Marc MacDermott
American postcard by the Commercial Colortype Co., Chicago. Photo: The Thos. A. Edison Co.
The Australian-born actor Marc McDermott (1881-1929) was one of the most popular leading men of the Edison company. From 1909 through the summer of 1916, he starred in over 140 films for Edison. In 1914, Marc appeared in the first-ever 'chapter' series, The Man Who Disappeared (1914).
Marc McDermott was born Marcus McDermott in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia in 1881. His father Patrick McDermott and mother Annie Massey McDermott were born in Ireland, and Marc later became an English citizen when he moved to London. He received his early education at a Jesuit school in Sydney. When Marc was 15, his father died suddenly. His older brother was living in Ireland, so to support his mother and little sister, Marc joined a small local theatre company. A year later, he was discovered by the Shakespearean actor George Rignold and made his first appearance on the stage in Sydney. He stayed with the company for several years, learning his craft. When Rignold's company departed for London, Marc quickly caught the eye of Charles Frohman, a New York agent and producer, whose clients included Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the first lady of the London stage. Tall with thick auburn hair and dark brown eyes, Marc cut an impressive figure. Mrs. Pat, as she was called, chose the 20-year-old to be her leading man. The company sailed to the US and landed in New York, where he played opposite her as Sir George Orreyed in 'The Second Mrs. Tanqeray'. The company returned to London, where he was hired by Frohman to play 'Sherlock Holmes' in London for two years. For the next years, Marc became a celebrated West End actor. In 1906, he accepted Frohman's offer to sail to New York and join the company of the great classical actor Richard Mansfield. He toured the US for several years, and in 1909 was approached by Charles Brabin, a fellow stage actor (and soon to be a director) who was working at Thomas Edison's film studio in the Bronx.
Marc MacDermott was quickly hired to appear as a featured player, replacing Maurice Costello, who had moved to Vitagraph. His first film was Les Misérables (J. Stuart Blackton, 1909), followed by Lochinvar (J. Searle Dawley, 1909) based on the story by Sir Walter Scott. Lochinvar was released first but he filmed Les Miserables prior to it. From 1909 through the summer of 1916, he starred in over 140 films for Edison. In A Christmas Carol (J. Searle Dawley, 1910), he featured as Ebenezer Scrooge opposite Charles S. Ogle as Bob Cratchit. Appearing frequently in popular early film magazines like Photoplay, Motion Picture, and Moving Picture World, he was voted as one of the most popular leading men during these years. In 1911, Marc costarred with Mary Fuller in Edison's first popular series What Ever Happened to Mary? (Ashley Miller, Charles Brabin, 1912). Twelve one-reel episodes were released monthly beginning July 1912, coinciding with the literary serial of the same name published in McClure's The Ladies' World magazine. In addition to the films and regular magazine installments, What Happened to Mary was also adapted as a stage play, followed by a novelisation, making it an early precursor of the multimedia franchise. Another favourite leading lady of Marc's was Miriam Nesbitt, who was eight years his senior. Their on-screen romance soon grew into a real-life love affair. In 1914, Marc played with her in the first-ever 'chapter' series; each chapter was a complete story in and of itself. The 10-chapter series was titled The Man Who Disappeared (Charles Brabin, 1914) and was filmed on location in New York and New Jersey. Each printed chapter story was featured in Popular Magazine as each filmed chapter simultaneously appeared on the screen. As Marc told Motion Picture writer Gladys Roosevelt, he did all his own stunts, including driving an automobile into the icy East River, fighting a villain on top of a New York skyscraper that was actually being built at the time, and being handcuffed to the railroad tracks. In 1916, Marc and Miriam Nesbitt married in Leonia, New Jersey. By this time, he had made more than 140 films. Later that year, Marc left the Edison Studio to join his best friends Charles Brabin and Ashley Miller at the Vitagraph Studio, where he starred in a number of films. In 1918, Marc moved to Fox Films in New York to star with Theda Bara in Kathleen Mavourneen, (Charles Brabin, 1918).
