William Stack (March 5, 1882 – January 15, 1949) was an American actor who began his acting career in Great Britain. Over the course of his career he appeared in over 50 films in the United States and United Kingdom, including such notable films as '' Mary of Scotland'', ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

'', and ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

''.

Life and career

Stack was born on March 5, 1882, in

Baker, Oregon Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, Edward Dickinson Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 20 ...

. He began his acting career on the stage in England, before entering the film industry with a starring role in the 1918 British silent film, ''The Girl from Downing Street''. He also starred in the 1922 British film, ''The Scourge'', which also stars

Madge Stuart Madge Stuart (5 August 1895, in Holmesfield, Derbyshire – 10 October 1958, in Monte Carlo, Monaco) was a British actress of the silent era. She married Dion Titheradge in 1928. Selected filmography * ''Nature's Gentleman'' (1918) * ''The Elus ...

and J.R. Tozer. In 1930, Stack returned to the U.S., making his American film debut with a featured role in the melodrama, ''

Sarah and Son ''Sarah and Son'' is a 1930 pre-Code American drama film directed by Dorothy Arzner. The screenplay by Zoë Akins was adapted from Timothy Shea's novel of the same name. It stars Ruth Chatterton, Fredric March, Gilbert Emery, and Doris Lloyd. ...

'', starring

Ruth Chatterton Ruth Chatterton (December 24, 1892 – November 24, 1961) was an American stage, film, and television actress, aviator and novelist. She was at her most popular in the early to mid-1930s, and in the same era gained prominence as an aviator, ...

and

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...

. He followed this with an appearance as Travis in ''

Derelict Derelict may refer to: Law * Derelict, property that has been abandoned or deserted ** Derelict (maritime), property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea without any hope of recovery Arts, entertainment, and media Music * "Dead Man's Ch ...

'', directed by Rowland V. Lee, and starring

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts ...

Jessie Royce Landis Jessie Royce Landis (born Jessie Medbury; November 25, 1896 – February 2, 1972) was an American actress. Her name is also seen as Jesse Royce-Landis. She remains perhaps best-known for her mother roles in the Hitchcock films '' To Catch a Thi ...

, and

William "Stage" Boyd William H. Boyd (December 18, 1886 in New York City, New York (state), New York – March 20, 1935 in Los Angeles, California) was an American actor billed as William "Stage" Boyd or William Stage Boyd. Biography Boyd was an early 20th century ...

. He finished the year in the small role of Dr. Fowler in '' The Right to Love'', starring

and

Paul Lukas Paul Lukas (born Pál Lukács; 26 May 1894 – 15 August 1971) was a Hungarian actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, for his performance in the film ''Wat ...

. In 1931 he only appeared in a single film, the legal drama ''

A Free Soul ''A Free Soul'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Clarence Brown, starring Norma Shearer, and featuring Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, James Gleason, and Clark Gable. ''A Free Soul'' became famous for Barrymore's climacti ...

'', in a small role. The film stars

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated women. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'Neill, ...

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director, producer and writer.Obituary, '' Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' an ...

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; 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) ...

, and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

. 1932 would see him in another small role, that of a doctor in '' Payment Deferred'', starring

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...

and

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen Paula O'Sullivan (May 17, 1911 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish actress who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She starred in dozens of feature films across a span of more than half a ...

. In ''

Charlie Chan's Greatest Case ''Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (1933) is an American pre-Code murder mystery film starring Warner Oland as the Oriental detective Charlie Chan. It was based on the Earl Derr Biggers novel '' The House Without a Key'' (1925). Oland made a seri ...

'' (1933), starring

Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...

in the title role, Stack had the minor part of Jack Eagan. Small roles followed in the 1934 films ''

The Fountain ''The Fountain'' is a 2006 American epic science fiction romantic drama film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. Blending elements of fantasy, history, spirituality, and science fiction, the f ...

'', starring

Ann Harding Ann Harding (born Dorothy Walton Gatley; August 7, 1902 – September 1, 1981) was an American theatre, motion picture, radio, and television actress. Harding was a regular on Broadway and on tour in the 1920s. In the 1930s Harding, was one of ...

