Donald Hugh MacBride (June 23, 1893 – June 21, 1957) was an American character actor on stage, in films, and on television who launched his career as a teenage singer (making several recordings in 1907) in vaudeville and went on to be an actor in New York.

Biography

Donald MacBride was born 1893 in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. MacBride appeared in nearly 140 films between 1914 and 1955. His year of birth is given variously as 1889 or 1893 in the standard reference books.

Motion pictures

Beginning in 1930, like many New York-based, stage-trained actors, he found work at the

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...

, and

Educational Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

studios, all of which had East Coast branches. He is clearly visible as a crowd extra welcoming Groucho Marx in the Paramount feature '' Animal Crackers''. Speaking roles in short subjects followed, establishing MacBride as a comic tough guy or villain opposite Tom Howard,

Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent. He is best known as the ...

, Buster Keaton, and other comedy stars. MacBride's fortunes improved when he was featured in the hit play ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

''. In this farce comedy about a shoestring producer and his desperate associates trying to avoid eviction from a hotel, MacBride played the no-nonsense hotel manager, who frequently met bad news with an explosive "Oh, God ''damn!''"

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

bought the film rights to ''Room Service'' as a vehicle for

The Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

, and brought many of the Broadway cast members to Hollywood, including Donald MacBride reprising his role (with his catchphrase sanitized to "Jumping butterballs!"). Hollywood producers noticed MacBride's comic timing and he was established overnight as a skilled character actor. Like fellow character comedian

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

, MacBride specialized in the comedy of frustration, and his portrayals showed the harried MacBride enduring various indignities quietly and gradually until he finally reached a boiling point. He often played police inspectors, detectives, military officers, and other authority figures, all of whom were tormented by the leading players in the films. MacBride signed a non-exclusive RKO contract, allowing him to freelance among the major studios for the next several years. In 1947, with the larger studios cutting down on the number of films in production, MacBride accepted featured roles at smaller studios: Monogram, Republic, and Lippert. He continued to work at the larger studios, but often in small or uncredited roles. MacBride was an early arrival in the new field of television, having appeared in the pioneering series ''

Public Prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...

'' in 1947. He continued to work in television until shortly before his death.

Death

MacBride died on 1957 in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

of a heart ailment. He was buried in

Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Holy Cross Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. It is partially in the Culver City city limits. Opened in 1939, Holy Cross comprises . It contains—amo ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Survivors included his wife and a stepson, Jack Craddock.

Selected filmography

* ''The Daring of Diana'' (1916) - Jimmy Towne * ''Hesper of the Mountains'' (1916) - Baker * ''

The Fettered Woman ''The Fettered Woman'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Tom Terriss and starring Alice Joyce, Webster Campbell, and Donald MacBride.McCaffrey & Jacobs p. 160 Based on the 1914 novel ''Anne's Bridge'' by Robert W. Chambers, it is ...

'' (1917) - Jack Wolver * '' The Shell Game'' (1918) - Vocal Teacher * '' The Capitol'' (1919) - Jimmy Vincent * '' Animal Crackers'' (1930) - House Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

His Woman ''His Woman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romance drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert. Based on the novel ''His Woman'' by Dale Collins, the story is about a tough sea captain who discovers a baby ...

'' (1931) - Crewman (uncredited) * '' Wayward'' (1932) - Taxicab Driver (uncredited) * ''

Misleading Lady ''The Misleading Lady'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Stuart Walker, and starring Claudette Colbert and Edmund Lowe. The film is based on the 1913 Broadway play by Charles W. Goddard and Paul Dickey. It is also a remake o ...

'' (1932) - Bill - Asylum Guard * ''

Buzzin' Around ''Buzzin' Around'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Fatty Arbuckle, and directed by Alfred J. Goulding. Plot Cornelius (Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle) invents a liquid which makes objects unbreakable and resilient. Unfortunately he g ...

'' (1933, Short) - Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Moonlight and Pretzels ''Moonlight and Pretzels'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code musical film, directed by Karl Freund, about a man who puts on a Broadway show. The film was released by Universal Studios and featured Mary Brian and William Frawley, now best-known as "Fr ...

'' (1933) - Business Associate (uncredited) * '' Get That Venus'' (1933) - (uncredited) * '' The Chemist'' (1936, Short) - Gangster * ''

'' (1938) - Gregory Wagner * ''

Annabel Takes a Tour ''Annabel Takes a Tour'' is a 1938 comedy directed by Lew Landers, starring Lucille Ball and Jack Oakie. Annabel (Lucille Ball) is on a promotional tour and, as a publicity stunt, leaks a story that she is having a romantic fling with a famous ro ...

