Archer MacMackin

Archer MacMackin (7 February 1888, Lake City, Iowa - 8 February 1961, Des Moines Iowa) was an early American silent film director and screenwriter. Archer McMackin directed at least 73 films between 1910 and 1921 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 a massive 30 films, although most of them if not all were short films. Archibald McMackin (this is the spelling of Archer's name per the 1895 Iowa census) was born on February 7,1888 in Lake City, Iowa. He had one older brother named Lawrence Elder McMackin (born August 2,1882 in Illinois). His father was Dr. William McMackin and his mother was Mary Isabelle Myers. The family is listed in the special 1885 Iowa census as living in Lake City so they moved there between Lawrence's birth in 1882 and 1885 when the census was taken. Dr. William McMackin was a medical doctor.

In 1900 with the death of Archer's father, the family faced extreme financial hardship. At the age of 12, Archer 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.

Lawrence eventually became an engineer. Lawrence married a woman named Irma L. (born approximately 1889) and had a son named Albert W. (born in 1907). By 1920, Lawrence and Irma became musicians in a theater. Later he became a musician with the circus; Lawrence could pick up any instrument and play it by ear like a pro -- he was a Pied Piper. He met his second wife (Cleo Sager) when the circus traveled through Wayne County, Iowa.

Lawrence McMackin and Cleo Sager were married on October 3, 1923. Cleo was past childbearing age when she married Lawrence McMackin so that couple has no descendants. Cleo had been a schoolteacher in Promise City, Iowa for ten years after which she became a bank teller. Cleo lived with her father Cyrintheus Abraham Sager (the owner and pharmacist of Promise City's drug and jewellery store) and Becky (his second wife) until her marriage.

[An interesting footnote about Albert McMackin (son of Lawrence): When Albert joined the Army during World War II, he gave his civilian occupation as "blacksmith and bandleader" on his enlistment papers and then listed almost a dozen band instruments that he could play -- Albert had inherited his father's musical talents. The Army didn't need a blacksmith but they did need bandleaders. Albert became a bandleader for the Army and was given the rank of Warrant Officer II.]

Archer got connected to the motion picture studios in Chicago. In 1909 Archer was in charge of buying new stories for Essanay. 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.

One of the first records I have found of Archer's connection with the movies is an article he wrote for a December 1909 magazine entitled "How Moving Picture Plays are Written." The author's name was given as Archer McMackin. Archer had originally been named Archibald Paul McMackin. By 1900 he was using his initials only; the reference to Archer in the 1900 federal census lists him as A. P. McMackin.

In 1910 Archer, his mother (Mary), and wife (Grace A) lived in Chicago Ward 25 according to the 1910 federal census. The census listed Archer's occupation as the dramatic editor with a film company.

[Note on Archer's wife's name: Some sources list the wife as Alice Grace Hundley. There was such a person, however, there was also a Grace A. Hundley who was an entirely different person. I have listed the wife as Grace A. as that is the name that the 1910 federal census shows. It also states that she is 23 (born approximately 1887) and that she was born in England and emigrated to the United States in 1908.]

In May 1913, a portion of the Essanay film company moved from Chicago to Ithaca, New York -- among them Archer MacMackin 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.

Filming on "The Whip Hand" began on June 12, 1913 when the Portland cement works was blown-up. Archer MacMackin was the director.

The film "The Right of Way" (directed by Archer McMackin) was partially filmed in Geneva, New York where a railroad company was installing tracks. The Hollister Estate in the movie was filmed in the Slaterville, New York area where a set of tracks ran through a small cemetery next to a farm. The film previously shot of the railroad installing track was inter-spliced with the Slaterville footage. The Slaterville construction and filming was being done without the landowner's permission which caused the sheriff to appear -- this dramatic turn of events fit perfectly into the story plans and was filmed and used in the movie. The end of the film included a railway car plunging 150 feet down the Taughannock Falls; a dummy was placed in the railcar to take the place of actor Robin Townley. The valuable parts of the car (exhaust and engine) were stripped from it before it was pushed over the falls and after the scene any parts that were still reusable were rescued and recycled.

In a 1915 newspaper article, film actress Carol Halloway credited Archer McMackin with inspiring her to become a motion picture actress. It seems that Carol was hiking in the Ynez Mountains (California) with her friends when she twisted her ankle. When the friends went to find help, they stumbled on a film crew making a movie. The movie director (Archer McMackin) and his photographer went out and carried Carol into the area in which they were working. Carol was a captive of the crew having nothing to do except watch the filming until they broke for the day and took her down the mountain. She became fascinated with the process and decided to become a film actress. Carol acted in the following films which were directed by Archer McMackin in 1915: "A Girl, a Guard, and a Garret", "Billy Van Deusen's Last Fling", "Billy Van Deusen and the Merry Widow", and "Billy Van Deusen's Campaign". Carol acted in the following films which were directed by Archer McMackin in 1916: "Billy Van Deusen, Cave Man", "Dare-Devils and Danger", "Gamblers in Greenbacks", "In the Land of the Tortilla", "Two Slips and a Miss", "Billy Van Deusen's Masquerade", "When Adam Had 'Em", "The House on Hokum Hill", "Billy Van Deusen's Egg-Spensive Adventure", "Billy Van Deusen's Operation", "Adjusting His Claim", "Billy Van Deusen's Fiancee", "Skelly's Skeleton", "Billy Van Deusen's Ancestry", and "Billy Van Deusen's Shadow".