, ''

Manhattan Melodrama ''Manhattan Melodrama'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime drama film, produced by MGM, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, that stars Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy. The movie also provided one of Mickey Rooney's earliest film roles. (Roon ...

'', starring

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...

, and

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. As a performer, she was known for her ability to adapt to her screen partner's acting style. Born in Helena, Monta ...

, ''

Wonder Bar ''Wonder Bar'' is a 1934 American film adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley. It stars Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Río, Ricardo Cortez, Dick Pow ...

'', starring

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

, and '' Chained'', starring Gable and

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

. Before he appeared in the substantial role as

Warner Baxter Warner Leroy Baxter (March 29, 1889 – May 7, 1951) was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s. Baxter is known for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film ''In Old Arizona'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at ...

's captain in the war drama, ''

Hell in the Heavens ''Hell in the Heavens'' is a 1934 American aviation drama film directed by John G. Blystone and written by Byron Morgan, Ted Parsons and Jack Yellen based on the stage play ''Der Flieger'' by Hermann Roßmann. The film stars Warner Baxter, ...

''. In 1935 he again had several small roles in such films as ''

Rendezvous Rendezvous or rendez-vous may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Rendezvous'' (1923 film), a silent film adventure melodrama * ''Rendezvous'' (1930 film), a German musical directed by Carl Boese * ''Rendezvous ...

'', where he played a waiter, as a director in '' The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'', and as Sir Phillip in '' The Perfect Gentleman''. Stack also played the Judge Advocate, another small role, in the classic 1935 version of ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...

'', starring

and

. That year he also had prominent roles in several films. He played a mysterious professor, Henri Fresnel, the father of

Wendy Barrie Wendy Barrie (born Marguerite Wendy Jenkins; 18 April 1912 – 2 February 1978) was a British-American film and television actress. Early life Although sometimes stated to have been born in London, other sources, including Barrie herself, ...

, in the murder mystery, ''

College Scandal ''College Scandal'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and written by Frank Partos, Charles Brackett and Marguerite Roberts. The film stars Arline Judge, Kent Taylor, Wendy Barrie, William Frawley, Benny Baker, William B ...

''. Stack also had a leading role in the historical drama, ''

Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate ...

'', which was notable because it was the first film shot entirely in the new three-strip

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

process. Stack's final screen performance was as the Butler in the 1945 spy film, ''

Confidential Agent ''Confidential Agent'' is a 1945 American spy film starring Charles Boyer and Lauren Bacall which was a Warner Brothers production. The movie was directed by Herman Shumlin and produced by Robert Buckner, with Jack L. Warner as executive produ ...

'', starring

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

and

Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...

. Stack died on January 15, 1949, at the age of 66, in Pasadena, California.

Filmography

(Per

AFI AFI may refer to: * Actual flip-angle imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2017 album), the tenth ...

database) * ''

'' (1930) as Party Guest Gossiper (uncredited) * '' The Right to Love'' (1930) as Dr. Fowler * ''

'' (1930) as Cyril Belloc * ''

'' (1931) as Dick Roland (uncredited) * '' Payment Deferred'' (1932) as A Doctor * ''

'' (1933) as James Eagan * ''

'' (1934) as Commandant * ''

'' (1934) as Judge (uncredited) * ''

'' (1934) as Capt. Andre De Laage * ''

'' (1934) as Businessman (uncredited) * ''

Tarzan and His Mate ''Tarzan and His Mate'' is a 1934 American pre-Code action adventure film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Cedric Gibbons, it ...

'' (1934) as Tom Pierce (uncredited) * '' Chained'' (1934) as James, Richard's Butler (uncredited) * ''

The Mystery of Mr. X ''The Mystery of Mr. X'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime film starring Robert Montgomery as a jewel thief who gets mixed up in a series of murders in London. It is based on the 1933 novel ''X v. Rex'' by Philip MacDonald (under the pen name ...

'' (1934) as Travers Gordon (uncredited) * '' What Every Woman Knows'' (1934) as Tenterden - Sybil's Brother (uncredited) * '' I've Been Around'' (1935) as Doctor * ''

The Winning Ticket ''The Winning Ticket'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Charles Reisner and starring Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, and Ted Healy. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Poor Italian-American barber Joe Thomasello purchases a swee ...

