Fred Mace(1878-1917)
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Mace was a dentist from Erie, Pennsylvania who at one point did some
stage stock work for Mack Sennett. Heading west, he worked for Carl Laemmle and
Thomas H. Ince before settling back with Sennett. After achieving success as
the Chief of the Keystone Kops, he quit Sennett and opened his own
company, trying to develop films around his old "One-Round O'Brien"
character. After that didn't work out as he planned, Mace moved to
Apollo Films. That was also a failure, and he later formed his own
company, the Fred Mace Feature Film Company. Unfortunately, the company
folded, and Mace returned to Sennett. By that time, however, his
popularity had wained, and Mace received few roles over the next two
years. He was ultimately found dead in a New York City hotel room,
reportedly of a stroke.
