Skip to content

Francis McDonald

Francis McDonald

24 movies on Netflix

Biography

Francis McDonald was an American actor whose screen career lasted 52 years. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, he started in stock theater in Cincinnati and later worked with companies in Seattle, San Diego, Honolulu and Spokane. By 1913 he had entered films with Marion Leonard's Monopole Company in Hollywood. Over his career he appeared in more than 280 films, including the 1926 film The Temptress with Greta Garbo. After being called Hollywood's Prettiest Man, he shaved his mustache and took on villain roles. Cecil B. DeMille made him a favorite character actor, casting him in six of his films, among them Union Pacific (1939), North West Mounted Police (1940) and Samson and Delilah (1949). McDonald also worked in more than two dozen TV series in the 1950s and early 1960s, including The Roy Rogers Show, Lone Ranger, Sugarfoot and Perry Mason. He died in 1968.

77years old at death

Born August 22, 1891Bowling Green
Died September 18, 1968Hollywood
Star sign: LeoLast day of the sign, on the Virgo cusp

Movie Career

Films: 24
Career span: 32 years1926 to 1958

Genres

Western58%, 14 films
Drama50%, 12 films
Adventure17%, 4 films
Romance17%, 4 films
Comedy13%, 3 films

First and latest

Share

Did you know?!

A change of course
Francis McDonald was labeled "Hollywood's Prettiest Man", so he shaved off his mustache and went after villain roles to build a tougher image.
First role
McDonald began acting professionally in stock theater with Cincinnati's Forepaugh Stock Company, then spent eight months with the company before moving on to stock troupes in Seattle, San Diego and Honolulu.
First role
McDonald entered films in 1913 with Marion Leonard's Monopole Company in Hollywood, and went on to be cast in more than 280 films between 1913 and 1965.

Francis McDonald movies on Netflix

Fort Massacre1958IMDb rating 6.2as Piute Man
Pawnee1957IMDb rating 5.6as Uncle Tip Alden(Francis J. McDonald)
Bad Day at Black Rock1955IMDb rating 7.6as Tall - White-haired Cafe Lounger
Rancho Notorious1952IMDb rating 6.8as Harbin
Red Mountain1951IMDb rating 6.1as Marshal Roberts
Samson and Delilah1949IMDb rating 6.8as Story Teller
My Pal Trigger1946IMDb rating 6.4as Storekeeper
Roll on Texas Moon1946IMDb rating 5.9as Steve Anders
Strange Confession1945IMDb rating 6.5as Hernandez
Zorro's Black Whip1944IMDb rating 6.3as Dan Hammond
Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3as Quirt Rankin
Buckskin Frontier1943IMDb rating 6.0as Duval
The Kansan1943IMDb rating 5.6as Gil Hatton
The Sea Wolf1941IMDb rating 7.5as Svenson
North West Mounted Police1940IMDb rating 6.3as Louis Riel
The Carson City Kid1940IMDb rating 6.1as Laramie(Francis MacDonald)
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date1940IMDb rating 6.1as Santos the Portuguese
The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6as Kroner
Union Pacific1939IMDb rating 7.0as General Dodge
The Prisoner of Shark Island1936IMDb rating 7.2as John Wilkes Booth
Morocco1930IMDb rating 7.0as Sergeant Tatoche
A Girl in Every Port1928IMDb rating 6.6as Circus Manager
Battling Butler1926IMDb rating 7.0as Alfred 'Battling' Butler
The Temptress1926IMDb rating 6.9as Timoteo

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Morocco1930as Sergeant Tatoche
IMDb rating 7.08.5K votes
Battling Butler1926 Comedy, Romanceas Alfred 'Battling' Butler
IMDb rating 7.04.6K votes
The Sea Wolf1941as Svenson
IMDb rating 7.55.1K votes
Rancho Notorious1952as Harbin
IMDb rating 6.86.2K votes
Samson and Delilah1949as Story Teller
IMDb rating 6.810K votes
A Girl in Every Port1928as Circus Manager
IMDb rating 6.6972 votes
The Prisoner of Shark Island1936as John Wilkes Booth
IMDb rating 7.22.9K votes
Union Pacific1939as General Dodge
IMDb rating 7.03.9K votes

