1876-02-15 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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.
![]() |
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists | Big Jim McKay (archive footage) | 1998-01-01 |
![]() |
The Chaplin Revue | Various (archive footage) | 1959-09-01 |
![]() |
Yesterday and Today | (archive footage) | 1953-12-02 |
![]() |
Happy Times and Jolly Moments | (archive footage) | 1943-01-01 |
![]() |
Bad Boy | Man on Rowing Machine | 1935-10-25 |
![]() |
Lighthouse Love | Captain Wiggins - the Lighthouse Keeper | 1932-05-06 |
![]() |
The Midnight Patrol | 1932-04-10 | |
![]() |
Stout Hearts and Willing Hands | 1931-06-15 | |
![]() |
Finn and Hattie | Le Bottin | 1931-02-04 |
![]() |
愛よ人類と共にあれ 後篇 米国篇 | Doctor | 1931-04-17 |
![]() |
愛よ人類と共にあれ 前篇 日本篇 | Doctor | 1931-04-17 |
![]() |
Cleaning Up | Mack | 1930-09-27 |
![]() |
Soup to Nuts | First Fat Diner (uncredited) | 1930-09-28 |
![]() |
Redemption | Magistrate | 1930-04-05 |
![]() |
The Sea Bat | Dutchy | 1930-07-05 |
![]() |
The Locked Door | Hotel Proprietor | 1929-11-16 |
![]() |
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | Sir Francis Beekman | 1928-01-22 |
![]() |
The Last Warning | Robert Bunce | 1928-12-25 |
![]() |
Caught in the Fog | Detective Ryan | 1928-08-25 |
![]() |
The Girl from Nowhere | Wilbur Ashcraft | 1928-08-05 |
![]() |
Tillie's Punctured Romance | Tillie's Father | 1928-03-03 |
![]() |
The Shamrock and the Rose | Mike Kelly | 1927-04-14 |
![]() |
A Texas Steer | Bragg | 1927-12-04 |
![]() |
Mockery | Vladimir Gaidaroff | 1927-08-13 |
![]() |
The Beloved Rogue | Nicholas | 1927-03-12 |
![]() |
The Girl from Everywhere | Wilfred Ashcraft - Director | 1927-12-11 |
![]() |
My Best Girl | Judge | 1927-10-31 |
![]() |
Becky | Irving Spiegelberg | 1927-11-12 |
![]() |
Footloose Widows | Ludwig | 1926-06-19 |
![]() |
Kiki | Pastryman (uncredited) | 1926-04-04 |
![]() |
The Nervous Wreck | Jerome Underwood | 1926-10-09 |
![]() |
Torrent | Don Matías | 1926-02-21 |
![]() |
Hands Up! | Silas Woodstock | 1926-01-11 |
![]() |
The Devil's Circus | 1926-02-14 | |
![]() |
Whispering Wires | McCarthy | 1926-10-24 |
![]() |
Her Big Night | Myers, film producer | 1926-10-12 |
![]() |
Sea Horses | Bimbo-Bomba | 1926-02-22 |
![]() |
The Eagle | Innkeeper (uncredited) | 1925-11-08 |
![]() |
The Gold Rush | Big Jim McKay | 1925-07-13 |
![]() |
This Way Out | The Girl's Father | 1923-05-27 |
![]() |
Pitfalls of a Big City | The Vamp's Husband | 1923-09-02 |
![]() |
The Pilgrim | Deacon | 1923-02-19 |
![]() |
Pay Day | Foreman | 1922-04-02 |
![]() |
The Idle Class | Edna's Father (uncredited) | 1921-09-25 |
![]() |
Full o' Spirits | 1920-08-15 | |
![]() |
Innocent Ambrose | Ambrose Schnitz | 1920-01-11 |
![]() |
Heroic Ambrose | Ambrose Schnitz | 1919-06-07 |
![]() |
Oh, What a Knight | The Sheriff | 1919-01-25 |
![]() |
Her First False Hare | Unknown | 1919-05-01 |
![]() |
Adventurous Ambrose | Ambrose | 1918-04-17 |
![]() |
His Naughty Thought | Walter Ambrose | 1917-05-06 |
![]() |
The Late Lamented | Boarder (unconfirmed) | 1917-09-23 |
![]() |
Thirst | Ambrose | 1917-07-29 |
