Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) and ''The Corsican Brothers'' (1941). The son of Douglas Fairbanks and stepson of Mary Pickford, he was first married, briefly, to actress Joan Crawford.

Early life

Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. was born in New York City; he was the only child of actor Douglas Fairbanks and his first wife, Anna Beth Sully, the daughter of wealthy industrialist Daniel J. Sully. Fairbanks' father was one of cinema's first icons, noted for such swashbuckling adventure films as '' The Mark of Zorro'', ''Robin Hood'' and '' The Thief of Bagdad''. Fairbanks had small roles in his father's films '' American Aristocracy'' (1916) and ''The Three Musketeers'' (1921).

His parents divorced when he was nine years old, and both remarried. He lived with his mother in New York, California, Paris and London.

Fairbanks began his education at the Hollywood School for Boys, an exclusive school in Los Angeles. After his mother and stepfather moved to New York, he attended the Bovee School, a private grammar school for boys. While attending Bovee, he was also enrolled in an after school drill academy called Knickerbocker Greys, which he attended for a year while assigned to the drum corps. After moving back to California, he attended Harvard Military School, followed by studies at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena. After his mother and he moved to France, Fairbanks attended Lycée Janson-de-Sailly.

Film career

''Stephen Steps Out'' and Paramount

Largely on the basis of his father's name, in May 1923 Fairbanks Jr. was given a contract with Paramount Pictures at age 13, at $1,000 a week for three years. He was signed by Jesse L. Lasky who said the junior Fairbanks "is the typical American boy at his best" and said it was likely he would be featured in a film about Tom Sawyer.

"I do not think it is the right thing for the boy to do", said his father. "I want to see him continue his education. He is only 13 years old." The young actor arrived in Hollywood in June 1923 and was mobbed.

''Tom Sawyer'' was not made. Instead Fairbanks Jr. appeared in '' Stephen Steps Out'' (1923). The film was not a hit.

Paramount and he parted ways by mutual consent and Doug went to Paris to resume his studies. A year later he returned to the studio, hired at what Fairbanks called "starvation wages" also having him work as a camera assistant.

"I was anxious to build my career as an actor slowly and painstakingly", he said. "I don't want to be a young blond leading man with an aquiline nose and shiny white teeth."

Paramount gave him supporting roles in '' The Air Mail'' (1925) and '' Wild Horse Mesa'' (1925).

''Stella Dallas'' and ''Young Woodley''

Sam Goldwyn borrowed him to play the juvenile in '' Stella Dallas'' (1925), which wound up being his first box office success.

He had supporting roles in Paramount's '' The American Venus'' (1926), and ''Padlocked'' (1926).

At Warner Bros., Fairbanks was in '' Broken Hearts of Hollywood'' (1926), then, at Metropolitan Pictures, he was in '' Man Bait'' (1927).

At MGM he was in Edmund Goulding's '' Women Love Diamonds'' (1927) and for Alfred E. Green at Fox he was in '' Is Zat So?'' (1927). He supported Will Rogers in '' A Texas Steer'' (1927).

In 1927 Fairbanks made his stage debut in ''Young Woodley'' based on a book by John Van Druten. Fairbanks Jr received excellent reviews and the production was a success – the play did much to improve his reputation in Hollywood. A regular audience member was Joan Crawford with whom Fairbanks would become romantically involved.

He also appeared in a stage production of ''Saturday's Children''.

Early leading-man roles

Fairbanks' second lead role was in '' Dead Man's Curve'' (1928) for FBO. He was Helene Chadwick's leading man in '' Modern Mothers'' (1928) at Columbia and he starred in '' The Toilers'' (1928) for Tiffany.

Fairbanks starred in another for Columbia, '' The Power of the Press'' (1928), directed by Frank Capra.

He went back to supporting roles for ''The Barker'' (1928) at First National, his first "talkie" and '' A Woman of Affairs'' (1928) at MGM with Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.

Fairbanks had another starring role at FBO with '' The Jazz Age'' (1929) and received top billing over Loretta Young in '' Fast Life'' (1929) at Warner Bros.

He appeared in MGM's ''Our Modern Maidens'' (1929) opposite Crawford.

First National and Warner Bros.

First National gave Fairbanks a starring role in ''The Careless Age'' (1929) and he was reunited with Young in '' The Forward Pass'' (1929). He was one of many names in ''The Show of Shows'' (1929). In September 1929 he returned to the stage in a production of ''The Youngest''.

Victor Halperin cast Fairbanks in the lead of '' Party Girl'' (1929) then back at First National he did a third with Young, '' Loose Ankles'' (1930).

In 1930, Fairbanks Jr. went to Warner Bros. to test for the second lead in ''Moby Dick'' (1930). Although he did not win the part, head of production Darryl F. Zanuck was impressed with Douglas's screen test, and cast him in an important role in '' The Dawn Patrol'' directed by Howard Hawks.

Universal borrowed him to have the lead role in '' Little Accident'' (1930) and at Warners he was in the lead in '' The Sin Flood'' (1930). He supported Leslie Howard in the prestigious ''Outward Bound'' (1930) and was Billie Dove's leading man in ''One Night at Susie's'' (1930).

''Little Caesar''

Fairbanks had a role supporting Edward G. Robinson in '' Little Caesar'' (1931), filmed in August 1930. "We knew it was going to be good when we were making it but not that it would become a classic", he later said.

The movie was a big hit, and Warner Bros. offered Fairbanks Jr. a contract with cast and script approval – a condition which, Fairbanks Jr. says, was only offered to one other actor at the studio, Richard Barthelmess.

"By sheer accident, I had four successes in a row in the early '30s, and although I was still in my 20s, I demanded and received approval of cast, story and director. I don't know how I got away with it, but I did!"

Because he spoke French he was put in '' L'aviateur'' (1931). Back in Hollywood he was in '' Chances'' (1931) and ''I Like Your Nerve'' (1931) with Young.

In June 1931 he starred in another play ''The Man in Possession'' which he also produced along with Sid Grauman. Fairbanks said he wanted to stay away from costume adventures which were associated with his father.

He starred in two for Alfred E Green, '' Gentleman for a Day'' (1932) with Joan Blondell and '' It's Tough to Be Famous'' (1932). He starred in a film shot in French, '' L'athlète incomplet'' (1932).

He starred in ''Love Is a Racket'' (1932) for William Wellman and '' Scarlet Dawn'' (1932) for William Dieterle. Fairbanks did another with Green, '' Parachute Jumper'' (1933), which gave an early co-starring role to Bette Davis.

Fairbanks starred again with Young in ''The Life of Jimmy Dolan'' (1933) and did '' The Narrow Corner'' (1933) with Green.

RKO borrowed Fairbanks to support Katharine Hepburn in ''Morning Glory'' (1933), a big success.

Fairbanks was reunited with Howard in ''Captured!'' (1933).

In 1934, Warner asked all its stars to take a 50 percent pay cut because of the Depression. Fairbanks Jr. refused and was fired from the studio. He received a job offer from Britain and spent the next few years there, taking a residence in London's Park Lane.

Britain and Criterion films

Fairbanks went to Britain to star in Alex Korda

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