Malcolm St. Clair (May 17, 1897 – June 1, 1952) was a Hollywood film director, writer, producer and actor.

Biography

A disciple of

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

, St. Clair was an actor in many films primarily comedies. At 6'7" he can be seen in such Sennett films as ''

Yankee Doodle in Berlin ''Yankee Doodle in Berlin'' is a 1919 American silent comedy and World War I propaganda film from producer Mack Sennett. It was Sennett's most expensive production up to that time. Hiram Abrams was the original State's Rights marketer before th ...

'', towering over the other actors, playing

Crown Prince Wilhelm Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, Crown Prince of Prussia (Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst; 6 May 1882 – 20 July 1951) was the eldest child of the last ''Kaiser'', the German Emperor, Wilhelm II, and his consort Augusta Victoria of Schles ...

. He later moved on to director and directed almost 100 films, as well as producing five others, between 1915 and 1948. His brother, Eric St Clair, was a writer and actor. He directed most of

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

's later films at

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

, and at least two of the Jones Family series at the same studio. St. Clair retired in 1948 with the closure of

's B Unit. In 1950, he wanted to direct

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

in a television series, but ill health prevented him from directing again. He died on June 1, 1952, at age 55 and was interred at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in

Altadena, California Altadena () ("Alta", Spanish for "Upper", and "dena" from Pasadena) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in the Verdugo Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the downtown ...

Partial filmography

* ''The Camera Cure'' (1917) * ''His Baby Doll'' (1917) * ''The Little Widow'' (1919) * ''

'' (1919) Actor * '' The Goat'' (1921) * ''Bright Eyes'' (1921) * ''

The Blacksmith ''The Blacksmith'' is a 1922 American short comedy film co-written, co-directed by and featuring Buster Keaton. Buster plays an assistant blacksmith to the big worker played by Joe Roberts, with predictable results. Cast * Buster Keaton as ...

'' (1922) * ''Christmas'' (1922) * ''

The Lighthouse by the Sea ''The Lighthouse by the Sea'' is a 1924 American silent adventure film produced by and distributed by Warner Bros. The film's star is canine sensation Rin Tin Tin, the most famous animal actor of the 1920s. The film was directed by Malcolm St ...

'' (1924) * '' On Thin Ice'' (1925) * ''

Are Parents People? ''Are Parents People?'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film starring Betty Bronson, Florence Vidor, Adolphe Menjou, George Beranger, and Lawrence Gray Lawrence Gray (July 28, 1898 – February 2, 1970) was an American actor of the 1 ...

'' (1925) * '' After Business Hours'' (1925) * ''

The Trouble with Wives ''The Trouble with Wives'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, written by Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin, and starring Florence Vidor, Tom Moore, Esther Ralston, Ford Sterling, Lucy Beaumont, and Edgar Kennedy. ...

'' (1925) * ''

A Woman of the World ''A Woman of the World'' is a 1925 American silent comedy-drama film starring Pola Negri, directed by Mal St. Clair, produced by Famous Players-Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, C ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Grand Duchess and the Waiter ''The Grand Duchess and the Waiter'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Mal St. Clair and starring Florence Vidor and Adolphe Menjou. The film is based on a 1925 Broadway play of the same name starring stage actress Elsie ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Show-Off ''The Show-Off'' is a 1924 stage play by George Kelly about a working-class North Philadelphian family's reluctance to accept their daughter's suitor Aubrey Piper, an overly confident Socialist buffoon. The play has been revived five times on Bro ...

'' (1926) * ''

A Social Celebrity ''A Social Celebrity'' is a 1926 American silent comedy drama film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and starred Louise Brooks as a small town manicurist who goes to New York City with her boyfriend (Adolphe Menjou), a barber who poses as a French ...

'' (1926) * '' Good and Naughty'' (1926) * ''

Knockout Reilly ''Knockout Reilly'' is a lost 1927 American silent drama film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and written by Pierre Collings, John W. Conway, and Kenneth Raisbeck based upon a story by Albert Payson Terhune. The film stars Richard Dix, Mary Bria ...