Marc McDermott left Fox in 1920 to freelance, appearing with Norma Talmadge in The New Moon. He then co-starred with Estelle Taylor in While New York Sleeps, with Brabin working as both writer and director. Another director friend from his Vitagraph days, John Robertson, directed him in Footlights (John S. Robertson, 1921) with Elsie Ferguson. In 1922, his marriage began to unravel when Miriam discovered some love letters to actress Helen Gilmore and filed for a separation. The New York Times reported that he was arrested on 11 August 1922 and held in Ludlow Street Jail until he was released after paying $5,000 in bail. Marc left to visit his older brother's family, who had settled in Lowell, Massachusetts. After appearing in a vaudeville skit, he boarded a train in Boston and headed to Hollywood. Marc immediately went to work for Fox Films in Hoodman Blind (1923) directed by John Ford. At Warner Bros., he appeared in Lucretia Lombard (Jack Conway, 1923) with Irene Rich, Monte Blue, and Norma Shearer. Marc next appeared with Florence Lawrence, the Biograph Girl, in The Satin Girl (Arthur Rosson, 1923). When MGM was formed in 1924, Marc was contracted to appear in their very first film, He Who Gets Slapped (Victor Sjöström, 1924). The cast included Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, and John Gilbert. Mary Pickford cast him in Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (Marshall Neilan, 1924) as Sir Malcolm Vernon. Mac Dermott was in high demand at different studios for the next two years: In Every Woman's Life (Irving Cummings, 1924) and Siege (Svend Gade, 1925) both with Virginia Valli; This Woman (Phil Rosen, 1924) with Irene Rich, Ricardo Cortez, and Clara Bow in a minor role; and The Sea Hawk (Frank Lloyd, 1924) with Milton Sills, Enid Bennett, and Wallace Beery. At Universal Pictures in 1925, he appeared in The Goose Woman (Clarence Brown, 1925) with Louise Dresser, Jack Pickford, and Constance Bennett. Once again, Norma Talmadge cast him as the villain in Graustark (Dimitri Buchowetzki, 1925). In 1926, Marc was busy at MGM playing in both The Temptress (Fred Niblo, 1926) with Greta Garbo and Antonio Moreno and Flesh and the Devil (Clarence Brown, 1926) with Garbo and John Gilbert. One of his favourite costars was Greta Nissen, with whom he appeared in The Love Thief (John McDermott, 1926) for Universal and Lucky Lady (Raoul Walsh, 1926) for Paramount. Norma Talmadge tapped his talent once again for Kiki (Clarence Brown, 1926), a saucy little comedy with Ronald Coleman. During 1927, Marc starred in several MGM films, including California (W.S. Van Dyke, 1927) with Tim McCoy and Dorothy Sebastian, and Man, Woman and Sin (Monta Bell, 1927) with Jeanne Eagels and John Gilbert. Later that year, he appeared in The Road to Romance (John Robertson, 1927) with Ramon Navarro and Marceline Day, Taxi Dancer (Harry F. Millarde, 1927) with Joan Crawford, and Resurrection (Edwin Carewe, 1927) with Rod La Rocque and Dolores Del Rio at United Artists. In 1928, during a vaudeville tour to Chicago, Marc became ill and returned to Hollywood to recuperate. His next film for MGM was Under the Black Eagle (W.S. Van Dyke, 1928). For Glorious Betsy (Alan Crosland, 1928) at Warner Bros., some Vitaphone talking sequences were included. The film starred Dolores Costello, the daughter of Maurice Costello, whom Marc had replaced at Vitagraph back in 1916. First National cast Marc in The Yellow Lily (Alexander Korda, 1928) starring Bessie Dove and Clive Brook. The Mysterious Island (Lucien Hubbard, 1929) was shot in Technicolor with black and white sequences. Vitaphone sound sequences, a musical score, and sound effects were later added. Marc's old friend Charles Brabin directed him in his last film, The Whip (1928), which starred Dorothy Mackaill, Ralph Forbes, and Anna Q. Nilsson. During filming, Variety reported that Marc became very ill from ptomaine poisoning, lapsed into a three-month coma, and died from a gallbladder operation. However, Dr. E.F. Miller wrote on the death certificate that he had attended to Marc at home for eight months and then in the hospital from 5 December 1928 until his death on 5 January 1929. Further, he stated that no operation had preceded his death. The diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver was confirmed by clinical and laboratory tests. His body was cremated at the Hollywood Crematory, and his ashes were placed in a crypt in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale. His untimely death coincided with the death of silent films.