The Motion Picture World magazine dated February 20, 1915 contained the article "Big 'U' Captures Archer McMackin". The 'U' stands for the Universal Film Manufacturing Company.

In 1917 Archer was working in the movies in New York City with a wife, child, and mother living with him at 306 West 30th Street. He worked in motion pictures at Edward Small Inc. located at 1493 Broadway in New York City. [Note: Edward Small Inc. became Reliance Pictures in 1932 which distributed their film output through United Artists. The most remembered and also the last production of Reliance Pictures was "The Christine Jorgenson Story" in 1970.]

The 1920 federal census shows Archer living with his mother and a daughter named Rosemary (who was 9) in Los Angeles. Although the census says that Archer is married, Grace is not living with them. The federal census lists Archer's career as motion picture director. Their address was 205 N. Broadway in Los Angeles.

[An interesting side note on Rosemary McMackin: Rosemary appeared in the 1915 film "Her Adopted Father" which was directed by Archer McMackin. She also appeared in the 1915 motion picture "The Mender" which was another American Film Manufacturing Company film.]

A newspaper (The Oakland Tribune in Oakland, California) clipping dated September 5, 1920 states that Archer is directing a series of short two-reel Bible films in Los Angeles at the Historical Film Corporation of America. Archer MacMackin is the film director at this company while Henry Christeen Warnack is the supervising director who also writes the adaptations of the Bible stories into a modern day format. Carl Widen is listed as the photographer. The first film of this corporation is entitled "As We Forgive" (previously named "The Letter to Philemon") and is based on the "Epistle of Paul to Philemon". The article notes that six of the features being planned are going to be taken to Japan in October 1921 for the World Sunday School Convention.

In August 1921 the film "The Rookie's Return" was playing in theaters. It was a Paramount Picture produced by Thomas Ince and directed by Lloyd Ingraham. The picture told the story of a veteran's return to civilian life and his struggles with the horror of demobilization and peace. Archer's credit read "adapted from an original story by Archer MacMackin" [Source: Lima News in Lima, Ohio (August 21, 1921)] .

Archer directed at least 73 motion pictures, produced four movies, wrote nine film scripts, and acted in one movie. These were short one or two reel films -- usually comedies -- that were shown along with a main movie feature, a newsreel, and perhaps a cartoon. Usually these short comedies were not even advertised in the newspaper along with the main attraction. He used the following names in the picture business: Archer MacMackin, Archie MacMackin, Arthur Macklin, A. McMackin, and Archer McMackin.

Movies that still exist and can be viewed at the Library of Congress that have an Archer McMackin connection include "No Soup", "The Battle of Cupidovitch", and "South o' Santa Fe". "No Soup" was produced by Roy McCray and was written by Archer McMackin and Roy McCray in 1915 for Joker Productions and released by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company; it is a one reel film (497 ft). "The Battle of Cupidovitch" was directed by Archer McMackin for Beauty Films which was part of the Mutual Film Corporation in 1916; it consists of 834 feet of film on one reel. "South o' Santa Fe" was directed and produced by Cliff Smith with a story by Archer McMackin for the Frohman Amusement Corporation in 1919. A fourth film with an Archer McMackin connection exists and has just been restored entitled "Billy McGrath on Broadway".

After their marriage, Lawrence McMackin and Lawrence's second wife (Cleo Sager McMackin) lived at 1721 Mondamin Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa. By 1930, Archer was living there while working as a landscaper. Cleo and Mary (Lawrence and Archer's mother) kept house. After the death of his second wife, Cyrintheus Abraham Sager (father of Cleo) also lived with them and helped Lawrence in his business.

In 1930, the 1721 Modamin property was valued at $10,000 -- well above the average price of a home in the area. It had two houses on the lot. Lawrence and Cleo lived in the big front house. In the house in back, Lawrence had a thriving business refinishing piano keys; performing pin block restoration; and manufacturing bridle straps, key bed felts, and glues used for repairing pianos. (Note: The Des Moines Register once ran a feature story on Lawrence's business.) Also,the back house was used by relatives passing through Des Moines who needed a place to stay.

Few details remain on Cleo except for her occupations (teacher and bank teller). One letter from genealogist Clyde Sager who visited her back in the early 1950s states that she was a super nice person but did not know much about the Sager family; Clyde also took advantage of the extra bedrooms in the second house during his stay. Dorothy Dean Faris Brown mentioned that Cleo was a great storyteller.