Most often with

Cecil B. DeMille directed three of these films, Michael Curtiz two and Lesley Selander two. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

George 'Gabby' Hayes

J.M. Kerrigan

Victor JoryRoy Bucko

William Haade

Cecil B. DeMilleDirector, 3 films Michael CurtizDirector, 2 films Lesley SelanderDirector, 2 films

Films together

George 'Gabby' Hayes3 films together, 1940 to 1946
George 'Gabby' Hayes's page
- My Pal Trigger1946IMDb rating 6.4McDonald as StorekeeperHayes as Gabby Kendrick
- Roll on Texas Moon1946IMDb rating 5.9McDonald as Steve AndersHayes as Gabby Whittaker
- The Carson City Kid1940IMDb rating 6.1McDonald as Laramie(Francis MacDonald)Hayes as Marshal Gabby Whittaker
Roy Rogers3 films together, 1940 to 1946
Roy Rogers's page
- My Pal Trigger1946IMDb rating 6.4McDonald as StorekeeperRogers as Roy Rogers
- Roll on Texas Moon1946IMDb rating 5.9McDonald as Steve AndersRogers as Roy Rogers
- The Carson City Kid1940IMDb rating 6.1McDonald as Laramie(Francis MacDonald)Rogers as Roy Rogers akaThe Carson City Kid
J.M. Kerrigan3 films together, 1936 to 1940
J.M. Kerrigan's page
- The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6McDonald as KronerKerrigan as Eli Matson
- Union Pacific1939IMDb rating 7.0McDonald as General DodgeKerrigan as Monahan
- The Prisoner of Shark Island1936IMDb rating 7.2McDonald as John Wilkes BoothKerrigan as Judge Maiben
Victor Jory3 films together, 1943
Victor Jory's page
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3McDonald as Quirt RankinJory as Mark Jackson
- Buckskin Frontier1943IMDb rating 6.0McDonald as DuvalJory as Champ Clanton
- The Kansan1943IMDb rating 5.6McDonald as Gil HattonJory as Jeff Barat
Roy Bucko3 films together, 1940 to 1943
Roy Bucko's page
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3McDonald as Quirt RankinBucko as Henchman
- Buckskin Frontier1943IMDb rating 6.0McDonald as DuvalBucko as Townsman
- The Carson City Kid1940IMDb rating 6.1McDonald as Laramie(Francis MacDonald)Bucko as Townsman
William Haade3 films together, 1939 to 1952
William Haade's page
- Rancho Notorious1952IMDb rating 6.8McDonald as HarbinHaade as Sheriff Sam Bullock
- My Pal Trigger1946IMDb rating 6.4McDonald as StorekeeperHaade as Davis(Wm. Haade)
- Union Pacific1939IMDb rating 7.0McDonald as General DodgeHaade as Dusky Clayton
Cecil B. DeMilleDirector, 3 films, 1939 to 1949
All films by Cecil B. DeMille
- Samson and Delilah1949IMDb rating 6.8McDonald as Story Teller
- North West Mounted Police1940IMDb rating 6.3McDonald as Louis Riel
- Union Pacific1939IMDb rating 7.0McDonald as General Dodge
Michael CurtizDirector, 2 films, 1940 to 1941
All films by Michael Curtiz
- The Sea Wolf1941IMDb rating 7.5McDonald as Svenson
- The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6McDonald as Kroner
Lesley SelanderDirector, 2 films, 1943
All films by Lesley Selander
- Bar 201943IMDb rating 6.3McDonald as Quirt Rankin
- Buckskin Frontier1943IMDb rating 6.0McDonald as Duval
Also three films together2 more actors
- George ReevesRancho Notorious (1952), Bar 20 (1943) and Buckskin Frontier (1943)
- Buck BuckoBuckskin Frontier (1943), The Kansan (1943) and The Carson City Kid (1940)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.