Alfred Mulock Rogers (June 30, 1926 – May 1968), better known as Al Mulock or Al Mulloch, was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

Early life

Alfred Mulock Rogers was born on June 30, 1926 in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada. He was the only child of Adèle Cawthra Mulock (1904–1970) and Alfred Rogers. Maternally he was descended from the Mulock family, headed by Sir

William Mulock Sir William Mulock (January 19, 1843 – October 1, 1944) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, educator, farmer, politician, judge, and philanthropist. He served as vice-chancellor of the University of Toronto from 1881 to 1900, negotiating th ...

KCMG, the former Postmaster-General of Canada and one of the wealthiest families in the then-Dominion of Canada.

Career

He attended the

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, United States. Then, with

David de Keyser David de Keyser (22 August 1927 – 20 February 2021) was an English actor and narrator. Life and career Born in London in August 1927, in the mid-sixties de Keyser worked twice with the writer, actor and director Jane Arden (director), Jane A ...

, he started The London Studio, which taught

method acting Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, u ...

to British actors. Mulock became active in the British film industry in the 1950s and early 1960s, making numerous appearances in various British television series and films. He is best known for his roles in

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

films, most notably in his two collaborations with

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...

, ''

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' ( it, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, literally "The good, the ugly, the bad") is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Clee ...

'' and ''

Once Upon a Time in the West ''Once Upon a Time in the West'' ( , "Once upon a time (there was) the West") is a 1968 epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, who co-wrote it with Sergio Donati based on a story by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Leone ...

''. He appears, and is memorably shot in each film: by Eli Wallach's character, Tuco, in the former and by Charles Bronson's character (in a shoot out along with two others) in the opening scene of the latter.

Death

Mulock died by

suicide by jumping Jumping from a dangerous location, such as from a high window, balcony, or roof, or from a cliff, dam, or bridge, is an often used suicide method in some countries. Many countries have noted suicide bridges such as the Nanjing Yangtze River B ...

from his hotel room in

Guadix Guadix (; Local pronunciation: aˈðih is a city and municipality in southern Spain, in the province of Granada. The city lies at an altitude of 913 metres, on the centre of the Hoya of Guadix, a high plain at the northern foothills of the Sierr ...

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in May 1968, while filming for ''Once Upon a Time in the West''. He was wearing his cowboy-style costume at the time of his fall.

Mickey Knox Abraham Knox (December 24, 1921 − November 15, 2013) was an American actor with nearly 80 films to his credit. Knox was also a screenwriter, film producer, and novelist. Knox was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, and he subsequently moved to ...

, screenwriter for the film, and production manager Claudio Mancini witnessed Mulock's suicide as his body passed their hotel window near the end of the shoot. Mulock survived the fall, but suffered a pierced lung from a broken rib during the bumpy ride to the hospital. Before being taken away in the ambulance, director

shouted, "Get the costume, we need the costume." The reasons for his suicide, as well as for his choice of killing himself while wearing his costume, are unknown. About a year before Mulock’s suicide his wife had died of

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

. However they had been separated for some time before her death so this may or may not have had an influence on his decision to end his life. Mickey Knox also claimed in his book, ''The Good, the Bad and the Dolce Vita'', that Mulock was a drug addict, and committed suicide out of desperation, as he was unable to acquire drugs in Guadix.Knox, Mickey ''The Good, the Bad and the Dolce Vita: The Adventures of an Actor in Hollywood, Paris and Rome'' Nation Books March 25, 2004

Family

Al Mulock was the great-grandson of Sir

(1843–1944), the former Canadian Postmaster-General. He was married to actress Steffi Henderson, but she died in 1967 of cervical cancer. They had one child.

Selected filmography

* ''

Joe MacBeth ''Joe MacBeth'' is a 1955 British–American crime drama, directed by Ken Hughes and starring Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman and Bonar Colleano. It is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's ''Macbeth'', set in a 1930s American criminal underworld. T ...

'' (1955) – First Assassin * ''

Wicked as They Come ''Wicked as They Come'' (''Portrait in Smoke'' in the United States) is a 1956 British film noir directed by Ken Hughes and starring Arlene Dahl, Philip Carey and Herbert Marshall. Plot Poor girl from the slums Katherine Allenbourg trades on ...

'' (1956) – Supporting Role (uncredited) * ''

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

'' (1957) – Interrogator * ''

Kill Me Tomorrow ''Kill Me Tomorrow'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat O'Brien and Lois Maxwell. It was made by Tempean Films at Southall Studios in West London. The film features a cameo by Tommy Steele.Tom Weaver, ''The H ...

'' (1957) – Rod * '' The One That Got Away'' (1957) – US Patrolman at Ogdensburg (uncredited) * ''

High Hell ''High Hell'' is a 1958 American film set in the Canadian Rockies. It was a British B-movie intended for North American audiences, with exteriors filmed in the Swiss Jungfrau and interiors on a British sound stage. Plot Craig Rhodes and Frank D ...

