Mack Swain

• Name — Mack Swain • Birth Name — Moroni Swain • Born — 16 February 1876 • Birthplace — Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. • Died — 25 August 1935 • Place of death — Tacoma, Washington, U.S. • Occupation — Actor, vaudevillian • Years Active — 1913-1935

• Illustration — A Movie Star (1916) Swain was born on February 16, 1876, to Robert Henry Swain and Mary Ingeborg Jensen in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was educated in Salt Lake City's public schools. At age 6 he put on his first act called "Mack Swain's Mammoth Minstrels" in the family barn. At age 8 he stole all of his mother's sheets and linens to build his own circus tent. He ran away from home at age 15, joining a minstrel show. His mother took him home after one performance, but he persuaded her to let him continue in entertainment.

In the early 1900s, Swain had his own stock theater company, the Mack Swain Co., which performed in the western and midwestern United States. His most notable residency, was in Santa Cruz, California, where at one point he was bringing in 6,000 patrons a week to see his performances; over two-thirds the population of the city at the time. On June 24, 1907, the Mack Swain Co. had its 61st show in 50 days, breaking the record by any theater company ever appearing in Santa Cruz. That same year Swain bought the Alisky Theatre, and changed its name to Swain’s Theatre. By 1913, audience attendance had begun to dry up and with it Swain's theatrical career. Mack was initially hesitant to work in the film industry, viewing it as an "inferior art form to theater," but eventually gave in after many of his fellow actors and peers had done the same. • Illustration — Advertisement for comedy films starring Swain in Frohman Amusement Corp productions His first foray into silent film began at Keystone Studios under Mack Sennett. His first dressing room was shared with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Shortly after arriving at Keystone, Charlie Chaplin too joined the studio and the two quickly teamed up. Swain would later recall that Sennett initially saw him and Chaplin as a burden, and encouraged the two to work together. These early films, such as Laughing Gas (1914) and Mabel's Married Life (1914), would forge a friendship between the two that would endure until Swain's death. Chaplin would later state that his idea for his infamous character, The Tramp, came from him rummaging through Swain's and Arbuckle's dressing room; the baggy clothes from Arbuckle and the iconic mustache from one of Swain's own fake mustaches. Swain and Chaplin would eventually star in the world's first feature-length comedy, Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914). • Illustration — Inscribed Witzel Photo Chaplin soon left Keystone, and Swain paired up with Chester Conklin to make a series of comedy films. Swain played "Ambrose" and Conklin the grand mustachioed "Walrus" 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 including some early sound shorts. 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 Chaplin 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.

Swain was married to actress Cora King.

Swain died on a train bound from Chicago to Hollywood in August 25, 1935, following an illness that lasted only a few hours. He was buried in Tacoma, Washington.

• Illustration — Lobby card for Finnegan's Ball (1927) • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1914 — A False Beauty — The Policeman • 1914 — Caught in the Rain — Husband — Short • 1914 — His Musical Career — Mike aka Ambrose - Tom's Partner — Short • 1914 — Tillie's Punctured Romance — John Banks • 1914 — Getting Acquainted — Ambrose — Short • 1915 — Love, Speed and Thrills — Short • 1916 — A Movie Star — Handsome Jack — Short • 1916 — His Bitter Pill — Jim - A Sheriff — Short • 1917 — Lost- A Cook — Cook • 1921 — The Idle Class — Edna's Father — Short, Uncredited • 1922 — Pay Day — Foreman — Short • 1923 — The Pilgrim — Deacon Jones • 1925 — The Gold Rush — Big Jim McKay • 1925 — The Eagle — Innkeeper — Uncredited • 1926 — Hands Up! — Silas Woodstock • 1926 — Torrent — Don Matías • 1926 — Sea Horses — Bimbo-Bomba • 1926 — The Cohens and Kellys — Minor Role — Uncredited • 1926 — Kiki — Pastryman • 1926 — Footloose Widows — Ludwig, Marian's husband-in-retrospect • 1926 — Honesty – The Best Policy — Bendy Joe • 1926 — The Nervous Wreck — Jerome Underwood • 1926 — Her Big Night — Myers • 1926 — Whispering Wires — McCarthy • 1927 — The Beloved Rogue — Nicholas • 1927 — See You in Jail — Slossom • 1927 — The Shamrock and the Rose — Mr. Kelly • 1927 — The Tired Business Man — Mike Murphy • 1927 — Mockery — Vladimir Gaidaroff • 1927 — Finnegan's Ball — Patrick Flannigan • 1927 — My Best Girl — The Judge • 1927 — Becky — Irving Spiegelberg • 1927 — A Texas Steer — Bragg • 1927 — The Girl from Everywhere — Wilfred Ashcraft - Director • 1928 — Gentlemen Prefer Blondes — Sir Francis Beekman • 1928 — Tillie's Punctured Romance — Tillie's Father • 1928 — Caught in the Fog — Detective Ryan • 1928 — The Last Warning — Robert Bunce • 1929 — The Cohens and the Kellys in Atlantic City — Mr. Tom Kelly • 1929 — The Locked Door — Hotel Proprietor • 1929 — Marianne — General • 1930 — Redemption — Magistrate • 1930 — The Sea Bat — Dutchy • 1930 — Soup to Nuts — First Fat Diner — Uncredited • 1931 — Finn and Hattie — Le Bottin • 1932 — The Midnight Patrol • 1935 — Bad Boy — Man on Rowing Machine — Uncredited (final film role)

• Illustration — Clockwise from top: Phyllis Allen, Mack Swain, Charles Chaplin and Mabel Normand in Getting Acquainted (1914) • Illustration — With Charles Chaplin and Mabel Normand in Gentlemen of Nerve (1914)

Mack Swain is recorded as having received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.