Francis McDonald (August 22, 1891 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor whose career spanned 52 years.
McDonald's started acting professionally in stock theater with the Forepaugh Stock Company in Cincinnati. Following eight months with it, he worked one season with a stock company in Seattle, after which he performed for three seasons with a troupe in San Diego and Honolulu. He concluded his tenure in stock theater as juvenile leading man with the American Stock Company in Spokane, Washington.
By 1913 McDonald began to perform in the rapidly expanding film industry, initially working for Marion Leonard's Monopole Company in Hollywood. He was cast in over 280 films between 1913 and 1965, including The Temptress in 1926 with Greta Garbo. After he was designated "Hollywood's Prettiest Man," McDonald sought a tougher image by shaving his mustache and seeking roles of villains.
McDonald was one of Cecil B. DeMille's favorite character actors.[citation needed] DeMille gave him credited supporting roles in six of his films: The Plainsman (1936), The Buccaneer (1938), Union Pacific (1939), North West Mounted Police (1940), Samson and Delilah (1949), and The Ten Commandments (1956).
Known For
The Ten Commandments
(1956)
Simon
Samson and Delilah
(1949)
Story Teller
Notorious
(1946)
Man (uncredited)
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Gambler (uncredited)
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
(1916)
Extra (uncredited)
Rancho Notorious
(1952)
Harbin
The Sea Hawk
(1940)
Kroner
Bad Day at Black Rock
(1955)
Tall - White-haired Cafe Lounger (uncredited)
Morocco
(1930)
Sergeant Tatoche
Robin and the 7 Hoods
(1964)
Old Man at Robbo's Club
Battling Butler
(1926)
Alfred 'Battling' Butler
The Paleface
(1948)
Lance (as Francis J. McDonald)
Strange Cargo
(1940)
Moussenq - Convict (uncredited)
Union Pacific
(1939)
Gen. Dodge
Blood and Sand
(1941)
Manolo's Friend (uncredited)
Beau Geste
(1939)
Arab Scout (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
Carmen
(1913)
Don Jose
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
(1916)
Extra (uncredited)
The Devil at His Elbow
(1916)
Andrew Sealey (as Frank McDonald)
The Love Doctor
(1917)
Hildreth
Black Orchids
(1917)
George Renoir / Ivan De Maupin
The Gates of Doom
(1917)
Jang Sattib
Mr. Dolan of New York
(1917)
'Spider' Flynn (as Francis MacDonald)
The Voice on the Wire
(1917)
'Red' Warren
Perils of the Secret Service
(1917)
(Episode #3)
The Gun Woman
(1918)
The Gent
The Ghost Flower
(1918)
Toton
(1919)
Pierre
Prudence on Broadway
(1919)
Grayson Mills
The Courageous Coward
(1919)
Tom Kirby (as Francis J. McDonald)
Love's Prisoner
(1919)
Party Guest (uncredited)
The Confession
(1920)
Tom Bartlett
Nomads of the North
(1920)
Buck McDougall
Puppets of Fate
(1921)
The Call of the North
(1921)
Achille Picard
The Golden Snare
(1921)
Pierre Thoreau
Captain Fly-by-Night
(1922)
Second Stranger
The Woman Conquers
(1922)
Lawatha, Indian Guide
Trooper O'Neill
(1922)
Pierre
Monte Cristo
(1922)
Benedetto
Going Up
(1923)
Jules Gaillard
Trilby
(1923)
Geko
The Buster
(1923)
Swing
Mary of the Movies
(1923)
James Seiler
The Arizona Express
(1924)
Victor Johnson
So This Is Marriage?
(1924)
Smith
My Lady of Whims
(1925)
Rolf
Bobbed Hair
(1925)
Pooch
Satan in Sables
(1925)
Emile
The Hunted Woman
(1925)
Joe De Bar
Go Straight!
