Russell Mack: Movies & Filmography

Russell Mack, born Edward Russell Mahoney on November 11, 1892, in Oneonta, New York, was a multifaceted American entertainer whose career spanned vaudeville, Broadway, and Hollywood. Raised in Providence, Rhode Island, he initially worked as a newspaper reporter and theater manager before transitioning to the entertainment industry. In 1911, he partnered with pianist Blanche Vincent to form the vaudeville duo "Mack and Vincent," which achieved considerable success on the prestigious Orpheum circuit and involved managing cabarets in New York City. Although Vincent was sometimes identified as his wife, there is no historical confirmation that the pair were actually married. The duo eventually disbanded in 1919, at which point Mack turned his focus toward the stage. Mack made his Broadway debut in a minor role in Oscar Hammerstein II's production Joan of Arkansaw, which was renamed Always You just a week before its January 5, 1920, opening. He quickly rose to prominence, starring in The Gingham Girl in 1923–24 and the successful musical My Girl (1924–25). He also produced and starred in The Four Flusher (1924–25) and appeared in Square Crooks (1926) and The Little Spitfire (1926–27). His final Broadway role came in 1927 when he played the lead in the farce Storm Center. With the advent of talking pictures, Mack relocated to Hollywood and penned the script for the 1929 film Rio Rita, which became RKO Radio Pictures' biggest hit of the year. He transitioned into directing with the 1930 domestic drama Second Wife, then moved to Pathé Exchange to direct Night Work and write and direct Big Money. When Pathé merged with RKO in 1931, he directed Lonely Wives before signing with Universal Pictures, where he helmed six films over three years, including the 1932 adaptation of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's Once in a Lifetime. In 1934, he returned to RKO to write, direct, and produce The Meanest Gal in Town. His last screen credit was for The Band Plays On (1934) at MGM. In 1942, Mack relocated to the East Coast with his second wife, Bobette, to manage the Mosque Theater in Newark, New Jersey. The couple had one daughter, and Mack also had a daughter from a previous marriage. He spent his remaining years in retirement on the East Coast and passed away on June 1, 1972, in New York City at the age of 79.