'' (1927) * ''

Breakfast at Sunrise ''Breakfast at Sunrise'' is a 1927 silent film comedy directed by Malcolm St. Clair and produced by and starring Constance Talmadge. It was distributed by First National Pictures. Prints survive at George Eastman House and Library of Congress. ...

'' (1927) * '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1928) * ''

The Fleet's In ''The Fleet's In'' is a 1942 movie musical produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Victor Schertzinger, and starring Dorothy Lamour and William Holden. Although sharing the title of the 1928 Paramount film starring Clara Bow and Jack Oakie, ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Canary Murder Case ''For the film adaptation see The Canary Murder Case (film)'' ''The Canary Murder Case'' (1927) is a murder mystery novel which deals with the murders of a sexy nightclub singer known as "the Canary," and, eventually, her boyfriend, solved by Ph ...

'' (1929) * ''

Side Street A side road is a minor highway typically leading off a main road.Main road — definition

'' (1929) * ''

Dangerous Nan McGrew ''Dangerous Nan McGrew'' is a 1930 Pre-Code American comedy film starring Helen Kane, Victor Moore and James Hall.The Boudoir Diplomat ''The Boudoir Diplomat'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, from the play ''The Command To Love'' by Fritz Gottwald and Rudolph Lothar. The film is ...

'' (1930) * ''

Montana Moon ''Montana Moon'' is a 1930 Pre-Code Western musical film which introduced the concept of the singing cowboy to the screen. Starring Joan Crawford, Johnny Mack Brown, Dorothy Sebastian, and Ricardo Cortez, the film focuses on the budding rela ...

'' (1930) * ''Olsen's Big Moment'' (1933) * ''

Goldie Gets Along ''Goldie Gets Along'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and starring Lili Damita, Charles Morton and Sam Hardy. The screenplay was written by William A. Drake, based on the 1931 novel of the same title by H ...

'' (1933) * '' Crack-Up'' (1936) * ''

Hollywood Cavalcade ''Hollywood Cavalcade'' is a 1939 American film featuring Alice Faye as a young performer making her way in the early days of Hollywood, from slapstick silent pictures through the transition from silent to sound. Production In the wake of Alic ...

'' (1939) * '' Quick Millions'' (1939) * '' Young As You Feel'' (1940) * ''

The Bashful Bachelor ''The Bashful Bachelor'' is a 1942 American film directed by Malcolm St. Clair. It is the second of seven films based on the Lum and Abner radio series created by and starring Chester Lauck and Norris Goff. Plot Small town store owner Lum Ed ...

'' (1942) * ''

Jitterbugs ''Jitterbugs'' is a 1943 Laurel and Hardy feature film produced by Sol M. Wurtzel and directed by Mal St.Clair. Plot Stan and Ollie are musicians travelling across the country as "The Original Zoot Suit Band". En route to their next gig, thei ...

'' (1943) * ''

The Dancing Masters ''The Dancing Masters'' is a 1943 black and white American comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, produced by 20th Century-Fox, and featuring Laurel and Hardy. A young Robert Mitchum has a small, uncredited role as a gangster posing as an i ...

'' (1943) * ''

Two Weeks to Live ''Two Weeks to Live'' is a 1943 American Lum and Abner film directed by Malcolm St. Clair. Plot This time around, Abner Peabody, proud owner of the Jot 'Em Down general store in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, inherits railroad stock from his Uncle Ern ...

'' (1943) * '' The Big Noise'' (1944) * ''

Swing Out the Blues ''Swing Out the Blues'' is a 1944 American romantic comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and starring Bob Haymes, Lynn Merrick, and Janis Carter. It was released on May 22, 1938. Plot Cast * Bob Haymes as Rich Cleveland * Lynn Merrick as ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Bullfighters ''The Bullfighters'' is the penultimate feature film starring Laurel and Hardy, the sixth and final film the duo made under 20th Century Fox as well as the last released in the United States. Plot Private detectives Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy ...

'' (1945)

References

External links

* *
Malcolm St. Clair
at Virtual History

with writer Anita Loos and actress Ruth Taylor.
Mal St. Clair photo gallery
ACertainCinema.com) 1897 births 1952 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Film directors from California Filmmakers from California People from Greater Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors Male actors from California Film producers from California {{US-film-director-1890s-stub