(1925)
The Dove
Battling Butler
(1926)
Alfred 'Battling' Butler
Puppets
(1926)
Bruno
The Desert's Toll
(1926)
Frank Darwin
The Yankee Señor
(1926)
Juan Gutiérrez
The Temptress
(1926)
Timoteo
The Palace of Pleasure
(1926)
Outlaws of Red River
(1927)
Ben Tanner
The Notorious Lady
(1927)
Manuela Silvera
Life in Hollywood No. 4
(1927)
The Legion of the Condemned
(1928)
Gonzolo Vasquez
A Girl in Every Port
(1928)
Circus Manager
The Drag Net
(1928)
Sniper Dawson
The Valley of Hell
(1928)
Creighton Steele
Girl Overboard
(1929)
Francisco
The Carnation Kid
(1929)
The Carnation Kid
Dangerous Paradise
(1930)
Ricardo
The Runaway Bride
(1930)
Barney Black
Burning Up
(1930)
'Bullet' McGhan
Safety in Numbers
(1930)
Phil Kemptom
Morocco
(1930)
Sergeant Tatoche
The Lawyer's Secret
(1931)
The Weasel
The Gang Buster
(1931)
Pete Caltek
In Line of Duty
(1931)
Jacques Dupres
The Woman from Monte Carlo
(1932)
Karkuff
Trailing the Killer
(1932)
Pierre LaPlant (as Francis MacDonald)
Texas Buddies
(1932)
Blake
70,000 Witnesses
(1932)
Dominic Silvera (uncredited)
Hidden Valley
(1932)
Frank Gavin
Honor of the Mounted
(1932)
Jean La Train
Broadway Bad
(1933)
Charley Davis
The Devil's in Love
(1933)
Officer Reading Verdict
Night Flight
(1933)
Radioman (uncredited)
Terror Trail
(1933)
Tad McPherson
Straightaway
(1933)
Rogan
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
(1933)
Henchman (as Frances McDonald)
Burn 'Em Up Barnes
(1934)
Ray Ridpath - Henchman
Red Morning
(1934)
Sakki
The Gay Bride
(1934)
Detroit gangster (uncredited)
Operator 13
(1934)
Denton (uncredited)
The Trumpet Blows
(1934)
Vega
A Successful Failure
(1934)
Radical Speaker
Voice in the Night
(1934)
Henchman Jackson
Girl in Danger
(1934)
Tony - Russo Henchman (uncredited)
West Point of the Air
(1935)
Civilian Pilot
Diamond Jim
(1935)
Gambler
In Spite of Danger
(1935)
Race Driver
Mississippi
(1935)
Gambler
The Prisoner of Shark Island
(1936)
John Wilkes Booth
Robin Hood of El Dorado
(1936)
Pedro
Mummy's Boys
(1936)
Rasheed Bey
White Fang
(1936)
Suds
Big Brown Eyes
(1936)
Malley (Uncredited)
The Plainsman
(1936)
A River Gambler
Wild West Days
(1937)
Assayer Purvis, member of the Secret 7
Devil's Playground
(1937)
Romano
The Soldier and the Lady
(1937)
Chieftain (Uncredited)
Parole Racket
(1937)
Nat Beldon
Woman-Wise
(1937)
Charley (uncredited)
Criminal Lawyer
(1937)
Jack 'Fingy' Doremus (uncredited)
If I Were King
(1938)
Casin Cholet
Gun Law
(1938)
Henchman Nevada
The Buccaneer
(1938)
Camden Blount
The Light That Failed
(1939)
George
Bad Lands
(1939)
Manuel Lopez
Union Pacific
(1939)
Gen. Dodge
Idiot's Delight
(1939)
Flight Captain
Range War
(1939)
Morgan
Beau Geste
(1939)
Arab Scout (uncredited)
North West Mounted Police
(1940)
Louis Riel
The Devil's Pipeline
(1940)
Gaddi Sang
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date
(1940)
Santos the Portuguese
Green Hell
(1940)
Gracco
The Carson City Kid
(1940)
Laramie
Wyoming
(1940)
Dawson - Henchman
The Sea Hawk
(1940)
Kroner
Strange Cargo
(1940)
Moussenq - Convict (uncredited)
One Night in the Tropics
(1940)
Escobar's Aide (uncredited)
Captain Caution
(1940)
French Seaman in Pub
The Sea Wolf