'' (1938) - Thompson, RR Conductor * '' Blondie Takes a Vacation'' (1938) - Harvey Morton * ''

The Great Man Votes ''The Great Man Votes'' is a 1939 American drama film starring John Barrymore as a widowed professor turned drunkard who has the deciding vote in an election for mayor. It was based on the short story of the same name by Gordon Malherbe Hillman p ...

'' (1939) - Iron Hat McCarthy * ''

Twelve Crowded Hours ''Twelve Crowded Hours'' is a 1939 film directed by Lew Landers and starring Richard Dix and Lucille Ball. Plot When the brother of his girlfriend Paula Sanders is accused of murder, reporter Nick Green tries to clear him. He suspects gangster G ...

'' (1939) - Detective Sergeant Joe Keller * ''

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle ''The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle'' is a 1939 American biographical musical comedy directed by H.C. Potter. The film stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, and Walter Brennan. The film is based on the stories ''My Husband'' and ...

'' (1939) - Hotel Manager * ''

The Flying Irishman ''The Flying Irishman'' (aka ''Born to Fly'') is a 1939 biographical drama film produced by RKO Pictures about Douglas Corrigan's unofficial transatlantic flight the previous year in a dilapidated Curtiss Robin light aircraft. The film was direc ...

'' (1939) - Mr. Roy Thompson * '' The Girl from Mexico'' (1939) - L. B. Renner * '' The Gracie Allen Murder Case'' (1939) - Dist. Atty. John Markham * ''

The Girl and the Gambler ''The Girl and the Gambler'' is a 1939 Western film, from RKO Radio Pictures, starring Tim Holt. It was an early starring Western for Holt, who soon replaced George O'Brien as the studio's main Western star. The film was based on a play which ...

'' (1939) - Mike Bascom * '' Blondie Takes a Vacation'' (1939) - Harvey Morton * ''

Charlie Chan at Treasure Island ''Charlie Chan at Treasure Island'' is a 1939 American film directed by Norman Foster, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan, that takes place on Treasure Island during San Francisco's Golden Gate Intern ...

'' (1939) - Chief J.J. Kilvaine * '' The Amazing Mr. Williams'' (1939) - Police Lieutenant Bixler * ''

The Saint's Double Trouble ''The Saint's Double Trouble'' is a 1940 action-adventure film produced by RKO Pictures. The film stars George Sanders as Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint", a master criminal turned crime-fighter, and features horror film legend Bela Lugosi as " ...

'' (1940) - John Bohlen * ''

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...

'' (1940) - Sergeant McNott * '' Curtain Call'' (1940) - Geoffrey 'Jeff' Crandall * ''

My Favorite Wife ''My Favorite Wife'' (released in the U.K. as ''My Favourite Wife'') is a 1940 screwball comedy produced by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin. The picture stars Irene Dunne as a woman who, after being shipwrecked on a tropical island fo ...

'' (1940) - Hotel Clerk * ''

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

'' (1940) - Bart - Henchman (uncredited) * ''

Hit Parade of 1941 ''Hit Parade of 1941'' is a 1940 American film written by Bradford Ropes, F. Hugh Herbert and Maurice Leo and directed by John H. Auer. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song at the 13th Academy Awards with the song "Who Am I?", with mu ...

'' (1940) - Harrison * '' Murder Over New York'' (1940) - Inspector Vance * '' Michael Shayne: Private Detective'' (1940) - Chief Painter * '' The Invisible Woman'' (1940) - Foghorn * '' High Sierra'' (1941) - Big Mac * ''

Footlight Fever ''Footlight Fever'' is a 1941 sequel to the 1940 comedy '' Curtain Call'', with Alan Mowbray and Donald MacBride. Plot Alan Mowbray and Donald MacBride reprise their roles as theatrical producers Donald Avery and Geoffrey 'Jeff' Crandall. This ti ...

'' (1941) - Mr. Geoffrey 'Geoff' Crandall * ''

Topper Returns ''Topper Returns'' is a 1941 fantasy comedy thriller directed by Roy Del Ruth and written by Jonathan Latimer. The third and final installment in the initial series of supernatural comedy films inspired by the novels of Thorne Smith, it succee ...

'' (1941) - Police Detective Roberts * '' Love Crazy'' (1941) - 'Pinky' Grayson * '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941) - Inspector Williams * ''

You'll Never Get Rich ''You'll Never Get Rich'' is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy film with a wartime theme directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, Cliff Nazarro, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The title stems f ...