Sources: Linda McDermott Walsh (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Marc MacDermott
American postcard by the Commercial Colortype Co., Chicago. Photo: The Thos. A. Edison Co.
The Australian-born actor Marc McDermott (1881-1929) was one of the most popular leading men of the Edison company. From 1909 through the summer of 1916, he starred in over 140 films for Edison. In 1914, Marc appeared in the first-ever 'chapter' series, The Man Who Disappeared (1914).
Marc McDermott was born Marcus McDermott in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia in 1881. His father Patrick McDermott and mother Annie Massey McDermott were born in Ireland, and Marc later became an English citizen when he moved to London. He received his early education at a Jesuit school in Sydney. When Marc was 15, his father died suddenly. His older brother was living in Ireland, so to support his mother and little sister, Marc joined a small local theatre company. A year later, he was discovered by the Shakespearean actor George Rignold and made his first appearance on the stage in Sydney. He stayed with the company for several years, learning his craft. When Rignold's company departed for London, Marc quickly caught the eye of Charles Frohman, a New York agent and producer, whose clients included Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the first lady of the London stage. Tall with thick auburn hair and dark brown eyes, Marc cut an impressive figure. Mrs. Pat, as she was called, chose the 20-year-old to be her leading man. The company sailed to the US and landed in New York, where he played opposite her as Sir George Orreyed in 'The Second Mrs. Tanqeray'. The company returned to London, where he was hired by Frohman to play 'Sherlock Holmes' in London for two years. For the next years, Marc became a celebrated West End actor. In 1906, he accepted Frohman's offer to sail to New York and join the company of the great classical actor Richard Mansfield. He toured the US for several years, and in 1909 was approached by Charles Brabin, a fellow stage actor (and soon to be a director) who was working at Thomas Edison's film studio in the Bronx.
Marc MacDermott was quickly hired to appear as a featured player, replacing Maurice Costello, who had moved to Vitagraph. His first film was Les Misérables (J. Stuart Blackton, 1909), followed by Lochinvar (J. Searle Dawley, 1909) based on the story by Sir Walter Scott. Lochinvar was released first but he filmed Les Miserables prior to it. From 1909 through the summer of 1916, he starred in over 140 films for Edison. In A Christmas Carol (J. Searle Dawley, 1910), he featured as Ebenezer Scrooge opposite Charles S. Ogle as Bob Cratchit. Appearing frequently in popular early film magazines like Photoplay, Motion Picture, and Moving Picture World, he was voted as one of the most popular leading men during these years. In 1911, Marc costarred with Mary Fuller in Edison's first popular series What Ever Happened to Mary? (Ashley Miller, Charles Brabin, 1912). Twelve one-reel episodes were released monthly beginning July 1912, coinciding with the literary serial of the same name published in McClure's The Ladies' World magazine. In addition to the films and regular magazine installments, What Happened to Mary was also adapted as a stage play, followed by a novelisation, making it an early precursor of the multimedia franchise. Another favourite leading lady of Marc's was Miriam Nesbitt, who was eight years his senior. Their on-screen romance soon grew into a real-life love affair. In 1914, Marc played with her in the first-ever 'chapter' series; each chapter was a complete story in and of itself. The 10-chapter series was titled The Man Who Disappeared (Charles Brabin, 1914) and was filmed on location in New York and New Jersey. Each printed chapter story was featured in Popular Magazine as each filmed chapter simultaneously appeared on the screen. As Marc told Motion Picture writer Gladys Roosevelt, he did all his own stunts, including driving an automobile into the icy East River, fighting a villain on top of a New York skyscraper that was actually being built at the time, and being handcuffed to the railroad tracks. In 1916, Marc and Miriam Nesbitt married in Leonia, New Jersey. By this time, he had made more than 140 films. Later that year, Marc left the Edison Studio to join his best friends Charles Brabin and Ashley Miller at the Vitagraph Studio, where he starred in a number of films. In 1918, Marc moved to Fox Films in New York to star with Theda Bara in Kathleen Mavourneen, (Charles Brabin, 1918).