(1941)
Svenson
The Kid from Kansas
(1941)
Cesar
Men of the Timberland
(1941)
Jean Collet
Blood and Sand
(1941)
Manolo's Friend (uncredited)
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
(1942)
Kidnapper
Valley of the Sun
(1942)
Governor's Interpreter
The Girl from Alaska
(1942)
Pelly
The Kansan
(1943)
Gil Hatton
Buckskin Frontier
(1943)
Duval
Bar 20
(1943)
Quirt Rankin
Mystery Man
(1944)
Bert Rogan
Texas Masquerade
(1944)
Sam Nolan
Lumberjack
(1944)
Clyde Fenwick
Zorro's Black Whip
(1944)
Dan Hammond
Mystery of the Riverboat
(1944)
Batiste
Bordertown Trail
(1944)
Matthews
Cheyenne Wildcat
(1944)
Jim Douglas
Belle of the Yukon
(1944)
Miner Investing on River-Freeze Date (uncredited)
Great Stagecoach Robbery
(1945)
Con Hollister
Bad Men of the Border
(1945)
Captain Jose Garcia
Corpus Christi Bandits
(1945)
Dad Christie
South of the Rio Grande
(1945)
Torres
River Gang
(1945)
Indignant Man
Strange Confession
(1945)
Hernandez
Roll on Texas Moon
(1946)
Steve Anders
The Catman of Paris
(1946)
Devereaux
Notorious
(1946)
Man (uncredited)
The Invisible Informer
(1946)
Jules Ravelle
Night Train to Memphis
(1946)
Doctor
My Pal Trigger
(1946)
Storekeeper
Magnificent Doll
(1946)
Jenks
The Devil's Playground
(1946)
Roberts
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Gambler (uncredited)
Tangier
(1946)
Sanchez
Dangerous Venture
(1947)
Kane
Saddle Pals
(1947)
Sheriff
The Perils of Pauline
(1947)
Western Saloon Set Heavy
Strange Gamble
(1948)
Henchman Longhorn
The Dead Don't Dream
(1948)
Bart Lansing
The Bold Frontiersman
(1948)
Adam Post
Son of God’s Country
(1948)
Tom Ford
The Paleface
(1948)
Lance (as Francis J. McDonald)
Panhandle
(1948)
Crump
Samson and Delilah
(1949)
Story Teller
Powder River Rustlers
(1949)
Shears Williams
Brothers in the Saddle
(1949)
Hoyt Parker
Rim of the Canyon
(1949)
Charlie Lewis
Son of a Badman
(1949)
Joe Christ
Apache Chief
(1949)
Mohaska
Rose of the Yukon
(1949)
Alaskan
Abandoned
(1949)
Winey - Pool Player (uncredited)
Daughter of the Jungle
(1949)
Montu
California Passage
(1950)
County Recorder Joe Kane
The Nevadan
(1950)
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Woman in Hiding
(1950)
North Carolina Cannoneer (uncredited)
Gene Autry and the Mounties
(1951)
Batiste
Red Mountain
(1951)
Marshal Roberts
Rancho Notorious
(1952)
Harbin
Fort Osage
(1952)
Osage Chief
The Raiders
(1952)
Mr. John Cummings
The Bandits of Corsica
(1953)
Grisha
Two Gun Marshal
(1953)
Blake Cody
The Stranger Wore a Gun
(1953)
Frank
The Naked Dawn
(1955)
Railroad guard
Bad Day at Black Rock
(1955)
Tall - White-haired Cafe Lounger (uncredited)
Ten Wanted Men
(1955)
Dig That Uranium
(1955)
The Indian Chief
The Ten Commandments
(1956)
Simon
Thunder Over Arizona
(1956)
Pliny Warren
Walk the Proud Land
(1956)
The Shaman (uncredited)
Duel at Apache Wells
(1957)
Joe Dunn
Pawnee
(1957)
Uncle Tip Alden (as Francis J. McDonald)
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
(1957)
Col. Chivington's Aide (uncredited)
Last Stagecoach West
(1957)
Old Man Colter
Fort Massacre
(1958)
Piute Man
The Big Fisherman
(1959)
Scribe Spokesman
Robin and the 7 Hoods
(1964)
Old Man at Robbo's Club