Jack Mulhall Explained

Jack Mulhall
Birth Name:John Joseph Francis Mulhall
Birth Date:7 October 1887
Birth Place:Wappingers Falls, New York, US
Death Place:Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, US
Occupation:Actor
Yearsactive:1901–1959
Spouse:Laura Mulhall (divorced; 1 child)
Bertha Vuillot (her death)
Evelyn Mulhall (m.1924)

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.

Early years

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

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).[2]

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).[2]

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.[2]

After he left acting, Mulhall worked for the Screen Actors Guild as a contract negotiator until 1974.[2]

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."[2] However, losses in the Great Depression wiped out his fortune.[2]

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 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.[2] He was 91. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[4]

Recognition

For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Mulhall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.[5] [6] It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[7]

Filmography

1910
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Katchmer. George A.. A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. 2002. McFarland. 9780786446933. 273. 24 June 2017. en.
  2. Book: Mayer. Geoff. Encyclopedia of American Film Serials. 2017. McFarland. 9780786477623. 212–213. 24 June 2017. en.
  3. Book: Slide. Anthony. Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses. 2010. University Press of Kentucky. 978-0813137452. 255. 24 June 2017. en.
  4. Book: Wilson. Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set). 2016. McFarland. 9780786479924. 537. 24 June 2017. en.
  5. http://www.walkoffame.com/jack-mulhall Hollywood Walk of Fame - Jack Mulhall
  6. http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/jack-muhall/ Jack Mulhall - LA Times Hollywood Star Walk
  7. Web site: Jack Mulhall. Hollywood Walk of Fame. 24 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170624005754/http://www.walkoffame.com/jack-mulhall. 24 June 2017.