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 U.S. and the U.K, 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 ...

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

Life and career

Stack was born on March 5, 1882, in Baker, Oregon. 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 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. It ...

'', starring

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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, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...

. He followed this with an appearance as Travis in '' Derelict'', directed by Rowland V. Lee, and starring

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

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, and William "Stage" Boyd. 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'', 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 ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O' ...

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

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 ...

, and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

. 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 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 with his future ...

and

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, Willia ...

. In '' Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (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 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 film consists of ...

'', 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. A regular player on Broadway and in regional theater in the 1920s, in the 1930s Harding was ...

, '' Manhattan Melodrama'', starring

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the '' Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters crea ...

, and

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films ...

, ''

Wonder Bar ''Wonder Bar'' is a 1934 American pre-Code 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 ...

'', starring

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

, and '' Chained'', starring Gable and

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pic ...

. Before he appeared in the substantial role as

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's captain in the war drama, '' Hell in the Heavens''. In 1935 he again had several small roles in such films as '' 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 Royal Navy vessel 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 William Bligh, and se ...

'', 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 Barrie was born in London to English parents. Her father, Francis Charles John Graigoe Jenkin KC ...

, in the murder mystery, '' College Scandal''. 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 series of color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films running through a special ...

process. Stack's final screen performance was as the Butler in the 1945 spy film, '' Confidential Agent'', 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 Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...

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

Filmography

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

'' (1930) as Cyril Belloc * '' A Free Soul'' (1931) as Dick Roland (uncredited) * '' Payment Deferred'' (1932) as A Doctor * '' Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (1933) as James Eagan * ''

'' (1934) as Commandant * '' Manhattan Melodrama'' (1934) as Judge (uncredited) * '' Hell in the Heavens'' (1934) as Capt. Andre De Laage * ''

'' (1934) as Businessman (uncredited) * '' Tarzan and His Mate'' (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'' (1935) as Jeffries (uncredited) * '' Rendezvous'' (1935) as Headwaiter (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) as Pitt Crawley * '' College Scandal'' (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 a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfind ...

'' (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 Fre ...

'' (1936) as Gordon (uncredited) * '' The Gorgeous Hussy'' (1936) * '' His Brother's Wife'' (1936) as Winters * ''

Souls at Sea ''Souls at Sea'' is a 1937 American 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 after a mutiny ...

'' (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 is 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 property is property that is movable. In common law systems, personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In civil law systems, personal property is often called movable property or movables—any property that can be moved fro ...

'' (1937) as Bobby at Crystal's House (uncredited) * '' A Christmas Carol'' (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 wo ...

'' (1938) as Minister * '' Booloo'' (1938) as Col. Stanley Jaye * '' Of Human Hearts'' (1938) as Uniform Salesman (uncredited) * ''

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

'' (1938) as Minister (uncredited) * '' The Lady in Question'' (1940) as Mr. Marinier (uncredited) * '' The Earl of Chicago'' (1940) as Coroner (uncredited) * ''

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

'' (1940) * '' Among the Living'' (1941) as Minister * ''

So Ends Our Night ''So Ends Our Night'' is a 1941 drama directed by John Cromwell and starring Fredric March, Margaret Sullavan and Glenn Ford. The screenplay was adapted by Talbot Jennings from the novel ''Flotsam'' by German exile Erich Maria Remarque, who ros ...

'' (1941) as Professor Meyer * '' Confidential Agent'' (1945) as The Butler (uncredited) * ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical fiction, philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''Th ...

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stack, William 1882 births 1949 deaths American actors