Mack Swain
Known for: Acting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mack Swain (born Moroni Swain, February 16, 1876 – August 25, 1935) was an early American film actor, who appeared in many of Mack Sennett's comedies at Keystone Studios, including the Keystone Cops series. He also appeared in major features by Charlie Chaplin. In the early 1900s Swain had his own stock theater company, which performed in the western and midwestern United States. Swain worked in vaudeville before starting in silent film at Keystone Studios under Mack Sennett. While with Keystone, he was teamed with Chester Conklin to make a series of comedy films. With Swain as "Ambrose" and Conklin as the grand mustachioed "Walrus", they performed these roles 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, and 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 him 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. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Mack Swain received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1500 Vine Street.
Filmography
Film
The Gold Rush
Big Jim
1925
Film
Lighthouse Love
Captain Wiggins—the Lighthouse Keeper
1932
Film
Caught in a Cabaret
Tough Patron / Party Guest / Boy's Father (uncredited)
1914
Film
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Sir Francis Beekman
1928
Film
The Pilgrim
Deacon
1923
Film
Hello, Mabel
The Married Flirt
1914
Film
Pay Day
Foreman
1922
Film
Tillie's Punctured Romance
Tillie's Father
1914
Film
Love, Speed and Thrills
Ambrose
1915
Film
Caught in the Rain
Husband (uncredited)
1914
Film
Kiki
Pastryman (uncredited)
1926
Film
His Musical Career
Mike, Charlie's Partner
1914
Film
Torrent
Don Matías
1926
Film
Caught in the Fog
Detective Ryan
1928
Film
The Knockout
Gambler (uncredited)
1914
Film
A Thief Catcher
Crook (uncredited)
1914
Adventurous Ambrose
Ambrose
1918
Film
Becky
Irving Spiegelberg
1927
Film
The Eagle
Innkeeper (uncredited)
1925
Film
A Busy Day
Husband
1914
Film
The Idle Class
Edna's Father (uncredited)
1921
Film
Hogan's Romance Upset
Fight Spectator
1915
Cleaning Up
Mack
1930
Film
Redemption
Magistrate
1930
Film
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Doctor
1931
Film
The Chaplin Revue
Various (archive footage)
1959
Film
The Beloved Rogue
Nicholas
1927
Film
The Locked Door
Hotel Proprietor
1929
Film
The Shamrock and the Rose
Mike Kelly
1927
Film
His Trysting Places
Ambrose
1914
Film
The Girl from Everywhere
Wilfred Ashcraft - Director
1927
Film
His Prehistoric Past
King Lowbrow
1914
Film
My Best Girl
Judge
1927
Film
Bad Boy
Man on Rowing Machine
1935
Film
Mockery
Vladimir Gaidaroff
1927
Film
Laughing Gas
Patient
1914
Film
Gentlemen of Nerve
Mr. Walrus
1914
The Under-Sheriff
Villager
1914
Film
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Doctor
1931
Fatty's Wine Party
Restaurant Proprietor
1914
Film
Lost: A Cook
Farmer Ambrose
1917
Film
The Midnight Patrol
1932
Film
The Fatal Mallet
Rival Suitor (uncredited)
1914
Film
Soup to Nuts
First Fat Diner (uncredited)
1930
Innocent Ambrose
Ambrose Schnitz
1920
Film
Ambrose's Nasty Temper
Ambrose
1915
Ambrose's Fury
Ambrose
1915
Film
The Nervous Wreck
Jerome Underwood
1926
Film
The Cohens and Kellys in Atlantic City
Mr. Tom Kelly
1929
Film
Getting Acquainted
Ambrose
1914
Film
The Girl from Nowhere
Wilbur Ashcraft
1928
Film
Yesterday and Today
(archive footage)
1953
Film
The Last Warning
Robert Bunce
1928
Film
Finn and Hattie
Le Bottin
1931
Film
Leading Lizzie Astray
Cafe Patron - In from the Mines
1914
Film
A Muddy Romance
Desk Sergeant / Park Attendant
1913
Ye Olden Grafter
The Grafter
1915
A Rowboat Romance
(unconfirmed)
1914
Film
Finnegan's Ball
Patrick Flannigan
1927
A Missing Bride
1914
Film
Hands Up!
Silas Woodstock
1926
Heroic Ambrose
Ambrose Schnitz
1919
Film
His Bitter Pill
Jim - a Big Hearted Sheriff
1916
A Robust Romeo
1914
Film
Fatty's New Role
Ambrose Schnitz
1915
Film
See You in Jail
Slossom
1927
Film
The Sea Bat
Dutchy
1930
Film
Whispering Wires
McCarthy
1926
Film
Mabel's Married Life
Wellington, a Ladykiller
1914
Film
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists
Big Jim McKay (archive footage)
1998
Film
The Gusher
Villager / Cop
1913
Film
Tillie's Punctured Romance
Tillie's Father
1928
Film
Fatty Joins the Force
Cop at Station House
1913
Film
Ambrose's First Falsehood
Ambrose
1914
Film
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
(archive footage)
1943
Mabel’s Nerve
1914
Gussle, the Golfer
Ambrose
1914
Film
His Naughty Thought
Walter Ambrose
1917
Film
A Texas Steer
Bragg
1927
Film
Ambrose's Little Hatchet
Ambrose
1915
Stout Hearts and Willing Hands
Kop(as the Original Keystone Kops)
1931
This Way Out
The Girl's Father
1923
Film
That Little Band Of Gold
Audience Member (uncredited)
1915
Film
The Late Lamented
Boarder (unconfirmed)
1917
Film
The Devil's Circus
1926
Oh, What a Knight
The Sheriff
1919
Film
A Movie Star
Handsome Jack
1916
Film
Mabel at the Wheel
Race Spectator (uncredited)
1914
Film
Madcap Ambrose
Ambrose
1916
A Gambling Rube
(unconfirmed)
1914
Ambrose's Sour Grapes
Ambrose
1915
Film
Thirst
Ambrose
1917
Film
Pitfalls of a Big City
The Vamp's Husband
1923
Film
When Ambrose Dared Walrus
Ambrose
1915
Other People's Business
1914
Caught in a Park
The Bartender
1915
The Sea Nymphs
Ambrose
1914
Film
Her Big Night
Myers, film producer
1926
Film
Footloose Widows
Ludwig
1926
Film
Sea Horses
Bimbo-Bomba
1926
Film
The Pullman Bride
Rover Peabody - the Chosen One
1917
Film
Full o' Spirits
1920
Film
Willful Ambrose
Pa Ambrose
1915
Film
Mabel Lost and Won
Mabel's Rival's Husband
1915
Film
Double Crossed
The Belle's Boyfriend
1914
Film
Ambrose's Lofty Perch
Ambrose
1915
Film
The Home Breakers
Ambrose
1915
Film
Her First False Hare
Unknown
1919
Love and Gasoline
1914
Saved by Wireless
The Spy
1915