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William Fairbanks

1894-05-24 – 1945-04-01 (age 50) Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
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Biography

From Wikipedia

William Fairbanks (May 24, 1894 – April 1, 1945) was an American actor. He appeared in over 65 silent era motion pictures between 1916 and 1928.

His first film role was as Capt. Pierre Thierry in the war drama Somewhere in France (1916) starring Louise Glaum and Howard C. Hickman. He was then 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 starring Enid Bennett and William Garwood. He was then living at 115 Dudley Avenue in Venice, where he registered for the draft of World War I. He went on to serve as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.

Appearing in only one movie released in 1918, as Stuart Morley in the comedy/drama The Hired Man starring Charles Ray and Charles K. French, 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 independent producers Phil Goldstone and Ben F. Wilson. His screen name, taken from that of Douglas Fairbanks, whose real surname happened to be the same as his, came about with the release of his starring role in Goldstone's western Hearts of the West (1920) opposite Frances Conrad.

Although Fairbanks was a busy movie star through the greater part of the 1920s, after playing Long Collins in The Vanishing West (1928), he retired from the screen. In spite of sharing the same last name, William Fairbanks and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. were not related.

Known For

Through Thick and Thin
Through Thick and Thin

1927

as Don Davis

Marry in Haste
Marry in Haste

1924

as Wayne Sturgis

Under the Black Eagle
Under the Black Eagle

1928

as Ulrich Muller

The Flame of the Yukon
The Flame of the Yukon

1917

as George Fowler

The Handsome Brute
The Handsome Brute

1925

as Larry O'Day

🎦
The Torrent

1924

as Hale Garrison

The Law Rustlers
The Law Rustlers

1923

as Phil Stanley

The Hired Man
The Hired Man

1918

as Stuart Morley

🎦
The Mother Instinct

1917

as Raoul Bergere

Peaceful Peters
Peaceful Peters

1922

as 'Peaceful Peters'

Speed Mad
Speed Mad

1925

as Bill Sanford

Racing for Life
Racing for Life

1924

as Jack Grant

The Little Brother
The Little Brother

1917

as Dillon

The Cowboy and the Flapper
The Cowboy and the Flapper

1924

as Dan Patterson

The Battling Fool
The Battling Fool

1924

as Mark Jenkins

Flying High
Flying High

1926

as Roy Cummins

Sheriff of Sun Dog
Sheriff of Sun Dog

1922

as 'Silent' Davidson

Spawn of the Desert
Spawn of the Desert

1923

as Duke Steele

🎦
One Chance in a Million

1927

as Jerry Blaine