Biography
Francis McDonald (August 22, 1891 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor whose career spanned 52 years. McDonald's started acting professionally in stock theater with the Forepaugh Stock Company in Cincinnati. Following eight months with it, he worked one season with a stock company in Seattle, after which he performed for three seasons with a troupe in San Diego and Honolulu. He concluded his tenure in stock theater as juvenile leading man with the American Stock Company in Spokane, Washington. By 1913 McDonald began to perform in the rapidly expanding film industry, initially working for Marion Leonard's Monopole Company in Hollywood. He was cast in over 280 films between 1913 and 1965, including The Temptress in 1926 with Greta Garbo. After he was designated "Hollywood's Prettiest Man," McDonald sought a tougher image by shaving his mustache and seeking roles of villains. McDonald was one of Cecil B. DeMille's favorite character actors.[citation needed] DeMille gave him credited supporting roles in six of his films: The Plainsman (1936), The Buccaneer (1938), Union Pacific (1939), North West Mounted Police (1940), Samson and Delilah (1949), and The Ten Commandments (1956).
Acted in 248
1960s
- 1965
- 1964
- 1962
1950s
- 1959
Wichita Town
TV
The Big Fisherman
Scribe Spokesman
- 1958
Fort Massacre
Piute Man
- 1957
Pawnee
Uncle Tip Alden (as Francis J. McDonald)
Last Stagecoach West
Old Man Colter
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
Col. Chivington's Aide (uncredited)
Duel at Apache Wells
Joe Dunn
- 1956
Walk the Proud Land
The Shaman (uncredited)
Thunder Over Arizona
Pliny Warren
- 1955
Dig That Uranium
The Indian Chief
The Naked Dawn
Railroad guard
My Friend Flicka
TV
The Adventures of Champion
Will Calhoun, Grubstake Smith · 1 episode
- 1954
- 1953
Two Gun Marshal
Blake Cody
The Bandits of Corsica
Grisha
General Electric Theater
Pecos Kid · 1 episode
- 1952
The Raiders
Mr. John Cummings
Son of Ali Baba
Palace Official (uncredited)
Fort Osage
Osage Chief
- 1951
Red Mountain
Marshal Roberts
Gene Autry and the Mounties
Batiste
- 1950
Woman in Hiding
North Carolina Cannoneer (uncredited)
1940s
- 1949
Powder River Rustlers
Shears Williams
Apache Chief
Mohaska
Abandoned
Winey - Pool Player (uncredited)
Rim of the Canyon
Charlie Lewis
Son of a Badman
Joe Christ
Daughter of the Jungle
Montu
Brothers in the Saddle
Hoyt Parker
Rose of the Yukon
Alaskan
- 1948
Strange Gamble
Henchman Longhorn
Son of God’s Country
Tom Ford
The Dead Don't Dream
Bart Lansing
The Bold Frontiersman
Adam Post
- 1947
Dangerous Venture
Kane
- 1946
Magnificent Doll
Jenks (uncredited)
The Devil's Playground
Roberts
Roll on Texas Moon
Steve Anders
The Invisible Informer
Jules Ravelle
Night Train to Memphis
Doctor
Tangier
Sanchez
The Catman of Paris
Devereaux
- 1945
Strange Confession
Hernandez
River Gang
Indignant Man
South of the Rio Grande
Torres
Bad Men of the Border
Captain Jose Garcia
Corpus Christi Bandits
Dad Christie
Great Stagecoach Robbery
Con Hollister
- 1944
Zorro's Black Whip
Dan Hammond
Mystery of the Riverboat
Batiste
Cheyenne Wildcat
Jim Douglas
Till We Meet Again
Cart Driver (uncredited)
Bordertown Trail
Matthews
Mystery Man
Bert Rogan
Lumberjack
Clyde Fenwick
Texas Masquerade
Sam Nolan
- 1943
Bar 20
Quirt Rankin
- 1942
The Girl from Alaska
Pelly
Valley of the Sun
Governor's Interpreter (uncredited)
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
Kidnapper
- 1941
The Kid from Kansas
Cesar
Blood and Sand
Manolo's Friend (uncredited)
Men of the Timberland
Jean Collet
- 1940
One Night in the Tropics
Escobar's Aide (uncredited)
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date
Santos the Portuguese
The Devil's Pipeline
Gaddi Sang
Wyoming
Dawson - Henchman
Captain Caution
French Seaman in Pub
The Carson City Kid
Laramie
