William Fairbanks (born Carl Ullman; May 24, 1894 – April 1, 1945) was an American actor. He appeared in over 65
silent era films from 1916 to 1928.
Biography
Fairbanks was born Carl Ullman in St. Louis, Missouri,
the son of Charles and Emma E. Ullman. His father was born in Bavaria, Germany, emigrated to the U.S. and became a naturalized citizen, and his mother was born in Illinois. His father was a dry goods merchant and his mother a saleslady at their store. At age 16, Carl worked as a clerk in a stationery store in St. Louis. He attended the St. Louis Military Academy.
His first film role was as Capt. Pierre Thierry in the drama ''
Somewhere in France
''Somewhere in France'' is a 1916 silent era war espionage drama motion picture starring Louise Glaum and Howard C. Hickman.
Directed by Charles Giblyn and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was adapted by J. G. Hawks based on the 1915 ...
'' (1916) starring
Louise Glaum
Louise Glaum (September 4, 1888 – November 25, 1970) was an American actor, actress. Known for her roles as a femme fatale, vamp in silent film, silent era film, motion picture drama film, dramas, she was credited with giving one of the b ...
and
Howard C. Hickman
Howard Charles Hickman (February 9, 1880 – December 31, 1949) was an American actor, director and writer. He was an accomplished stage leading man, who entered films through the auspices of producer Thomas H. Ince.
Career
In 1900, Hickman d ...
. He was living at 20 Horizon Avenue in Venice, California, where he registered to vote. He appeared in five movies released in 1917, including his role as Dillon in the drama ''
The Little Brother
''The Little Brother'' is a 1917 American silent drama directed by Charles Miller and starring William Garwood and Australian actress Enid Bennett. The scenario was written by Lambert Hillyer based on a story by Lois Zellner.
Cast
*Enid Bennett ...
'' starring
Enid Bennett
Enid Eulalie Bennett (15 July 1893 – 14 May 1969) was an Australian silent film actress, mostly active in American film.
Early life
Bennett was born on 15 July 1893 in York, Western Australia, the daughter of Nellie Mary Louise (''née'' Wa ...
and
William Garwood
William Davis Garwood, Jr. (April 28, 1884 – December 28, 1950) was an American stage and film actor and director of the early silent film era in the 1910s.
Between 1911 and 1913, Garwood starred in a number of early adaptions of popula ...
. He was then living at 115 Dudley Avenue in Venice, where he registered for
the draft
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
of World War I. He went on to serve as an ensign in the United States Navy, U.S. Navy.
Appearing in only one movie released in 1918, as Stuart Morley in the comedy/drama ''
The Hired Man
''The Hired Man'' is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1969 by Secker and Warburg. It is the first part of Bragg's Cumbrian Trilogy.
The story is set predominantly in the rural area around Thurston (Bragg's name for Wigton, his home ...
'' starring
Charles Ray and
Charles K. French
Charles K. French (born Charles Ekrauss French or Charles E. Krauss; January 17, 1860 – August 2, 1952) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director who appeared in more than 240 films between 1909 and 1945.
Biography
French was ...
, he was then absent from the screen for over a year due to the war. In 1920, he lived at 1309 Ocean Front in Santa Monica, and four of his movies were released that year.
He was elevated to star status by producers
Phil Goldstone
Phil Goldstone (1893–1963) was a Polish-born American film producer and film director, director. He was also a real estate developer in Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs. Goldstone was involved with low-budget Poverty Row companies such as ...
and
Ben F. Wilson
Ben F. Wilson (also credited as Benjamin Wilson; July 7, 1876 – August 25, 1930), was an American stage and film actor, director, producer and screenwriter of the silent era.Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...
, whose real surname happened to be the same as his, came about with the release of his starring role in Goldstone's ''Hearts of the West'' (1920) with
Frances Conrad.
Fairbanks and Edna Whitson were married in October 1920 and divorced in 1930. They had one son, William Fairbanks (December 12, 1923 – April 20, 1999), who served in the Navy during World War II.
Other movies of Fairbanks include the western ''
The Clean-Up'' (1922); the western ''
Down by the Rio Grande'' co-starring
Dorothy Revier
Dorothy Revier (born Doris Valerga; April 18, 1904 – November 19, 1993) was an American actress.
Early years
Born as Doris Valerga in San Francisco on April 18, 1904, Revier was one of five siblings of the famous Valerga performing fami ...
, the drama ''
A Fight for Honor
''A Fight for Honor'' is a lost film, lost 1924 American silent film, silent action film directed by Henry MacRae and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak and Claire McDowell.Connelly p.346
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Jack Adams
* Eva Novak as Ma ...
