Jack Mulhall

John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years.

Jack Mulhall
Mulhall, c. 1920
Born
John Joseph Francis Mulhall

(1887-10-07)October 7, 1887
Wappingers Falls, New York, US
DiedJune 1, 1979(1979-06-01) (aged 91)
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, US
OccupationActor
Years active1910–1959
Spouse(s)Laura Mulhall (divorced; 1 child)
Bertha Vuillot
(her death)
Evelyn Mulhall
(m.1924–1979; his death)
Mulhall with actress Madge Kennedy in an episode of Goodyear Theater, 1959.
Jack Mulhall (left) singing offstage with Conrad Nagel (c. 1920)

Early years

Mulhall was born in Wappingers Falls, New York.[1] He was one of six children born to an Irish father and a Scottish mother.[2] He began helping with carnival acts when he was 14 years old.[1]

Career

Before acting in films, Mulhall worked in legitimate theater, musical comedy, and vaudeville. He also worked as a model for magazine illustrators. His first film appearance (other than as an extra) was in The Fugitive (1910).[1]

During the silent era, Mulhall was a popular screen player, particularly in the 1920s, and he starred in such films as The Social Buccaneer, The Mad Whirl and We Moderns. Some of his more prominent mid-career roles were in The Three Musketeers (1933), Burn 'Em Up Barnes (1934) and The Clutching Hand (1936). He last appeared in a film in 1959 (The Atomic Submarine).[1]

In the late 1940s, Mulhall joined Blackouts, a stage revue produced by Ken Murray. After that production ended in 1949, he went on to appear on television programs in the 1950s. His last television appearance was on 77 Sunset Strip.[1]

After he left acting, Mulhall worked for the Screen Actors Guild as a contract negotiator until 1974.[1]

Personal life

During the peak of his success in films, Mulhall bought "large land holdings in what is now Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley."[1] However, losses in the Great Depression wiped out his fortune.[1]

Mulhall's first wife was Bertha Vuillot, who died soon after they wed. His second wife, Laura Brunton, committed suicide in 1921. Later in 1921, he married Evelyn Winans. They remained married until his death in 1979.[3]

Death

In 1979, Mulhall died from congestive heart failure[4] at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.[1] He was 91. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[5]

Recognition

For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Mulhall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.[6][4] It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[7]

Filmography
1910
  • The Fugitive (Short) as New Boy Friend
  • Sunshine Sue (Short) as Piano Store Employee
  • A Child's Stratagem (Short) as In Office
1913
1914
  • Strongheart (Short) as In Stadium Crowd
  • Who's Looney Now? (Short)
  • The Fall of Muscle-Bound Hicks (Short) as Harry
  • They Called It 'Baby' (Short) as 1st Policeman
  • The Broken Rose (Short) as Dick Guild - as an Adult
  • All for Business (Short) as The Broker's Secretary
  • A Better Understanding (Short) as The Young Composer
  • Blacksmith Ben (Short)
  • Little Miss Make-Believe (Short) as The Bachelor
  • For Her People (Short) as The Young Art Student
  • The Suffering of Susan (Short) as Pupil
1915
  • All for the Boy (Short) as The Boy
  • The Gang's New Member (Short) as The Cub Reporter
  • Their Divorce Suit (Short) as The Husband
  • Rose o' the Shore (Short) as Rose's 1st Suitor
  • His Brother's Keeper (Short) as Jack - 2nd Brother
  • The Bridge Across (Short) as The Northern Boy
  • The Girl and the Matinee Idol (Short) as The Girl's Suitor
  • One Hundred Dollars (Short) as Billy Harvey - the Husband
  • When Hearts Are Young (Short) as Jack Prentice
  • His Poor Little Girl (Short) as The Poor Girl's Sweetheart
  • A Much-Needed Lesson (Short) as The Young Husband
  • The Little Scapegoat (Short) as Jack - the Bachelor
  • Bobby's Bargain (Short) as Bobby's Father
  • His Ward's Scheme (Short) as The Ward's Sweetheart
  • The Girl Hater (Short) as John Morgan - Ralph's Son
  • Love's Melody (Short) as The Young Actor
  • The Little Runaways (Short) as Mr. Hilton
  • A Letter to Daddy (Short) as Young Townsend
  • The Fixer (Short) as Jack
  • The Little Slavey (Short) as The Crook's Young Pal
  • His Last Wish (Short) as McGraw - the Doctor's Son
  • The Need of Money (Short) as The Young Laborer
  • Dora (Short) as William Allen
  • At the Road's End (Short) as The Boy
  • A Kentucky Episode (Short) as Jack Benson
  • The Girl Who Didn't Forget (Short) as The Grocery Clerk
  • Arline's Chauffeur (Short) as The Chauffeur
  • Harvest (Short)
  • The Sheriff's Trap (Short) as The Widow's Son
  • Woman Without a Soul (Short) as Clifton
  • Her Stepchildren (Short) as Frank
  • The Tides of Retribution (Short) as Jim Carpenter
1916
  • The Avenging Shot (Short)
  • The Skating Rink (Short)
  • Stronger Than Woman's Will (Short)
  • The Chain of Evidence (Short)
  • The Iron Will (Short) as Kalamon
  • The Guilt of Stephen Eldridge (Short) as Douglas Gordon
  • The Mystery of Orcival (Short) as M. Plantat - Justice of the Peace
  • The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary (Short) as Clover
  • Alias Jimmy Barton (Short) as Chester Randolph
  • The Man Who Called After Dark (Short) as Robert Whitmore
  • Celeste (Short) as The Tourist
  • A Spring Chicken (Short) as Farmer Chickweed
  • Merry Mary (Short) as Brannigan - the Lunatic
  • The Crimson Yoke (Short) as Casimir
  • The Whirlpool of Destiny as George Bell
  • Wanted: A Home as Dr. Prine
  • The Place Beyond the Winds as Dick Travers
  • The Eyes of Love (Short) as Robert
  • The Price of Silence as Ralph Kelton
1917
1918
1919
  • Don't Change Your Husband as Member of Gambling Club (uncredited)
  • Creaking Stairs as Fred Millard
  • Whom the Gods Would Destroy as Jack Randall
  • Fools and Their Money as Richard Tompkins
  • The Solitary Sin as Bob
  • A Favor To A Friend as Robert Garrison
  • The Spite Bride as Rodney Dolson
  • The Merry-Go-Round as Jack Hamilton
  • Should a Woman Tell? as Albert Tuley
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1948
1949
1952
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959

References
  1. Mayer, Geoff (2017). Encyclopedia of American Film Serials. McFarland. pp. 212–213. ISBN 9780786477623. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  2. Katchmer, George A. (2002). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 273. ISBN 9780786446933. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  3. Slide, Anthony (2010). Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses. University Press of Kentucky. p. 255. ISBN 978-0813137452. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  4. Jack Mulhall - LA Times Hollywood Star Walk
  5. Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set). McFarland. p. 537. ISBN 9780786479924. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  6. Hollywood Walk of Fame - Jack Mulhall
  7. "Jack Mulhall". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on June 24, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
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