Murdock MacQuarrie

Murdock MacQuarrie
Who's Who in the Film World, 1914
Born(1878-08-25)August 25, 1878
DiedAugust 20, 1942(1942-08-20) (aged 63)
OccupationActor
Years active1912–1942
RelativesAlbert MacQuarrie (brother)
Frank MacQuarrie (brother)
George MacQuarrie (brother)

Murdock MacQuarrie (August 25, 1878[citation needed] – August 20, 1942) was an American silent film actor and director. His name was also seen as Murdock McQuarrie.[1]

MacQuarrie was born in San Francisco, California, and attended school there.[2] He was the brother of actors Albert MacQuarrie, Frank MacQuarrie, and George MacQuarrie.[citation needed]

After acting on stage, MacQuarrie began acting in films in 1902 with Biograph.[2] Around 1912-1913, he was acting for the Kinemacolor Company of America.[3] His film work included The Count of Monte Cristo (1913), before becoming a director at Universal. He is perhaps best-remembered by modern audiences as J. Widdecombe Billows, the eccentric inventor of the eating machine, in Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times (1936).

In the 1910s, MacQuarrie directed at Universal, and in the early 1920s he returned to acting.[4]

He diversified his activities in 1919, joining his wife in her real-estate business in Hollywood.[1]

On August 20, 1942, MacQuarrie died in Los Angeles, California, aged 63.[2]

  1. ^ a b "Murdock McQuarrie Enters Business". Holly Leaves. 12 July 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Katchmer, George A. (20 May 2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 227. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  3. ^ Slide, Anthony (2014). The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry. Taylor & Francis. pp. 109–110. ISBN 9781135925611.
  4. ^ "Murdock MacQuarrie". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.