Strange Cargo
Moussenq - Convict (uncredited)
Green Hell
Gracco
1930s
- 1939
The Light That Failed
George
Range War
Morgan
Bad Lands
Manuel Lopez
Idiot's Delight
Flight Captain
- 1938
If I Were King
Casin Cholet
Gun Law
Henchman Nevada
The Buccaneer
Camden Blount
- 1937
Wild West Days
Assayer Purvis, member of the Secret 7
The Last Train from Madrid
Mora (uncredited)
Parole Racket
Nat Beldon
Criminal Lawyer
Jack 'Fingy' Doremus (uncredited)
Devil's Playground
Romano
Woman-Wise
Charley (uncredited)
- 1936
Mummy's Boys
Rasheed Bey
White Fang
Suds
Big Brown Eyes
Malley (Uncredited)
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Pedro
- 1935
Diamond Jim
Gambler
West Point of the Air
Civilian Pilot
Mississippi
Gambler (uncredited)
In Spite of Danger
Race Driver
- 1934
Red Morning
Sakki
The Gay Bride
Detroit gangster (uncredited)
Girl in Danger
Tony - Russo Henchman (uncredited)
Burn 'Em Up Barnes
Ray Ridpath - Henchman [Chs. 1-6], Ray Ridpath - Henchman
Sadie McKee
Joe, Alderson’s Chauffeur (uncredited)
The Line-Up
Trigger - Henchman
The Trumpet Blows
Vega
Voice in the Night
Henchman Jackson
- 1933
Straightaway
Rogan
Night Flight
Radioman (uncredited)
The Devil's in Love
Officer Reading Verdict
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
Henchman (as Frances McDonald)
Broadway Bad
Charley Davis
Terror Trail
Tad McPherson
- 1932
The Devil Is Driving
Ticker (uncredited)
Trailing the Killer
Pierre LaPlant (as Francis MacDonald)
Hidden Valley
Frank Gavin
70,000 Witnesses
Dominic Silvera (uncredited)
Honor of the Mounted
Jean La Train
The Woman from Monte Carlo
Karkuff
- 1931
In Line of Duty
Jacques Dupres
The Lawyer's Secret
The Weasel
The Gang Buster
Pete Caltek
- 1930
Brothers
Tony
Safety in Numbers
Phil Kemptom
The Runaway Bride
Barney Black
Dangerous Paradise
Ricardo
Burning Up
'Bullet' McGhan
1920s
- 1929
Girl Overboard
Francisco
The Carnation Kid
The Carnation Kid
- 1928
The Viking
Viking Friend of Leif (uncredited)
Forgotten Faces
Movie
The Drag Net
Sniper Dawson
The Legion of the Condemned
Gonzolo Vasquez
A Girl in Every Port
Circus Manager
The Valley of Hell
Creighton Steele
- 1927
Life in Hollywood No. 4
Movie
Paid to Love
Apache Dancer (uncredited)
Outlaws of Red River
Ben Tanner
The Notorious Lady
Manuela Silvera
The Wreck
Movie
- 1926
The Desert's Toll
Frank Darwin
The Temptress
Timoteo
The Bar-C Mystery
Movie
The Palace of Pleasure
Captain Fernandez
The Yankee Señor
Juan Gutiérrez
- 1925
My Lady of Whims
Rolf
Bobbed Hair
Pooch
Satan in Sables
Emile
The Northern Code
Raoul La Fane
Go Straight!
The Dove
- 1924
So This Is Marriage?
Smith
East of Broadway
Professor Mario
The Arizona Express
Victor Johnson
- 1923
Faust and Marguerite Test Footage
Movie
Going Up
Jules Gaillard
Trilby
Geko
Mary of the Movies
James Seiler
The Buster
Swing
Look Your Best
Alberto Cabotto
- 1922
Captain Fly-by-Night
Second Stranger
The Woman Conquers
Lawatha, Indian Guide
Monte Cristo
Benedetto
Trooper O'Neill
Pierre
- 1921
The Golden Snare
Pierre Thoreau
- 1920
Nomads of the North
Buck McDougall
The Confession
Tom Bartlett
1910s
- 1919
Prudence on Broadway
Grayson Mills
Pretty Smooth
Jimmy Hartigan
Love's Prisoner
Party Guest (uncredited)
His Debt
Blair Whitcomb
The Final Close-Up
Jimmie Norton
The Courageous Coward
Tom Kirby (as Francis J. McDonald)
Toton
Pierre
- 1918
Tony America
Tony America
The Ghost Flower
Movie
The Answer
Guido Garcia
The Light Within
Dr. Green
The Gun Woman
The Gent
- 1917
The Love Doctor
Hildreth
The Gray Ghost
Williams
Mr. Dolan of New York
'Spider' Flynn (as Francis MacDonald)
The Voice on the Wire
'Red' Warren
Perils of the Secret Service
(Episode #3)
The Gates of Doom
Jang Sattib
Black Orchids
George Renoir / Ivan De Maupin
- 1916
The Devil at His Elbow
Andrew Sealey (as Frank McDonald)
- 1914
St. Elmo
Murray Hammond
- 1913
Carmen
Don Jose
