Archer MacMackin
Encyclopedia
Archer MacMackin was an American
silent film
director
, producer
, and screenwriter
. McMackin directed at over seventy-three films between 1912 and 1916 directing films such as When Empty Hearts Are Filled
and the The Altar of Ambition
in 1915 working with actors such as Harry von Meter
, Louise Lester
, Vivian Rich
and David Lythgoe
. His career reached its height in 1916 where in that year alone he directed thirty short films.
. He had one older brother named Lawrence. His father was Dr. William McMackin and his mother was Mary Isabelle Myers. With the death of MacMackin's father in 1900, the family faced extreme financial hardship. At the age of 12, MacMackin moved in with his maternal grandparent (M.C. Myers), his aunt (Luma Myers), and his bachelor uncle (George Myers) in Salem, Illinois
while Mary set out to establish her eldest son Lawrence in a business.
. In 1909 he was in charge of buying new stories for Essanay Studios
. He would put advertisements in periodicals directed at writers telling authors what type of stories Essanay was currently purchasing and giving his name and the studio address for the budding authors to send their submissions.
In May 1913, a portion of the Essanay film company moved from Chicago to Ithaca, New York
-- among them was MacMackin who was now working as an assistant director
. The head of Essanay in Ithaca was Theodore Wharton. Ithaca was chosen as Wharton wanted to make a number of college films and hoped to film the university there. Ithaca was also chosen due to the scenic waterfalls and natural gorges around it which photographed well. A final requirement for early film making was direct sunlight in which to photograph even indoor scenes; this was provided by a glass-domed stadium owned by the college which became the film studio. Francis X. Bushman
and Beverly Bayne
appeared as the stars in the Essanay films being filmed in Ithaca. David Hargen was the camera operator and Al Tracey was the property manager.
MacMackin directed his first film, The 'Lemon, starring Whitney Raymond in 1912. The following year he directed two films including The Way Perilous, and produced four of which he also directed. In 1915, he directed thirty six films, serving as a writer for six. By 1917, MacMackin had directed seventy-four pictures and was working at Edward Small Inc. in New York City
where he lived with his family. He worked as a writer on his final film, the 1920 comedy
The Rookie's Return, starring Douglas MacLean
.
s, write scripts, and give puppet shows. Archer also wrote a book about the art of puppetry, Puppetry: Training Course Manual, in 1941 which was published in a mimeographed book which was then bound.
and worked as a landscaper. He married second wife Cora Ida Cushion in 1942. She had three children from a previous marriage that MacMackin helped to raise. During this marriage, MacMackin and his new family lived in Eddyville, Iowa
. MacMackin and Cushion divorced in 1955.
MacMackin (along with his second wife) later converted to Mormon
ism. He would go on to write a play concerning Mormonism.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. McMackin directed at over seventy-three films between 1912 and 1916 directing films such as When Empty Hearts Are Filled
When Empty Hearts Are Filled
When Empty Hearts Are Filled is a 1915 American silent short drama film directed by Archer MacMackin starring Louise Lester, Vivian Rich, and Harry von Meter....
and the The Altar of Ambition
The Altar of Ambition
The Altar of Ambition is a 1915 American silent short film directed by Archer MacMackin starring Jack Richardson, Louise Lester, Vivian Rich, Harry von Meter, and David Lythgoe....
in 1915 working with actors such as Harry von Meter
Harry von Meter
Harry von Meter was an American silent film actor. He was signed by the Thanhouser Company based in New York City in 1912, moving to American Film Studios a year or two later, and starred in about 200 films until 1929. He is perhaps most famous for starring in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as Mons...
, Louise Lester
Louise Lester
Louise Lester was an American silent film actress. She was the first feminine star of Western films.-Biography:...
, Vivian Rich
Vivian Rich
Vivian Rich was an American silent film actress.-Career:Rich was born on the Atlantic ocean and spent her early years in Philadelphia. Later the family moved to Boston and she completed her education at the Boston Latin High School. From high school she went to the stage and played in musical...
and David Lythgoe
David Lythgoe
David Lythgoe was an American silent film actor of the early period. He is best known for his work between 1912 and 1915 in short film under the directorship of Tom Ricketts....
. His career reached its height in 1916 where in that year alone he directed thirty short films.
Early life
Archibald Paul McMackin was born in Lake City, IowaLake City, Iowa
Lake City is a city in Calhoun County, Iowa, United States, founded in 1856. The population was 1,787 at the 2000 census. The sign coming into town proudly proclaims that Lake City has "Everything but a Lake."...