'' co-starring
Eva Novak
Eva Barbara Novak (February 14, 1898 – April 17, 1988) was an American film actress, who was quite popular during the silent film era.
Biography
On February 14, 1898, Eva Barbara Novak was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Joseph Jerome Nov ...
, in which Fairbanks played the role as Jack Adams, the drama ''
Racing for Life
''Racing for Life'' is a 1924 American silent action film directed by Henry MacRae and starring Eva Novak, William Fairbanks and Philo McCullough.Munden p.627
Cast
* Eva Novak as Grace Danton
* William Fairbanks as Jack Grant
* Philo McCullo ...
'' co-starring Eva Novak, in which Fairbanks played the role as Jack Grant, and ''
Border Women'' co-starring Dorothy Revier, in which Fairbanks played Big Boy Merritt, (all released in 1924); the serial ''
Vanishing Millions'' co-starring
Vivian Rich
Vivian Rich (May 26, 1893 – November 17, 1957) was an American silent film actress.
Career
Rich was born in Philadelphia and spent her early years there. Later the family moved to Boston and she completed her education at the Boston Latin H ...
, in which Fairbanks played Dave Merrill, and the action ''
Flying High'' co-starring
Alice Calhoun
Alice Beatrice Calhoun (November 21, 1900 – June 3, 1966) was an American silent film actress.
Film star
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she made her film debut in an uncredited role in 1918 and went on to appear in another forty-seven films betw ...
, in which Fairbanks played Roy Cummins, (both released in 1926); the drama ''
One Chance in a Million
''One Chance in a Million'' is a 1927 American silent crime film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring William Fairbanks, Viora Daniel and Charles K. French. It was produced by the independent company Gotham Pictures.
Synopsis
After rescuing R ...
'' co-starring
Viora Daniel
Viora Daniel (1902–1980) was an American film actress of the silent era.Foster p.33 She appeared in around twenty films, including several shorts, in a mixture of lead and supporting roles.
Selected filmography
* '' The Fourteenth Man'' (1920) ...
, in which Fairbanks played Jerry Blaine, and the action/adventure ''
The Down Grade
''The Down Grade'' is a 1927 American silent action film directed by Charles Hutchison and starring William Fairbanks, Alice Calhoun and Charles K. French.Munden p.200
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Ted Lanning
* Alice Calhoun as Molly Crane
* C ...
'' co-starring Alice Calhoun, in which Fairbanks played Ted Lansing, (both released in 1927); and ''
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
'' (1928) with
Tim McCoy
Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he ap ...
and
Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907. – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress.
Ear ...
, and directed by
W.S. Van Dyke
Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (Woody) (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932, ''The Thin Man'' in 1934, ''San Franci ...
, in which Fairbanks played
Buffalo Bill Cody
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...
.
Although Fairbanks was a busy movie star through the greater part of the 1920s, after playing Long Collins in ''
The Vanishing West
''The Vanishing West'' is a 1928 American silent Western film serial directed by Richard Thorpe. The film is considered to be lost.
Cast
* Jack Perrin as Jack Marvin
* Eileen Sedgwick as Betty Kincaid
* Jack Dougherty as Jim Marvin (as Jack D ...
'' (1928), he retired from the screen.
William Fairbanks died at age 50 of lobar pneumonia in Los Angeles.
A
military funeral
A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...
service was conducted at graveside in
Los Angeles National Cemetery
The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Sawtelle unincorporated community of the West Los Angeles neighborhood in Los Angeles County, California.
Geography
The entrance to the cemetery is located at 950 Sou ...
in Sawtelle.
[''Los Angeles Times'', Apr. 8, 1945, "Obituary --- William Fairbanks," p. 11]
Selected filmography
* ''
Somewhere in France
''Somewhere in France'' is a 1916 silent era war espionage drama motion picture starring Louise Glaum and Howard C. Hickman.
Directed by Charles Giblyn and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was adapted by J. G. Hawks based on the 1915 ...
'' (1916)
* ''
The Little Brother
''The Little Brother'' is a 1917 American silent drama directed by Charles Miller and starring William Garwood and Australian actress Enid Bennett. The scenario was written by Lambert Hillyer based on a story by Lois Zellner.
Cast
*Enid Bennett ...
'' (1917)
* ''
Wolf Lowry
''Wolf Lowry'' is a 1917 silent film western directed by and starring William S. Hart. It was produced at Kay-Bee Studios and released by Triangle Film Corporation.