'' (1935) as Jeffries (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) as Headwaiter (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) as Pitt Crawley * ''

'' (1935) as Dr. Henri Fresnel * '' The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo'' (1935) as Director (uncredited) * '' The Perfect Gentleman'' (1935) as Sir Percy Phillips (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) as Judge Advocate (uncredited) * '' Dressed to Thrill'' (1935) as Canadian Colonel (uncredited) * '' Magnificent Obsession'' (1935) as Doctor (uncredited) * ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is an 1826 historical romance novel by James Fenimore Cooper. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder'', ...

'' (1936) as General Montcalm * '' Mary of Scotland'' (1936) as Ruthven * ''

Stowaway A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other c ...

'' (1936) as Alfred Kruikshank * '' Pennies From Heaven'' (1936) as Clarence B. Carmichael * ''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a F ...

'' (1936) as Gordon (uncredited) * '' The Gorgeous Hussy'' (1936) * ''

His Brother's Wife ''His Brother's Wife'' is a 1936 American romantic drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor. Written by Leon Gordon and John Meehan, based on a story by George Auerbach, the film is about a scienti ...

'' (1936) as Winters * ''

Souls at Sea ''Souls at Sea'' is a 1937 American historical adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. Based on a story by Ted Lesser, the film is about a first mate on a slave ship who frees the slaves on the ship aft ...

'' (1937) as Judge (uncredited) * ''

'' (1937) as Elliott (uncredited) * '' Criminal Lawyer'' (1937) as District Attorney Hopkins * '' Parnell'' (1937) as Conservative Member (uncredited) * '' The Soldier and the Lady'' (1937) as Grand Duke * ''

The Emperor's Candlesticks ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' is an 1899 historical novel by Baroness Orczy. Written soon after the birth of her son John, it was her first book as an author rather than translator and was a commercial failure. As in the Scarlet Pimpernel, th ...

'' (1937) as Czar (voice, uncredited) * ''

Personal Property Personal property is property that is movable. In common law systems, personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In civil law (legal system), civil law systems, personal property is often called movable property or movables—a ...

'' (1937) as Bobby at Crystal's House (uncredited) * ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' (1938) as Man Discussing Scrooge's Funeral (uncredited) * '' Four Men and a Prayer'' (1938) as Prosecuting Pttorney * ''

Man-Proof ''Man-Proof'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. The film is based on the 1937 novel ''The Four Marys'' written by Fannie Heaslip Lea. Plot The daughter of wealthy and famous novelist Meg Swift, Mimi is a young w ...

'' (1938) as Minister * ''

Booloo ''Booloo'' is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Clyde E. Elliott. It stars Colin Tapley as a British soldier who attempts to prove the existence of a legendary tiger. Plot Captain Robert Rogers, a British Army officer, publishes a bo ...

'' (1938) as Col. Stanley Jaye * ''

Of Human Hearts ''Of Human Hearts'' is a 1938 American Drama Western film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Walter Huston, James Stewart and Beulah Bondi. Stewart plays a proud and ungrateful son who rebels against his preacher father and (after his ...

'' (1938) as Uniform Salesman (uncredited) * ''

The Shopworn Angel ''The Shopworn Angel'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by H. C. Potter and starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart and Walter Pidgeon. The MGM release featured the second screen pairing of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart followi ...

'' (1938) as Minister (uncredited) * ''

The Lady in Question ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1940) as Mr. Marinier (uncredited) * ''

The Earl of Chicago ''The Earl of Chicago'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen and Edmund Gwenn. Made during 1939 and released in January 1940, it was the first MGM film of the 1940 ...

'' (1940) as Coroner (uncredited) * ''

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

'' (1940) * ''

Among the Living ''Among the Living'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal music, heavy metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax. It was released on March 16, 1987, by Megaforce Records in the US and by Island Records in the rest of the world. T ...

'' (1941) as Minister * '' So Ends Our Night'' (1941) as Professor Meyer * ''

'' (1945) as The Butler (uncredited) * ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' (1945) as Mr. Erskine (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stack, William 1882 births 1949 deaths American male film actors Male actors from Oregon People from Baker City, Oregon