Mack Swain
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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.
Known for
His Musical Career
Mike, Charlie's Partner
Torrent
Don Matías
Soup to Nuts
First Fat Diner (uncredited)
The Gold Rush
Big Jim McKay
The Pilgrim
Deacon
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 2
Doctor
Love, Be with Humanity: Part 1
Doctor
Getting Acquainted
Ambrose
Tillie's Punctured Romance
Tillie's Father
The Sea Bat
Dutchy
The Locked Door
Hotel Proprietor
Pay Day
Foreman
Cleaning Up
Mack
Yesterday and Today
(archive footage)
The Last Warning
Robert Bunce
A Missing Bride
Laughing Gas
Patient
Hello, Mabel
The Married Flirt
Tillie's Punctured Romance
Tillie's Father
Fatty Joins the Force
Cop at Station House
Footloose Widows
Ludwig
Double Crossed
The Belle's Boyfriend
The Beloved Rogue
Nicholas
The Gusher
Villager / Cop
Adventurous Ambrose
Ambrose
That Little Band Of Gold
Audience Member (uncredited)
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists
Big Jim McKay (archive footage)
His Naughty Thought
Walter Ambrose
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Sir Francis Beekman
The Nervous Wreck
Jerome Underwood
Redemption
Magistrate
Kiki
Pastryman (uncredited)
Mockery
Vladimir Gaidaroff
The Chaplin Revue
Various (archive footage)
Mabel at the Wheel
Race Spectator (uncredited)
Stout Hearts and Willing Hands
The Midnight Patrol
Saved by Wireless
The Spy
His Trysting Places
Ambrose
The Fatal Mallet
Rival Suitor (uncredited)
The Idle Class
Edna's Father (uncredited)
Ambrose's First Falsehood
Ambrose
The Knockout
Gambler (uncredited)
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
(archive footage)
My Best Girl
Judge
The Eagle
Innkeeper (uncredited)
Finn and Hattie
Le Bottin
The Pullman Bride
Rover Peabody - the Chosen One
His Prehistoric Past
King Lowbrow
The Home Breakers
Ambrose
Whispering Wires
McCarthy
Gentlemen of Nerve
Mr. Walrus
Caught in the Rain
Husband (uncredited)
The Girl from Nowhere
Wilbur Ashcraft
Mabel's Married Life
Wellington, a Ladykiller
Bad Boy
Man on Rowing Machine
This Way Out
The Girl's Father
Hands Up!
Silas Woodstock
Sea Horses
Bimbo-Bomba
The Girl from Everywhere
Wilfred Ashcraft - Director
A Muddy Romance
Desk Sergeant / Park Attendant
Ambrose's Fury
Ambrose
Caught in a Park
The Bartender
Leading Lizzie Astray
Cafe Patron - In from the Mines
Caught in a Cabaret
Tough Patron / Party Guest / Boy's Father (uncredited)
Ambrose's Nasty Temper
Ambrose
Ye Olden Grafter
The Grafter
The Devil's Circus
Becky
Irving Spiegelberg
Thirst
Ambrose
Love, Speed and Thrills
Ambrose
Her First False Hare
Unknown
A Busy Day
Husband
A Texas Steer
Bragg
The Shamrock and the Rose
Mike Kelly
His Bitter Pill
Jim - a Big Hearted Sheriff
Hogan's Romance Upset
Fight Spectator
Madcap Ambrose
Ambrose
Lighthouse Love
Captain Wiggins - the Lighthouse Keeper
A Movie Star
Handsome Jack
The Cohens and Kellys in Atlantic City
Mr. Tom Kelly
Willful Ambrose
Pa Ambrose
The Under-Sheriff
Villager
Full o' Spirits
Pitfalls of a Big City
The Vamp's Husband
Fatty's New Role
Ambrose Schnitz
Ambrose's Little Hatchet
Ambrose
A Robust Romeo
A Rowboat Romance
(unconfirmed)
Her Big Night
Myers, film producer
A Thief Catcher
Crook (uncredited)
Ambrose's Lofty Perch
Ambrose
Mabel’s Nerve
Heroic Ambrose
Ambrose Schnitz
Lost: A Cook
Farmer Ambrose
Gussle, the Golfer
Ambrose
Other People's Business
Mabel Lost and Won
Mabel's Rival's Husband
A Gambling Rube
(unconfirmed)
The Late Lamented
Boarder (unconfirmed)
Ambrose's Sour Grapes
Ambrose
Caught in the Fog
Detective Ryan
Love and Gasoline
Fatty's Wine Party
Restaurant Proprietor
The Sea Nymphs
Ambrose
Innocent Ambrose
Ambrose Schnitz
Oh, What a Knight
The Sheriff
When Ambrose Dared Walrus
Ambrose
See You in Jail
Slossom
Finnegan's Ball
Patrick Flannigan