A surviving film with prints at the Library of Congress, George Eastman House a ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Mother Instinct
''The Mother Instinct'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer and Roy William Neill and starring Enid Bennett, Rowland V. Lee and Margery Wilson.Golden p.33
Cast
* Enid Bennett as Eleanor Coutierre
* Rowland V. Lee as ...
'' (1917)
* ''
The Medicine Man'' (1917)
* ''
The Flame of the Yukon'' (1917)
* ''
The Hired Man
''The Hired Man'' is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1969 by Secker and Warburg. It is the first part of Bragg's Cumbrian Trilogy.
The story is set predominantly in the rural area around Thurston (Bragg's name for Wigton, his home ...
'' (1918)
* ''
What Women Love
''What Women Love'' is a lost film, lost 1920 American silent film, silent comedy drama film directed by Nate Watt and starring Annette Kellerman.
Cast
*Annette Kellerman as Annabel Cotton
*Ralph Lewis (actor), Ralph Lewis as James King Cotton
...
'' (1920)
* ''
Peaceful Peters'' (1922)
* ''
A Western Demon
''A Western Demon'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Robert McKenzie. The film stars William Fairbanks, Marilyn Mills, and Monte Montague. The film was restored by The Film Foundation and the Academy of Motion Picture ...
'' (1922)
![William Fairbanks - The Call Of The Mate - 1923](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/William_Fairbanks_-_The_Call_Of_The_Mate_-_1923.jpg)
* ''
Spawn of the Desert
''Spawn of the Desert'' is a 1923 American silent Western film directed by Louis King and starring William Fairbanks, Florence Gilbert and P. Dempsey Tabler.Munden, p. 752
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Duke Steele
* Florence Gilbert as Nola 'Lu ...
'' (1923)
* ''
The Law Rustlers
''The Law Rustlers'' is a 1923 American silent Western film directed by Louis King and starring William Fairbanks, Edmund Cobb and Joseph W. Girard.Munden, p. 426.
Synopsis
Two ranch hands set off for Alaska but stop in a town on the way, cont ...
'' (1923)
* ''
Her Man'' (1924)
* ''
The Beautiful Sinner
''The Beautiful Sinner'' is a lost 1924 American silent Western film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak and George Nichols.
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Henry Avery
* Eva Novak as Alice Carter
* George Nich ...
'' (1924)
* ''
The Cowboy and the Flapper
''The Cowboy and the Flapper'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Alan James and starring Alan James and starring William Fairbanks, Dorothy Revier and Jack Richardson.
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Dan Patterson
* Dorothy Revie ...
'' (1924)
* ''
Marry in Haste
''Marry in Haste'' is a 1924 American silent comedy drama film directed by Duke Worne and starring William Fairbanks, Dorothy Revier, and Alfred Hollingsworth.Munden p. 496
Plot
As described in a film magazine review, Wayne Sturgis of Wyoming w ...
'' (1924)
* ''
Racing for Life
''Racing for Life'' is a 1924 American silent action film directed by Henry MacRae and starring Eva Novak, William Fairbanks and Philo McCullough.Munden p.627
Cast
* Eva Novak as Grace Danton
* William Fairbanks as Jack Grant
* Philo McCullo ...
'' (1924)
* ''
The Fatal Mistake
''The Fatal Mistake'' is a 1924 American silent crime film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak and Wilfred Lucas.
Synopsis
A sacked newspaper reporter and a policewoman join forces to battle a gang of criminals ...
'' (1924)
*''
A Fight for Honor
''A Fight for Honor'' is a lost film, lost 1924 American silent film, silent action film directed by Henry MacRae and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak and Claire McDowell.Connelly p.346
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Jack Adams
* Eva Novak as Ma ...
'' (1924)
* ''
Tainted Money
''Tainted Money'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Henry MacRae and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak and Bruce Gordon.
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Chester Carlton
* Eva Novak as Adams' Daughter
* Bruce Gordon as Marston
* E ...
'' (1924)
* ''
Women First
''Women First'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak and Lydia Knott.Dick p.232
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Billy
* Eva Novak as Jennie
* Lydia Knott as Mrs. Abigail Doon
...
'' (1924)
* ''
The Other Kind of Love
''The Other Kind of Love'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Duke Worne and starring William Fairbanks, Dorothy Revier and Edith Yorke.Darby p.451
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Adam Benton
* Dorothy Revier as Elsie
* Edith Yorke ...
'' (1924)
* ''
The Torrent
Torrent or torrents may refer to:
* A fast flowing stream
Animals
* Torrent duck, a species of the family Anatidae
* Torrent fish
* Torrent frog, various unrelated frogs
* Torrent robin, a bird species
* Torrent salamander, a family of sala ...