'' (1941) - Top Sergeant * '' Rise and Shine'' (1941) - Coach Graham * ''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

'' (1941) - Capt. Pierre Whitfield * ''

You're in the Army Now ''You're in the Army Now'' is a 1941 comedy film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Jimmy Durante, Phil Silvers, Jane Wyman, and Regis Toomey. It featured the longest kiss in film (lasting three minutes and five seconds), between Toomey and ...

'' (1941) - Colonel Dobson * ''

Two Yanks in Trinidad ''Two Yanks in Trinidad'' is a 1942 American comedy spy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Pat O'Brien, Brian Donlevy and Janet Blair. The film was in production when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, leading to America's en ...

'' (1942) - Sgt. Valentine * ''

Juke Girl ''Juke Girl'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt, written by A. I. Bezzerides, and starring Ann Sheridan and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Richard Whorf, George Tobias, Gene Lockhart, Alan Hale Sr., Howard ...

'' (1942) - 'Muckeye' John * ''

Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost ''Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts and Monte Brice. It is the sequel to the 1942 film '' Mexican Spitfire at Sea''. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Leon Erro ...

'' (1942) - Percy Fitzbadden * ''

The Glass Key ''The Glass Key'' is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. First published as a serial in '' Black Mask'' magazine in 1930, it then was collected in 1931 (in London; the American edition followed 3 months later). It tells the story of a ga ...

'' (1942) - Farr * ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (a ...

'' (1942) - Officer Lonigan * '' A Night to Remember'' (1942) - Bolling * ''

Lady Bodyguard ''Lady Bodyguard'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by William Clemens. The film stars Eddie Albert, Anne Shirley', Raymond Walburn, Roger Pryor', Edward Brophy, Maude Eburne, Clem Bevans and Mary Treen. The film was released on January ...

'' (1943) - R. L. Barclay * ''

They Got Me Covered ''They Got Me Covered'', also known as ''Washington Story'' and ''The Washington Angle'', is a 1943 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Otto Preminger appears in a supporting role. Plot In mid 1941, a ...

'' (1943) - Mason * '' A Stranger in Town'' (1943) - Vinnie Z. Blaxton * '' Best Foot Forward'' (1943) - Capt. Bradd * ''

The Doughgirls ''The Doughgirls'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by James V. Kern based on the 1942 hit Broadway play written by Joseph Fields. The film works around three newlywed couples, focusing on the Halstead couple, played by Jane Wyman and ...

'' (1944) - Judge Franklin * ''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1945 comedy- mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles and his ...

'' (1944) - Police Chief MacGregor * '' Practically Yours'' (1944) - Sam (uncredited) * '' She Gets Her Man'' (1945) - Henry Wright * '' Out of This World'' (1945) - J.C. Crawford * ''

Penthouse Rhythm ''Penthouse Rhythm'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Stanley Roberts and Howard Dimsdale. The film stars Kirby Grant, Lois Collier, Edward Norris, Maxie Rosenbloom, Eric Blore, Minna Gombell and Edwa ...

'' (1945) - Brewster * ''

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Frances Rafferty. Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was produced by Marti ...

'' (1945) - Dennis Kavanaugh * ''

Hold That Blonde ''Hold That Blonde'' is a 1945 American comedy crime film directed by George Marshall and starring Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake and Albert Dekker. Plot Bracken plays a kleptomaniac who unwittingly becomes involved with a gang of jewel thieves, i ...

'' (1945) - Mr. Kratz * ''

Doll Face ''Doll Face'' is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Lewis Seiler starring Vivian Blaine as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor Dennis O'Keefe and singers Carmen Miranda and Perry Como. The film is based on th ...

'' (1945) - Lawyer Ferguson * '' Girl on the Spot'' (1946) - Inspector Gleason * ''

Little Giant ''Little Giant'' is a 1946 American comedy drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film was released in the UK with the title ''On the Carpet''. Plot A naïve country boy named Benny Mil ...

'' (1946) - The conductor * ''

Blonde Alibi ''Blonde Alibi'' is a 1946 American black-and-white noir thriller directed by Will Jason and starring Tom Neal, Martha O'Driscoll, Donald MacBride, and Peter Whitney. Cast *Tom Neal as Rick Lavery *Martha O'Driscoll as Marian Gale *Donald MacB ...

'' (1946) - Police Inspector Carmichael * ''

The Dark Corner ''The Dark Corner'' is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix and Mark Stevens.. The film was not a commercial success but has since been described as a "Grade A exampl ...

