arbuckle started the San Antonio Moving Pictures Corporation in San Antonio. A group of

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

businessmen provided financial backing. The company produced four films, ''Mr. Bingle'' (1922), '' Mr. Potter of Texas'' (1922), ''Welcome to Our City'' (1922) and ''Squire Phin'' (1922) before folding in 1922.Thompson, Frank. ''Texas Hollywood: Filmmaking in San Antonio Since 1910''. San Antonio: Maverick Publishing Company, 2002. pp 10-11 In the 1920s Arbuckle appeared often with

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies left the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

in lavish costume motion picture productions financed by

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...

. Arbuckle is remembered for the line "Nobody loves a fat man," when he played the character Sheriff "Slim" Hoover in the play ''The Roundup''. His cousin Roscoe played the role in the subsequent film version.

Personal life

Arbuckle married Elizabeth Carlisle on June 29, 1903, in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...

. She was an actress, who, after her marriage, was billed as Mrs. Macklyn Arbuckle. The couple had no children.

Death

Arbuckle died of heart disease on March 31, 1931, at his home in

Waddington, New York Waddington is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2010 census. The town was named after its principal village. The Town of Waddington has a village, also called Waddington. Both town and vil ...

, aged 64.

Filmography

* '' The County Chairman'' (1914) – The Honorable Jim Hackler * ''

It's No Laughing Matter ''It's No Laughing Matter'' is an extant 1915 American comedy silent film written and directed by Lois Weber. The film stars Macklyn Arbuckle, Cora Drew, Myrtle Stedman, Charles Marriott, Adele Farrington, and Frank Elliott. The film was releas ...

'' (1915) – Hi Judd * ''

The Reform Candidate ''The Reform Candidate'' is a surviving 1915 American drama silent film directed by Frank Lloyd and written by Julia Crawford Ivers. The film stars Macklyn Arbuckle, Forrest Stanley, Myrtle Stedman, Malcolm Blevins, Charlie Ruggles and Mary Rub ...

'' (1915) – Art Hoke * ''

National Red Cross Pageant ''The National Red Cross Pageant'' of 1917 was an American war pageant that was performed in order to sell war bonds, support the National Red Cross, and promote a positive opinion about American involvement in World War I. The live open-air page ...

'' (1917) – Baron Fitz-Walter – English episode * ''Fighting Mad'' (1919) * ''Squire Phin'' (1922) – Phineas Look, 'Squire Phin' * ''Welcome to Our City'' (1922) – Jim Scott * '' The Prodigal Judge'' (1922) – Judge Slocum Price * '' Mr. Potter of Texas'' (1922) – Mr. Potter of Texas * ''

The Young Diana ''The Young Diana'' is a lost 1922 American silent drama film directed by Albert Capellani and Robert G. Vignola and written by Luther Reed. The film stars Marion Davies, Macklyn Arbuckle, Forrest Stanley, Gypsy O'Brien, and Pedro de Cordob ...

'' (1922) – James P. May * ''Mr. Bingle'' (1922) * ''

Broadway Broke ''Broadway Broke'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by J. Searle Dawley and starring Mary Carr, Percy Marmont, and Gladys Leslie. A struggling former Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * B ...

'' (1923) – P.T. Barnum * '' Yolanda'' (1924) – Bishop La Balue * '' Janice Meredith'' (1924) – Squire Meredith * '' The Thoroughbred'' (1925) – Peter Bemis * ''That Old Gang of Mine'' (1925) – Sen. Jim Walton * '' The Lure of the Track'' (1925) * ''

The Gilded Highway ''The Gilded Highway'' is a lost 1926 American silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and starring Dorothy Devore, John Harron, and Macklyn Arbuckle. Plot As described in a film magazine review, a rich uncle dies and leaves money to ...

'' (1926) – Jonathan Welby

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arbuckle, Maclyn 1866 births 1931 deaths American male silent film actors American people of Scottish descent Male actors from San Antonio People from Waddington, New York 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors