Jack Buchanan

by Hal Erickson film biography

Scottish-born entertainer Jack Buchanan became caught up in amateur theatricals while he was a London office worker. He made his stage bow in 1911, and his London theatre debut in 1912, but full stardom would have to wait until his long run (beginning in 1915) in the play Tonight's the Night. He entered films with 1917's Auld Lang Syne, playing the sort of sticklike hero that any lesser actor could have portrayed. Buchanan's true celebrity rested on his stage work, notably 1921's Charlot A-Z Revue. The early-talkie hunger for cultured British voices brought Buchanan to Hollywood in 1929, where he appeared opposite Irene Bordoni in Paris (1929), Jeanette MacDonald in Monte Carlo (1930), and just about the entire Warner Bros. contract roster in The Show of Shows (1929). These early films reveal Buchanan to be a dry, debonair tie-and-tail type not far removed from the stage persona of Clifton Webb or Fred Astaire - except that Buchanan's charm did not transfer as well to the screen. Back in England, Buchanan tackled his first directing job with Yes Mr. Brown (1931) and in 1933 he built the Leicester Square Theatre. Relaxing sufficiently before the cameras to become an agreeable screen personality, Buchanan starred in the 1934 British production of Brewster's Millions, and costarred with Maurice Chevalier, whose style was similar to Buchanan's, in Break the News (1937). American film audiences did not see Buchanan again until 1953, when he was cast as the impresario Cordova in the Fred Astaire vehicle The Band Wagon (1953). Among the treasured musical moments in this delightful film was Triplets, wherein the Astaire, Buchanan and Nanette Fabray were decked out in baby bonnets. It would be nice to record Band Wagon as Buchanan's final appearance before his death in 1957; alas, Buchanan was subsequently and unhappily cast in the misfire farce Le Carnets Du Major Thompson, a.k.a. The French They Are a Funny Race (1957) - also the swan song of once-great director Preston Sturges.

filmography snapshot

1920

1925

1930

1935

1940

1945

1950

1955

Year	Title	Rating
1917	Auld Lang Syne Actor
1919	Her Heritage Actor
1923	The Audacious Mr. Squire Actor
1925	Settled out of Court Actor
1927	Confetti Actor
1928	Toni Actor
1929	Bulldog Drummond Actor
1929	Paris Actor
1929	Show of Shows Actor
1930	Monte Carlo Actor
1931	Man of Mayfair Actor
1932	Magic Night Actor
1933	That's a Good Girl Screenwriter, Director, Actor
1933	Yes, Mr. Brown Actor, Director
1935	Brewster's Millions Actor
1935	Come out of the Pantry Actor
1936	This'll Make You Whistle Actor
1936	When Knights Were Bold Actor
1937	Smash and Grab Actor, Producer
1937	Sweet Devil Producer
1937	The Sky's the Limit Director, Producer, Actor, Screenwriter
1939	Break the News Actor
1939	The Gang's All Here Producer, Actor
1939	The Middle Watch Actor
1940	Bulldog Sees It Through Actor
1941	Penny Serenade Actor
1943	Happidrome Producer
1953	The Band Wagon Actor
1955	As Long As They're Happy Actor
1955	Josephine and Men Actor
1956	The French, They Are a Funny Race Actor

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Active

1920s - 1950s (music)
1917 - 1956 (film)

Born

04/02/1891 in Helensburgh, Scotland

Died

10/20/1957 in London, England, UK

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