'' (1946) - Policeman in Galleries (uncredited) * '' The Dark Horse'' (1946) - John Rooney * ''

The Time of Their Lives ''The Time of Their Lives'' is a 1946 American fantasy-comedy film starring the comedic duo Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Barton. Plot In 1780, master tinker Horatio Prim arrives at the Kings Point estate of Tom Danbury. Although ...

'' (1946) - Lt. Mason * ''

The Killers The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...

'' (1946) - R.S. Kenyon * ''

The Brute Man ''The Brute Man'' is a 1946 American horror thriller film starring Rondo Hatton as the Creeper, a murderer seeking revenge against the people he holds responsible for the disfigurement of his face. Directed by Jean Yarbrough, the film features ...

'' (1946) - Police Captain M. J. Donelly * ''

Beat the Band ''Beat the Band'' is a musical quiz show heard on NBC radio from 1940 to 1944 in two distinctly different series. The program popularized the show business catch phrase, "Give me a little traveling music", often uttered on TV a decade later by Ja ...

'' (1947) - P. Aloysius Duff * ''

The Egg and I ''The Egg and I'', first published in 1945, is a humorous memoir by American author Betty MacDonald about her adventures and travels as a young wife on a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in the US state of Washington. The book is based on ...

'' (1947) - Mr. Henty * ''

Buck Privates Come Home ''Buck Privates Come Home'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring the team of Abbott and Costello. It was released by Universal-International and is a sequel to their earlier film ''Buck Privates'' (1941). This ...

'' (1947) - Police Captain * '' The Fabulous Joe'' (1947) - Lawyer Gilbert * '' Joe Palooka in the Knockout'' (1947) - Crockett * '' Good News'' (1947) - Coach Johnson * ''

Smart Politics ''Smart Politics'' is a 1948 American film directed by Will Jason and starring Freddie Stewart and June Preisser. It is part of The Teen Agers series made by Monogram Pictures.Munter, Pam (November 4, 2005"Freddie Stewart and the Teen Agers"''Cl ...

'' (1948) - Phineas Wharton, Sr. / Phineas Wharton, Jr. * ''

Campus Sleuth ''Campus Sleuth'' is a 1948 American film, part of The Teen Agers series. Plot Cast * Freddie Stewart as Freddie Trimball * June Preisser as Dodie Rogers * Warren Mills as Lee Watson * Noel Neill as Betty Rogers * Donald MacBride as Insp. Wats ...

'' (1948) - Insp. Watson * '' Jinx Money'' (1948) - Police Capt. James Q. Broaderik * '' The Story of Seabiscuit'' (1949) - George Carson * ''

Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''La ...

'' (1949) * ''

Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey ''Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey'' is a 1950 film in the ''Joe Palooka'' series. It was directed by Jean Yarbrough. Plot When their car veers off the road en route to their honeymoon, Joe Palooka and new wife Anne are rescued by a sweet lummox, Hum ...

'' (1950) - Mayor * '' Holiday Rhythm'' (1950) - Earl E. Byrd * '' Bowery Battalion'' (1951) - Sgt. Herbert Frisbie * '' Cuban Fireball'' (1951) - Captain Brown * '' Rhubarb'' (1951) - Pheeny * ''

Texas Carnival ''Texas Carnival'' is a 1951 American Technicolor musical film directed by Charles Walters and starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton and Howard Keel. Plot A dunk tank at a Texas carnival is operated by Debbie Telford and partner Cornie Quinell. ...

'' (1951) - Concessionaire #2 * ''

The Stooge ''The Stooge'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. The film was released nationally in the United States in February 1953 by Paramount Pictures. Plot In 1930, entertainer Bil ...

'' (1951) - Diner Proprietor (uncredited) * '' Two Tickets to Broadway'' (1951) - Bus Terminal Guard Arresting Carter (uncredited) * '' Sailor Beware'' (1952) - Chief Bos'n Mate (uncredited) * ''

Meet Danny Wilson ''Meet Danny Wilson'' is the debut album by Scottish pop group Danny Wilson. It became a significant hit in America on the strength of the summer of 1987 hit single "Mary's Prayer". Track listing All tracks composed by Gary Clark. # "Davy ...

'' (1952) - Police Desk Sergeant * ''

Gobs and Gals ''Gobs and Gals'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Arthur T. Horman. The film stars George Bernard, Bert Bernard, Robert Hutton, Cathy Downs, Gordon Jones and Florence Marly. The film was released o ...

'' (1952) - Cmdr. J.E. Gerrens * ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with George Axelrod from the 1952 three-act play. The film stars Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, who reprised his stage role. ...

'' (1955) - Mr. Brady (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macbride, Donald 1893 births 1957 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors People from Brooklyn