'' (1958) – Frank Davidson * ''

Death Over My Shoulder ''Death Over My Shoulder '' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree based on a story by American journalist Alyce Canfield. The film stars Keefe Brasselle and his wife Arlene DeMarco one of The DeMarco Sisters. Plot When Jack ...

'' (1958) – Brainy Peterson * ''

Dial 999 (TV series) ''Dial 999'' is a British television series that ran for one series of 38 episodes from 1958 to 1959. The series was a co-production between ITV (TV channel), ITV contractor ABC Weekend TV, and American television producer Ziv Television Programs ...

'' ('Commando Crook', episode) (1958) - Kendall * ''

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw ''The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw'' is a 1958 British-American Western comedy directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Kenneth More and Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield's singing voice is dubbed by Connie Francis. It was one of the first Westerns to be shot in ...

'' (1958) – Henchman (uncredited) * ''

Tarzan's Greatest Adventure ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' is a 1959 Eastmancolor adventure film directed by John Guillermin, produced by Sy Weintraub and Harvey Hayutin, and written by Les Crutchfield, based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With a st ...

'' (1959) – Dino * ''

Jazz Boat ''Jazz Boat'' is a 1960 British musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries and big band leader Ted Heath and his orchestra. Many of the cast and the same director then made ''In the Nick ...

'' (1960) – The Dancer * ''

In the Nick ''In the Nick'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Bernie Winters, James Booth and Harry Andrews. In the film, a gang of incompetent criminals are placed in a special type of new priso ...

'' (1960) – Dancer * ''

Tarzan the Magnificent ''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by R ...

'' (1960) – Martin Banton * '' The Mark'' (1961) – Convict * ''

The Hellions ''The Hellions'' is a 1961 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin starring Richard Todd, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries, Ronald Fraser and Colin Blakely that was set and filmed in South Africa. Plot A lone law enforcement officer, Sam ...

'' (1961) – Mark Billings * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) – Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

The Small World of Sammy Lee ''The Small World of Sammy Lee'' is a 1963 British crime film written and directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Julia Foster and Robert Stephens. A striptease-show compere is hunted across the seedy London underworld of Soho by de ...

'' (1963) – Dealer * ''

Call Me Bwana ''Call Me Bwana'' is a 1963 British Technicolor farce film starring Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg and directed by Gordon Douglas. Largely set in Africa, it was the only film made by Eon Productions not about the fictional MI6 agent James Bond un ...

'' (1963) – Second Henchman * ''

Game for Three Losers A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

'' (''

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''The E ...

'')(1965) – Nick * ''

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors ''Dr Terror's House of Horrors'' is a 1965 British anthology horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by veteran horror director Freddie Francis, written by Milton Subotsky, and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It was the fi ...

'' (1965) – Detective (segment "Vampire") * ''

Lost Command ''Lost Command'' (aka ''Les Centurions'') is a 1966 American war film directed and produced by Mark Robson and starring Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, George Segal, Michèle Morgan, Maurice Ronet and Claudia Cardinale. It is based on the best-sel ...

'' (1966) – Mugnier * ''

'' (1966) – One-Armed Bounty Hunter * ''Huyendo del halcón'' (1966) (released in 1973) * ''

The Hellbenders ''The Hellbenders'' ( it, I crudeli, lit=The Cruel Ones, link=no) is a 1967 Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot Colonel Jonas is a fanatical and unrepentant Confederate who led a regiment called the Hellbenders in the recently ...

'' (1967) – The Beggar * '' The Treasure of Makuba'' (1967) – Pat * ''

Battle Beneath the Earth ''Battle Beneath the Earth'' is a 1967 British sci-fi thriller film starring Kerwin Mathews. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film also features character actor Ed Bishop. Plot Scientist Arnold Kramer believes that rogue elements o ...

'' (1967) – Sgt. Marvin Mulberry * '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'' (1967) – Private (uncredited) * ''

Day of Anger ''Day of Anger'' ( it, I giorni dell'ira, lit. "The Days of Wrath") is a 1967 Spaghetti Western film directed and co-written by Tonino Valerii and starring Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma, and features a musical score by Riz Ortolani. The film c ...

'' (1967) – Wild Jack (uncredited in Italian version) * ''

Shoot Twice ''Shoot Twice'' ( it, Due volte Giuda, es, Dos veces Judas) is a 1969 Italian Western film directed by Nando Cicero and starring Klaus Kinski and Antonio Sabàto. Cast * Klaus Kinski - Dingus / aka Victor Barrett * Antonio Sabàto - Luke ...

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1968) – Knuckles – Member of Frank's Gang (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

*
Al Mulock
Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Mulock, Al 1926 births 1968 deaths 1968 suicides 20th-century Canadian male actors Canadian expatriates in Spain Canadian male film actors Expatriate actors in Spain Male Spaghetti Western actors Male actors from Toronto Suicides by jumping in Spain