![]() |
The Pullman Bride | Rover Peabody - the Chosen One | 1917-01-01 |
![]() |
Lost: A Cook | Farmer Ambrose | 1917-08-12 |
![]() |
His Bitter Pill | Jim - a Big Hearted Sheriff | 1916-04-30 |
![]() |
Madcap Ambrose | Ambrose | 1916-07-16 |
![]() |
A Movie Star | Handsome Jack | 1916-01-26 |
![]() |
That Little Band Of Gold | Audience Member (uncredited) | 1915-03-14 |
![]() |
Ye Olden Grafter | The Grafter | 1915-02-18 |
![]() |
Caught in a Park | The Bartender | 1915-02-06 |
![]() |
The Home Breakers | Ambrose | 1915-02-01 |
![]() |
Mabel Lost and Won | Mabel's Rival's Husband | 1915-06-02 |
![]() |
Ambrose's Lofty Perch | Ambrose | 1915-04-02 |
![]() |
Fatty's New Role | Ambrose Schnitz | 1915-02-01 |
![]() |
Ambrose's Little Hatchet | Ambrose | 1915-03-15 |
![]() |
Hogan's Romance Upset | Fight Spectator | 1915-02-13 |
![]() |
Saved by Wireless | The Spy | 1915-11-21 |
![]() |
Ambrose's Sour Grapes | Ambrose | 1915-03-01 |
![]() |
Love, Speed and Thrills | Ambrose | 1915-01-18 |
![]() |
Willful Ambrose | Pa Ambrose | 1915-03-01 |
![]() |
When Ambrose Dared Walrus | Ambrose | 1915-07-11 |
![]() |
Ambrose's Nasty Temper | Ambrose | 1915-04-16 |
![]() |
Ambrose's Fury | Ambrose | 1915-03-24 |
![]() |
A Missing Bride | 1914-06-18 | |
![]() |
The Sea Nymphs | Ambrose | 1914-11-23 |
![]() |
Fatty's Wine Party | Restaurant Proprietor | 1914-11-21 |
![]() |
The Under-Sheriff | Villager | 1914-01-08 |
![]() |
A Busy Day | Husband | 1914-05-07 |
![]() |
Other People's Business | 1914-12-07 | |
![]() |
Caught in the Rain | Husband (uncredited) | 1914-05-04 |
![]() |
His Trysting Places | Ambrose | 1914-11-09 |
![]() |
Mabel's Married Life | Wellington, a Ladykiller | 1914-06-20 |
![]() |
His Musical Career | Mike, Charlie's Partner | 1914-11-07 |
![]() |
Hello, Mabel | The Married Flirt | 1914-10-08 |
![]() |
A Gambling Rube | (unconfirmed) | 1914-06-15 |
![]() |
The Fatal Mallet | Rival Suitor (uncredited) | 1914-06-01 |
![]() |
Laughing Gas | Patient | 1914-07-09 |
![]() |
Tillie's Punctured Romance | Tillie's Father | 1914-12-21 |
![]() |
Love and Gasoline | 1914-02-21 | |
![]() |
Mabel’s Nerve | 1914-05-16 | |
![]() |
Getting Acquainted | Ambrose | 1914-12-05 |
![]() |
His Prehistoric Past | King Lowbrow | 1914-12-07 |
![]() |
A Robust Romeo | 1914-02-12 | |
![]() |
Mabel at the Wheel | Race Spectator (uncredited) | 1914-04-18 |
![]() |
Caught in a Cabaret | Tough Patron / Party Guest / Boy's Father (uncredited) | 1914-04-27 |
![]() |
The Knockout | Gambler (uncredited) | 1914-06-11 |
![]() |
Double Crossed | The Belle's Boyfriend | 1914-01-25 |
![]() |
Gussle, the Golfer | Ambrose | 1914-12-27 |
![]() |
Ambrose's First Falsehood | Ambrose | 1914-12-12 |
![]() |
A Thief Catcher | Crook (uncredited) | 1914-02-19 |
![]() |
Gentlemen of Nerve | Mr. Walrus | 1914-10-29 |
![]() |
A Rowboat Romance | (unconfirmed) | 1914-07-06 |
![]() |
Leading Lizzie Astray | Cafe Patron - In from the Mines | 1914-11-30 |
![]() |
Fatty Joins the Force | Cop at Station House | 1913-11-23 |
![]() |
A Muddy Romance | Desk Sergeant / Park Attendant | 1913-11-19 |
![]() |
The Gusher | Villager / Cop | 1913-12-14 |