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Mack Sennett
1884-1960
Silent
Film Director
Michael Sinnott was born in Canada to Irish immigrants
and they moved to the States when he was 17. In 1902 he met
actress Marie Dressler. They went to New York and worked in
theater and burlesque. Now known as Mack Sennett, he worked
for Biograph Films from 1908-1911. This is where he learned
from D.W. Griffith. In 1912 he opened the Keystone Production
Company. He made about 1,000 films of which many were two-reelers
and mostly comedy. His films developed such stars as Charlie
Chaplin, W. C. Fields, Gloria Swanson, Harold Lloyd, Marie
Dressler, Ben Turpin, Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Wallace
Beery, Harry Langdon and Mabel Normand. Mack and Mabel
became an item and they made the Irish themed film Mickey
(1916) together. He directed the Keystone Cops, Bathing
Beauties and Kid Komedies. In In 1932 he produced film shorts
at Paramount, which included Bing Crosby as a performer. Mack
Sennett was given a Special Oscar in 1938 for his career in
pioneering slapstick comedy film.
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