Maclyn Arbuckle

Maclyn Arbuckle (July 9, 1866 – March 31, 1931) was an American actor who worked in both stage and silent film, with a Broadway career spanning from 1899 to 1924. Born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mr. and Mrs. James Arbuckle, he was the brother of actor Andrew Arbuckle and a cousin of comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. His early education took place in Glasgow, after which he studied law in Boston and was admitted to the bar at age 21. He practiced law for only a year before abandoning the profession, a decision accelerated by a failed bid for justice of the peace. A journal entry from December 1888 records his ambitions plainly: he found law overcrowded and poorly compensated, and he had set his sights on the stage as a more rewarding pursuit.

Arbuckle made his stage debut in Shreveport, Louisiana, on December 25, 1888, and spent four years performing with a company led by R. D. McLean. His Broadway debut came in 1899 with Why Smith Left Home, launching a stage career that would include starring roles in The Sprightly Romance of Marsac and productions such as The County Chairman in 1903, The Round Up in 1907 alongside Julia Dean, Daddy Dumplins, and revivals of classical works including She Stoops to Conquer, The Rivals, and The Merchant of Venice. He became particularly associated with the role of Sheriff "Slim" Hoover in The Roundup, a part remembered for the line "Nobody loves a fat man." His cousin Roscoe later played the same character in the 1920 silent film adaptation.

Arbuckle transitioned into silent films in 1914 when he joined Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company as an established Broadway name. That same year he appeared in the film adaptation of The County Chairman, reprising his stage success. His screen credits across the following decade were extensive, including It's No Laughing Matter (1915), The Reform Candidate (1915), and a series of films produced by his own company. In May 1919, Arbuckle founded the San Antonio Moving Pictures Corporation in his hometown, backed financially by a group of Dallas businessmen. The company produced four films before folding in 1922: Mr. Bingle, Mr. Potter of Texas, Welcome to Our City, and Squire Phin. During the 1920s he appeared frequently alongside Marion Davies in costume productions financed by William Randolph Hearst, with credits including Yolanda (1924) and Janice Meredith (1924).

On June 29, 1903, Arbuckle married Elizabeth Carlisle in Newton, Massachusetts. Carlisle was herself an actress and performed professionally under the billing Mrs. Macklyn Arbuckle following their marriage. The couple had no children. Arbuckle died of heart disease on March 31, 1931, at his home in Waddington, New York, at the age of 64.