Charlie Chaplin in the gold rush - 1889 (1925)

MACK SWAIN Big Jim McKay HAILED as "the funniest villain" for his role in " The Gold Rush," Mack Swain is a native of Salt Lake City, the son of Mormon pioneers. His middle name is Moroni, from the angel who blows the trumpet on the Mormon temple. His parents came to Salt Lake with Brigham Young's pioneer caravan, and his father, a stonemason, helped to build the famed temple. Mack started his histrionic career at the age of seven, when he emptied his pennv bank to pay a printer to make cards with the legend: "Mack Swain's Mammoth Minstrels," which he pre- sented in his father's barn. The "minstrels" proved a financial and artistic success, and Swain got the opportu- nity to develop his talents in Salt Lake amateur entertain- ments, in which he sang and danced. At fifteen years he went on tour with the Martin Josey Minstrel show, and from this first step on the ladder, he served in every capacity from stage hand to being his own producer, and appeared in vaudeville, drama and musical comedy, with varied success as an actor, producer and manager. During an engagement in Chicago twenty-five years ago with the Kempton and Graves stock company, he married Cora King, the leading lady of the company, who resides with him in Hollywood. Swain entered pictures as a member of the old Key- stone Comedy company in 1913, at about the same time Charlie Chaplin joined the organization. They appeared together in almost all the early Keystone comedies and a great friendship between the two has existed ever since. From the camaraderie engendered by their mutual en- trance into "the pictures" years ago came a perfect under- standing that has operated to the advantage of both in their relations since on and off the studio lot. Having been associated with the stage since his earliest youth, Swain has made a life-study of appealing to the risibilities of audiences, and has been identified with the development of comedy as an art from the early custard- pie one and two reelers to the master comedian's epoch marking comedy-drama, "The Gold Rush," in ten expan- sive parts. Mack, who weighs nearly 300 pounds, will be remem- bered in the oldtime comedies by moving picture fans as "Ambrose," the lovesick youth. P. S. Morrison, a cinema critic of the early days, gave him the cognomen. Swain was featured in such favorite oldtimers as "His Trysting Place," "His Musical Career," and "Caught in the Rain." His outstanding success with Chaplin was "Tillie's Punc- tured Romance." He voices the belief that his greatest role is as Big Jim McKay in "The Gold Rush." ARTISTS in all lines answer to the call of the films. Henry Bergman, a native son of San Francisco, was well known to the opera stage when he started play- ing before the silver sheet. Taken to Germany as a child by his parents, he returned to America in 1883, a tenor singer of note with the Metropolitan Grand Opera company. Nine years with the Augustin Daly Musical Comedy company followed in which he appeared in such old fa- vorites as "The Runaway Girl," "San Toy," "The Country Girl," and "Cingalee." He played for three sea- sons in the Ziegfeld Follies and was also with Blanche Ring in "The Y ankee Girl." He has appeared in all of Chaplin's comedies for the last ten years. HENRY BERGMAN Hank Curtis THE engineering profession lost a promising disciple when Malcolm Waite by chance was introduced to the motion picture industry. Waite, who was born in Menominee, Michigan, 32 years ago, had outlined for himself a career in engineering. He started in technical schools and completed his instruction in the MacKenzie school at Dobb's Ferry, New York. While on a visit to Hollywood in Um 1924, at the request of his friend. Jack Pickford, he appeared with the ■dffki—rflPi^ later a picture. That experience ^■^^^B marked the end of his prospective en- MALCOLM WAITE gineering career. Later he played jntk Cameron with Mary Pickford as "Perkins" in "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall," although his first large part is in "The Gold Rush." Avaudevillian who frequently forsakes his villian roles for the silver sheet to rub on burnt cork again is Tom Murray, stage veteran known throughout the world. Born in Harrisburg, Illinois, Murray 32 years ago first appeared in vaudeville, with Earl Gillihan as his partner. The act of Gillihan & Murray has played in every English speaking part of the world. And today between pictures they step out to do their old blackface song and dance act, (the only addition being that Tom now plays his own ac- companiments on the ukelele.) He entered pictures eleven years ago with the Eagle Film company in Jacksonville, Florida. He played first on the Coast with Jackie Coogan in "My Boy." His appearance in "The Gold Rush" is hi-- second picture with Charlie Chaplin, he having appeared as the deacon in "The Pilgrim." TOM MURRAY Black I.arsen