. He had one older brother named Lawrence. His father was Dr. William McMackin and his mother was Mary Isabelle Myers. With the death of MacMackin's father in 1900, the family faced extreme financial hardship. At the age of 12, MacMackin moved in with his maternal grandparent (M.C. Myers), his aunt (Luma Myers), and his bachelor uncle (George Myers) in Salem, Illinois
Salem, Illinois
Salem is a city located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Marion County. The population was 7,485 at the 2010 census.Salem is the birthplace of William Jennings Bryan and his brother vice presidential candidate Charles W. Bryan, the G. I. Bill of Rights, and Miracle Whip salad...
while Mary set out to establish her eldest son Lawrence in a business.
Film career
MacMackin got connected to the motion picture studios in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In 1909 he was in charge of buying new stories for Essanay Studios
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
. He would put advertisements in periodicals directed at writers telling authors what type of stories Essanay was currently purchasing and giving his name and the studio address for the budding authors to send their submissions.
In May 1913, a portion of the Essanay film company moved from Chicago to Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
-- among them was MacMackin who was now working as an assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
. The head of Essanay in Ithaca was Theodore Wharton. Ithaca was chosen as Wharton wanted to make a number of college films and hoped to film the university there. Ithaca was also chosen due to the scenic waterfalls and natural gorges around it which photographed well. A final requirement for early film making was direct sunlight in which to photograph even indoor scenes; this was provided by a glass-domed stadium owned by the college which became the film studio. Francis X. Bushman
Francis X. Bushman
Francis Xavier Bushman was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. His matinee idol career started in 1911 in the silent film His Friend's Wife, but it did not survive the silent screen era....
and Beverly Bayne
Beverly Bayne
Beverly Bayne was an American actress who appeared in silent films beginning in 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked for Essanay Studios.-Early life:...
appeared as the stars in the Essanay films being filmed in Ithaca. David Hargen was the camera operator and Al Tracey was the property manager.
MacMackin directed his first film, The 'Lemon, starring Whitney Raymond in 1912. The following year he directed two films including The Way Perilous, and produced four of which he also directed. In 1915, he directed thirty six films, serving as a writer for six. By 1917, MacMackin had directed seventy-four pictures and was working at Edward Small Inc. in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he lived with his family. He worked as a writer on his final film, the 1920 comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
The Rookie's Return, starring Douglas MacLean
Douglas MacLean
Douglas MacLean was a silent motion picture actor, producer, and writer.-Life and career:...
.
Later career
During the 1930s, Archer MacMackin took a job with the WPA traveling throughout the United States giving week-long workshops on how to construct marionetteMarionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
s, write scripts, and give puppet shows. Archer also wrote a book about the art of puppetry, Puppetry: Training Course Manual, in 1941 which was published in a mimeographed book which was then bound.
Personal life
MacMackin divorced his first wife Grace in 1920. In 1930, MacMackin moved to Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
and worked as a landscaper. He married second wife Cora Ida Cushion in 1942. She had three children from a previous marriage that MacMackin helped to raise. During this marriage, MacMackin and his new family lived in Eddyville, Iowa
Eddyville, Iowa
Eddyville is a city in Mahaska, Monroe, and Wapello Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,024 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. MacMackin and Cushion divorced in 1955.
MacMackin (along with his second wife) later converted to Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
ism. He would go on to write a play concerning Mormonism.
Death
MacMackin died on February 8, 1961 in Des Moines. He and his mother are buried beside each other in the Promise City Cemetery in Wayne County, IowaWayne County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 6,403 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,212 housing units, of which 2,652 were occupied.-2000 census:...
.
Director
- Teaching a Liar a Lesson (1912)
- After the Reward (1912)
- The Final Judgment (1913)
- Sunlight (1913)
- The Madonna (1915)
- Ex-Convict 4287 (1915)
- Green Apples (1915)
- Touring with Tillie (1915)
- Billy Van Deusen's Last Fling (1915)
- A Girl, a Guard, and a Garret (1915)
- Mischief and a Mirror (1916)
- Billy Van Deusen and the Vampire (1916)
- Cupid at Cohen's (1916)
- Number Please? (1916)
- Billy Van Deusen's Ancestry (1916)
- Billy Van Deusen's Fiancee (1916)
Producer
- The Whip Hand (1913)
- The Right of Way (1913)
- The Way Perilous (1913)
- The Love Lute of Romany (1913)
Writer
- Refugees
- Dixie's Day Off (1915)
- Fares, Please! (1915)
- Skipper Simpson's Daughter (1915)
- She Winked (1915)
- No Soup (1915)
- The Pointed Finger (1917)
- The Winged Mystery (1917)
- The Purple Lily (1918)
- The Rookie's Return (1920)