Malcolm St. Clair (May 17, 1897 – June 1, 1952) was a Hollywood film director, writer, producer and actor.[1]
Malcolm St. Clair | |
---|---|
Born | May 17, 1897 |
Died | June 1, 1952 | (aged 55)
Occupation(s) | Film director, writer, producer, and actor |
Notable work | Yankee Doodle in Berlin |
Biography
editHired by comedy pioneer Mack Sennett, St. Clair was an actor in many films, primarily comedies. At 6' 3" he can be seen in such Sennett films as Yankee Doodle in Berlin, towering over the other actors, playing Crown Prince Wilhelm. He later directed almost 100 films, as well as producing five others, between 1915 and 1948.[1] His brother, Eric St. Clair, was a writer and actor.[2]
Between assignments at Sennett, St. Clair worked for the Buster Keaton company, serving as actor and co-director.
St. Clair joined 20th Century-Fox in 1936 and directed an assortment of comedies and dramas, including the Jones Family series of domestic comedies and a Milton Berle feature. He also accepted freelance assignments, including two Lum and Abner features. Mal St. Clair is perhaps best known as the director of four Laurel and Hardy comedies, released by Fox between June 1943 and May 1945.
Fox closed its B unit in December 1944,[3] leaving St. Clair inactive until 1948, when he directed two low-budget features for Fox release. In 1950, he wanted to direct Buster Keaton in a television series, but ill health prevented him from directing again.[4]
He died on June 1, 1952, at age 55.
Partial filmography
edit- The Camera Cure (1917)
- His Baby Doll (1917)
- The Little Widow (1919)
- Yankee Doodle in Berlin (1919) Actor
- The Goat (1921, with Buster Keaton)
- Bright Eyes (1921)
- The Blacksmith (1922, with Buster Keaton)
- Christmas (1922)
- The Lighthouse by the Sea (1924)
- On Thin Ice (1925)
- Are Parents People? (1925)
- After Business Hours (1925)
- The Trouble with Wives (1925)
- A Woman of the World (1925)
- The Grand Duchess and the Waiter (1926)
- The Show-Off (1926)
- A Social Celebrity (1926)
- Good and Naughty (1926)
- Knockout Reilly (1927)
- Breakfast at Sunrise (1927)
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1928)
- The Fleet's In (1928)
- The Canary Murder Case (1929)
- Side Street (1929)
- Dangerous Nan McGrew (1930)
- The Boudoir Diplomat (1930)
- Montana Moon (1930)
- Olsen's Big Moment (1933)
- Goldie Gets Along (1933)
- Crack-Up (1936)
- Hollywood Cavalcade (1939)
- Quick Millions (1939)
- Young As You Feel (1940)
- The Bashful Bachelor (1942)
- Jitterbugs (1943, with Laurel and Hardy)
- The Dancing Masters (1943, with Laurel and Hardy)
- Two Weeks to Live (1943)
- The Big Noise (1944, with Laurel and Hardy)
- Swing Out the Blues (1944)
- The Bullfighters (1945, with Laurel and Hardy)
References
edit- ^ a b Dwyer, Rauth Anne (March 20, 1997). Malcolm St. Clair: His Films 1915–1948. The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-2709-7.
- ^ Vazzana, Eugene Michael (July 16, 2001). Silent Film Necrology. McFarland & Company. p. 464. ISBN 978-0-7864-1059-0.
- ^ Scott MacGillivray, Laurel & Hardy: From the Forties Forward, Second Edition, iUniverse, 2009, p. 160. ISBN 978-1-4401-7237-3
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2014). "Malcolm St Clair". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
External links
edit- Malcolm St. Clair at IMDb
- Malcolm St. Clair at Virtual History
- Photo of Mal St. Clair with writer Anita Loos and actress Ruth Taylor.
- Mal St. Clair photo gallery(ACertainCinema.com)