During the 1930s Archer took a job with the WPA traveling throughout the United States giving week-long workshops on how to construct marionettes, write scripts, and give puppet shows. Work would begin on Monday morning with the participants constructing the puppets and end on Friday evening with the participants giving puppet shows for the community. This work lasted for Archer well into the 1940s.

The best description of Archer's work with the WPA appeared in the Iowa City Press Citizen (Iowa City, Iowa) newspaper. On three of the five class days (September 16, 17, and 19, 1941), the newspaper ran articles on the training. Archer was billed as a Hollywood director and a professional puppeteer and the articles mention that he is a member of the state training staff for the recreation division of the WPA. The September 17, 1941 article has a photo of Archer working with the marionettes. Subjects that the week-long course covered included introduction to puppetry nomenclature; contemporary puppet theater; study of puppet construction including the making of sawdust heads, the woodcarving of hands and feet, and the production of the puppet body; the puppet stage and its construction; voice requirements for the puppet stage; fundamentals of playwriting; rigging the stage; and the production of scenery, furnishings, and costumes for puppets.

Archer wrote a book about the art of puppetry in 1941 which was published in a mimeographed book which was then bound. The title was "Puppetry: Training Course Manual". The publisher was listed as the "Iowa Work Projects Administration, United States". One copy has been found in the library at Iowa State University.

Archer married again (around 1942) while living in Des Moines to Cora Ida Cushion. She had three children from a previous marriage that Archer helped to raise. During this marriage, Archer and his new family lived in Eddyville, Iowa. The stepson (Donald Cushion) graduated from Eddyville High School in 1951. Archer had two stepdaughters (one of which was handicapped). Cora died in 2003 in Lubbock, Texas.

The McMackins were Mormon in their later years (while the Sager family were Methodists). Archer McMackin once wrote a play concerning Mormonism.

The story of Archer McMackin's life is so intertwined with Lawrence and Cleo's lives after 1923 that it is impossible to tell Archer's story without discussing Lawrence and Cleo in-depth. Archer, Lawrence, and Cleo lived with each other, loved each other's company, socialized together and were each other's best friends. Archer attended the Sager family reunions that were held in Wayne County, Iowa each year with Cleo and Lawrence and the three of them would come down to Wayne County each fall and get sacks of manure for Cleo's garden as well as produce for their table. Archer, Lawrence, and Cleo often lived together at 1721 Mondamin Avenue.

[Note on Lawrence McMackin, his love of children, and his Pied Piper abilities: My parents had moved from Wayne County (90 miles from Des Moines) up to Newton, Iowa (which is 40 miles from Des Moines) so they would go to visit the McMackin family on a regular basis during the early 1950s and take my sister and I along. My sister and I were pre-schoolers. The adults would visit but Lawrence would never leave us kids out of the visit. Towards the end of the visit, he would ask us kids if we wanted some music and start playing the organ. Of course, we'd dance and sing and enjoy the music. When Cleo died, our parents took us to make a courtesy call on Lawrence due to her death and we were told repeatedly on the way that if we made any sound at all during the visit, a violent terrible fate awaited us -- and we believed it by the time we got there. The grown-ups visited and then at the end Lawrence jumped up and started playing music for us kids -- but we just sat there frightened. He tried to pry out of us what was wrong but we had been told not to make a sound -- and we weren't going to make any no matter what Lawrence said. Lawrence got really frantic about what was wrong with the babies -- he was sure we must be sick. Finally, my parents had to tell him why we refused to talk or respond to the music to calm him down.]

Lawrence gave a number of Sager family objects and also antique items owned by Cleo Sager to the Prairie Trails Museum (Corydon, Iowa) [http://www.prairietrailsmuseum.org] in 1959 in honor of Cleo's parents who she dearly loved.

Archer died on February 8,1961. He and his mother are buried beside each other in the Promise City Cemetery in Wayne County, Iowa. Cleo Sager was from Promise City and Archer, Mary, and Lawrence are buried there with the Sager family.

Archer's obituary listed his daughter (Rosemary) as Mrs. Robert Hendren of Palo Alta, California. She had four children at that time (1961).

All but the first paragraph of this Wikipedia entry were prepared by Jocelyn Faris, a genealogist to the Sager family. My grandmother (Margaret Emaline Sager Faris) was a first cousin to Cleo Sager McMackin. Some information given in this report is based on oral stories told to me by my grandmother (such as Cleo meeting Lawrence McMackin at the circus) while other information has been garnered from historical records (census records, draft registration forms, etc.). Original family correspondence now in the possession of Jocelyn Faris has been used as has been the Des Moines Register article on Lawrence McMackin. Newspaper articles on Archer McMackin's career were found using the on-line resource Newspaper Archive. I (Jocelyn Faris) am also a prominent film historian having written books on Liberace ("Liberace: A Bio-Bibliography"), Ginger Rogers ("Ginger Rogers: A Bio-Bibliography"), Jayne Mansfield ("Jayne Mansfield: A Bio-Bibliography"), and a book on Jean Harlow that has not yet been published. I welcome correspondence concerning this family ([e-mail]).

Filmography

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