# Wilbur Mack > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wilbur_Mack > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wilbur_Mack.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Mack > Source revision: 1235635029 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American actor (1873–1964)}} {{For|the non-related playwright and fellow actor|Willard Mack}} {{Use American English|date=May 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Wilbur Mack | image = Wilbur Mack, vaudeville actor (SAYRE 5904).jpg | caption = Mack in 1914 | birth_name = George Frear Runyon | birth_date = {{Birth date|1873|07|29|mf=yes}} | birth_place = [Binghamton](/source/Binghamton%2C_New_York), New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|03|13|1873|07|29|mf=yes}} | death_place = [Hollywood, California](/source/Hollywood%2C_California), U.S. | resting_place = [Forest Lawn Memorial Park](/source/Forest_Lawn_Memorial_Park_(Hollywood_Hills)), [Hollywood Hills](/source/Hollywood_Hills) | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1899–1962 | spouse = [Nella Walker](/source/Nella_Walker)
({{abbr|m.|married}} 1910; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 19??)
Gertrude Purdy }} '''Wilbur Mack''' (born '''George Frear Runyon''',{{cite news |last1=Anthony |first1=Walter |title=Wilbur Mack to Invade Musical Comedy With His Own Production |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37208175/wilbur_mack/ |access-date=October 15, 2019 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=October 7, 1917 |location=California, San Francisco |page=4|via = [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} July 29, 1873 – March 13, 1964) was an American film actor and early [vaudeville](/source/vaudeville) performer from the 1920s through the 1960s. His film acting career began during the [silent film](/source/silent_films) era. ==Biography== Mack was born and raised in [Binghamton, New York](/source/Binghamton%2C_New_York), and began acting professionally when he joined a [repertory theatre](/source/repertory_theatre) when he was 16.{{cite news |title=Wilbur Mack almost a shoemaker once |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37208851/wilbur_mack/ |access-date=October 15, 2019 |work=Detroit Free Press |date=July 29, 1931 |location=Michigan, Detroit |page=16|via = [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} He found success performing vaudeville with second wife [Nella Walker](/source/Nella_Walker) ("Mack and Walker"). The couple divorced not far into the marriage and Walker subsequently found success as a supporting actress in the "talkies." Mack, meantime, found a new partner: Gertrude Purdy, with whom he reprised his popular husband and wife vaudeville routine (this time headlined "Mack and Purdy").{{Citation needed |date=October 2019}} In addition to performing, Mack wrote dialogue for skits and words and music for songs in their vaudeville shows. In 1925 Mack entered into a film acting career. His first film appearance was ''Gold and Grit''.{{cite book |last1=Katchmer |first1=George A. |title=A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses |date=2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476609058 |pages=225–226 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VnGeCQAAQBAJ&q=%22Wilbur+Mack%22+actor&pg=PA225 |access-date=October 15, 2019 |language=en}} With wife Gertrude, he also wrote and performed in a [Vitaphone](/source/Vitaphone_Varieties) romantic comedy pantomime [https://books.google.com/books?id=REaeCQAAQBAJ&q=An+Everyday+Occurrence%25&pg=PA200 ''An Everyday Occurrence''] (1928). Mack made a smooth transition to talking films, but despite racking up an impressive number of appearances had less success finding lead or even featured roles. In 1930 he made thirteen films; from 1931 through 1933 he appeared in twenty-four; and from 1934 until 1939, he was cast fifty-five times. However, forty-five of those appearances were uncredited. His most notable credited role during that period was the 1936 [crime drama](/source/crime_drama) ''The Crime Patrol'', alongside Ray Walker. Mack's career in subsequent [decade](/source/decade)s was similar to his career up until that point, with moviegoers seeing him play mostly uncredited roles. Of the seventy-six film appearances he made from 1940 to 1949, only seven were credited. He would continue to appear in both films and [television](/source/television) throughout the 1950s and into 1962, with his last being an uncredited part in the 1962 movie ''[Who's Got the Action?](/source/Who's_Got_the_Action%3F)'' starring [Dean Martin](/source/Dean_Martin), [Lana Turner](/source/Lana_Turner), [Eddie Albert](/source/Eddie_Albert), and [Walter Matthau](/source/Walter_Matthau). Mack was living in [Hollywood](/source/Hollywood%2C_California) when he died on March 13, 1964. His remains are interred at [Forest Lawn Memorial Park](/source/Forest_Lawn_Memorial_Park_(Hollywood_Hills)) in [Hollywood Hills](/source/Hollywood_Hills).Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson ==Selected filmography== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * ''[Gold and Grit](/source/Gold_and_Grit)'' (1925) - Jack Crawford * ''[The Hidden Way](/source/The_Hidden_Way)'' (1926) - Sid Atkins * ''[Straight Shootin'](/source/Straight_Shootin')'' (1927) - 'Black' Brody * ''[Beauty and Bullets](/source/Beauty_and_Bullets)'' (1928) * ''[The Avenging Shadow](/source/The_Avenging_Shadow)'' (1928) * ''[The Body Punch](/source/The_Body_Punch)'' (1929) - Peyson Turner * ''[Sweethearts on Parade](/source/Sweethearts_on_Parade_(1930_film))'' (1930) * ''[Scarlet Pages](/source/Scarlet_Pages)'' (1930) - Mr. Henry Mason * ''[Paid](/source/Paid_(1930_film))'' (1930) - Mr. Irwin (uncredited) * ''[The Lawyer's Secret](/source/The_Lawyer's_Secret)'' (1931) - Frank - District Attorney (uncredited) * ''[Annabelle's Affairs](/source/Annabelle's_Affairs)'' (1931) - Vance, assistant hotel manager * ''[Advice to the Lovelorn](/source/Advice_to_the_Lovelorn)'' (1933) - Reporter * ''[Million Dollar Baby](/source/Million_Dollar_Baby_(1934_film))'' (1934) * ''[The Crime Patrol](/source/The_Crime_Patrol)'' (1936) - Vic Santell * ''[That Gang of Mine](/source/That_Gang_of_Mine)'' (1940) - Nick Buffalo * ''[The Fatal Hour](/source/The_Fatal_Hour_(1940_film))'' (1940) - Police Medical Examiner (uncredited) * ''[Detective Kitty O'Day](/source/Detective_Kitty_O'Day)'' (1944) - Coroner (uncredited) * ''[The Frozen Ghost](/source/The_Frozen_Ghost)'' (1945) - Man in Audience (uncredited) * ''[Stage Struck](/source/Stage_Struck_(1948_film))'' (1948) - Prof. Corella * ''[Ma and Pa Kettle](/source/Ma_and_Pa_Kettle_(film))'' (1949) - Diner on Train (uncredited) * ''[Scared Stiff](/source/Scared_Stiff_(1953_film))'' (1953) - Ship Passenger * ''[Who's Got the Action?](/source/Who's_Got_the_Action%3F)'' (1962) - Groom / Octogenarian (uncredited) * ''[The Manchurian Candidate](/source/The_Manchurian_Candidate_(1962_film))'' (1962) - Delegate (uncredited) {{div col end}} ==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name|0533101}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mack, Wilbur}} Category:1873 births Category:1964 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male silent film actors Category:Male actors from New York (state) Category:American vaudeville performers Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wilbur Mack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Mack) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Mack?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.