'' (1924)
* ''
Do It Now'' (1924)
* ''
The Great Sensation
''The Great Sensation'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Jay Marchant and starring William Fairbanks, Pauline Garon and Lloyd Whitlock.Munden p.313 The son of a wealthy family masquerades as a chauffeur, and thwarts the plans of ...
'' (1925)
* ''
The New Champion
''The New Champion'' is a 1925 American silent sports action film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring William Fairbanks, Edith Roberts and Lotus Thompson.
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Bob
* Edith Roberts as Polly Brand
* Lotus Thompson ...
'' (1925)
* ''
Fighting Youth
''Fighting Youth'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Hamilton MacFadden and written by Henry Johnson, Hamilton MacFadden and newspaper reporter Florabel Muir. The film stars Charles Farrell, June Martel, Andy Devine, J. Farrell MacDonald ...
'' (1925)
*''
The Fearless Lover
''The Fearless Lover'' is a lost 1925 American silent drama film directed by Scott R. Dunlap and Henry MacRae and starring William Fairbanks, Eva Novak, and Tom Kennedy.
Plot
As described in a film magazine reviews, Patrick Michael Casey, son o ...
'' (1925)
* ''
The Handsome Brute
''The Handsome Brute'' is a lost 1925 American silent drama film directed by Robert Eddy and written by Lillian Taft Maize. The film stars William Fairbanks, Virginia Lee Corbin, Lee Shumway, Robert Bolder, J.J. Bryson, and Daniel Belmont. The ...
'' (1925)
* ''
A Fight to the Finish'' (1925)
* ''
The Winning Wallop
''The Winning Wallop'' is a 1926 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Charles Hutchison and starring William Fairbanks, Shirley Palmer and Charles K. French.Munden p.909
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Rex Barton
* Shirley Palmer as Mar ...
'' (1926)
* ''
The Mile-a-Minute Man
''The Mile-a-Minute Man'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Jack Nelson and starring William Fairbanks, Virginia Brown Faire, and George Periolat. It was produced by the independent Gotham Pictures. The plot revolves around two ri ...
'' (1926)
* ''
Flying High'' (1926)
* ''
The Down Grade
''The Down Grade'' is a 1927 American silent action film directed by Charles Hutchison and starring William Fairbanks, Alice Calhoun and Charles K. French.Munden p.200
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Ted Lanning
* Alice Calhoun as Molly Crane
* C ...
'' (1927)
* ''
Through Thick and Thin
''Through Thick and Thin'' is the second full-length album by San Diego punk band Dogwood
''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be dis ...
'' (1927)
*''
Catch-As-Catch-Can'' (1927)
* ''
Spoilers of the West
''Spoilers of the West'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, written by Joseph Farnham, Madeleine Ruthven, and Ross B. Wills, and starring Tim McCoy, Marjorie Daw, William Fairbanks, Charles Thurston and Chief J ...
'' (1927)
* ''
One Chance in a Million
''One Chance in a Million'' is a 1927 American silent crime film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring William Fairbanks, Viora Daniel and Charles K. French. It was produced by the independent company Gotham Pictures.
Synopsis
After rescuing R ...
'' (1927)
* ''
When Danger Calls
''When Danger Calls'' is a 1927 American silent thriller film directed by Charles Hutchison and starring William Fairbanks, Eileen Sedgwick and Ethan Laidlaw.Munden p.884
Cast
* William Fairbanks as Ralph Spencer
* Eileen Sedgwick as June Weld ...
'' (1927)
* ''
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
'' (1928)
* ''
Under the Black Eagle
''Under the Black Eagle'' is a 1928 American silent World War I drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, written by Norman Houston, Bradley King, and Madeleine Ruthven, and starring Ralph Forbes, Marceline Day, Bert Roach, William Fairbanks, an ...
'' (1928)
* ''
The Vanishing West
''The Vanishing West'' is a 1928 American silent Western film serial directed by Richard Thorpe. The film is considered to be lost.
Cast
* Jack Perrin as Jack Marvin
* Eileen Sedgwick as Betty Kincaid
* Jack Dougherty as Jim Marvin (as Jack D ...
'' (1928)
References
External links
*
William Fairbanksat
Find A Grave
Find a Grave is a website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com. Its stated mission is "to help people from all over the world work together to find, record and present fin ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairbanks, William
1894 births
1945 deaths
American male silent film actors
American people of German descent
Male actors from St. Louis
Male actors from Los Angeles
Deaths from pneumonia in California
20th-century American male actors
United States Navy personnel of World War I
United States Navy officers