| Wilbur Mack | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 29, 1873 Binghamton, New York |
| Died | March 13, 1964 Hollywood, California |
Wilbur Mack (July 29, 1873 - March 13, 1964) was an American film actor and early vaudeville performer from the 1920s through the 1960s. His film acting career began during the silent film era.
Mack was born and raised in Binghamton, New York, and married fellow vaudeville performer and later actress Constance Purdy, forming the husband and wife vaudeville team, "Mack and Purdy". He and Purdy divorced not far into the marriage, and he married vaudeville performer and also future actress Nella Walker. The couple saw considerable success in their vaudeville act, and in 1925 Mack entered into a film acting career. His first film appearance was Gold and Grit, alongside Buddy Roosevelt and Ann McKay. He would appear in twenty films from 1925 to 1929, and his wife entered into her own film acting career in 1929.
Mack made a smooth transition to "talking films", and in 1930 appeared in thirteen films. He and Walker divorced not long after the start of her career, but she saw ongoing success as a supporting and minor role actress, whereas he would continually have film appearances, but with limited success. From 1931 through 1933 Mack would appear in twenty four films. From 1934 until the end of the 1930s era in 1939, Mack would appear in fifty five films. However, as successful as that sounds, forty five of those appearances were uncredited. His most notable credited roles during that period was Million Dollar Baby alongside Ray Walker and Arline Judge, in 1934, and the 1936 crime drama The Crime Patrol, also alongside Ray Walker.
His career in the 1940s decade was similar to his career up until that point, with him continuing to appear often in films, but mostly in uncredited roles. Mack appeared in seventy six films from 1940 to 1949, of which only seven were credited roles. He would continue to appear in both films and television throughout the 1950s and into 1962, with his last appearance being an uncredited role in the 1962 movie Who's Got the Action?, starring Dean Martin, Lana Turner, Eddie Albert and Walter Matthau. He was living in Hollywood when he died on March 13, 1964.