Marc McDermott left Fox in 1920 to freelance, appearing with Norma Talmadge in The New Moon. He then co-starred with Estelle Taylor in While New York Sleeps, with Brabin working as both writer and director. Another director friend from his Vitagraph days, John Robertson, directed him in Footlights (John S. Robertson, 1921) with Elsie Ferguson. In 1922, his marriage began to unravel when Miriam discovered some love letters to actress Helen Gilmore and filed for a separation. The New York Times reported that he was arrested on 11 August 1922 and held in Ludlow Street Jail until he was released after paying $5,000 in bail. Marc left to visit his older brother's family, who had settled in Lowell, Massachusetts. After appearing in a vaudeville skit, he boarded a train in Boston and headed to Hollywood. Marc immediately went to work for Fox Films in Hoodman Blind (1923) directed by John Ford. At Warner Bros., he appeared in Lucretia Lombard (Jack Conway, 1923) with Irene Rich, Monte Blue, and Norma Shearer. Marc next appeared with Florence Lawrence, the Biograph Girl, in The Satin Girl (Arthur Rosson, 1923). When MGM was formed in 1924, Marc was contracted to appear in their very first film, He Who Gets Slapped (Victor Sjöström, 1924). The cast included Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, and John Gilbert. Mary Pickford cast him in Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (Marshall Neilan, 1924) as Sir Malcolm Vernon. Mac Dermott was in high demand at different studios for the next two years: In Every Woman's Life (Irving Cummings, 1924) and Siege (Svend Gade, 1925) both with Virginia Valli; This Woman (Phil Rosen, 1924) with Irene Rich, Ricardo Cortez, and Clara Bow in a minor role; and The Sea Hawk (Frank Lloyd, 1924) with Milton Sills, Enid Bennett, and Wallace Beery. At Universal Pictures in 1925, he appeared in The Goose Woman (Clarence Brown, 1925) with Louise Dresser, Jack Pickford, and Constance Bennett. Once again, Norma Talmadge cast him as the villain in Graustark (Dimitri Buchowetzki, 1925). In 1926, Marc was busy at MGM playing in both The Temptress (Fred Niblo, 1926) with Greta Garbo and Antonio Moreno and Flesh and the Devil (Clarence Brown, 1926) with Garbo and John Gilbert. One of his favourite costars was Greta Nissen, with whom he appeared in The Love Thief (John McDermott, 1926) for Universal and Lucky Lady (Raoul Walsh, 1926) for Paramount. Norma Talmadge tapped his talent once again for Kiki (Clarence Brown, 1926), a saucy little comedy with Ronald Coleman. During 1927, Marc starred in several MGM films, including California (W.S. Van Dyke, 1927) with Tim McCoy and Dorothy Sebastian, and Man, Woman and Sin (Monta Bell, 1927) with Jeanne Eagels and John Gilbert. Later that year, he appeared in The Road to Romance (John Robertson, 1927) with Ramon Navarro and Marceline Day, Taxi Dancer (Harry F. Millarde, 1927) with Joan Crawford, and Resurrection (Edwin Carewe, 1927) with Rod La Rocque and Dolores Del Rio at United Artists. In 1928, during a vaudeville tour to Chicago, Marc became ill and returned to Hollywood to recuperate. His next film for MGM was Under the Black Eagle (W.S. Van Dyke, 1928). For Glorious Betsy (Alan Crosland, 1928) at Warner Bros., some Vitaphone talking sequences were included. The film starred Dolores Costello, the daughter of Maurice Costello, whom Marc had replaced at Vitagraph back in 1916. First National cast Marc in The Yellow Lily (Alexander Korda, 1928) starring Bessie Dove and Clive Brook. The Mysterious Island (Lucien Hubbard, 1929) was shot in Technicolor with black and white sequences. Vitaphone sound sequences, a musical score, and sound effects were later added. Marc's old friend Charles Brabin directed him in his last film, The Whip (1928), which starred Dorothy Mackaill, Ralph Forbes, and Anna Q. Nilsson. During filming, Variety reported that Marc became very ill from ptomaine poisoning, lapsed into a three-month coma, and died from a gallbladder operation. However, Dr. E.F. Miller wrote on the death certificate that he had attended to Marc at home for eight months and then in the hospital from 5 December 1928 until his death on 5 January 1929. Further, he stated that no operation had preceded his death. The diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver was confirmed by clinical and laboratory tests. His body was cremated at the Hollywood Crematory, and his ashes were placed in a crypt in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale. His untimely death coincided with the death of silent films.
Sources: Linda McDermott Walsh (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.