douglas fairbanks biography

 

She also worked as a producer and co-founded United Artists, with Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., who would become her second husband. I never tried to emulate my father. Douglas Fairbanks, original name Douglas Elton Ulman, (born May 23, 1883, Denver, Colo., U.S.—died Dec. 12, 1939, Santa Monica, Calif.), American motion picture actor and producer who was one of the first and greatest of the swashbuckling screen heroes. By 1927, Fairbanks was 44 years old and knew he was nearing the end of his acting career. His father Charles Ulman escaped his responsibility of fatherhood by separating with his wife and leaving his two sons Douglas and Robert with their mother. Read 5 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The 1930s were a fruitful period for Fairbanks, his most memorable role probably being that of the British soldier in Gunga Din (1939); although it was somewhat of a "swasbuckling" role, Fairbanks made a point of never imitating his father. His other films include Stella Dallas (1925), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), The Rage of Paris (1938), and Sinbad the Sailor (1947). Although he appeared in approximately 100 movies or TV shows, |  Publicity Listings Not content to limiting himself to just one field, he became involved in business, in fields as varied as mining, hotel management, owning a chain of bowling alleys and a firm that manufactured popcorn. When he was five years old, his father abandoned them. And dangerous. Fairbanks was born on December 9, … Ed Stephan /Rms125a@hotmail.com, View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, People featured in the book "Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood" by William J. Mann. He began acting at age 12 at an amateur theater in Denver. Douglas Fairbanks was born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman in Denver, Colorado, to Ella Adelaide (nee Marsh) and Hezekiah Charles Ullman, an attorney and native of Pennsylvania, who was a captain for the Union forces during the Civil War. He left during his senior year. His death was reported on the front page of the Times in London and Buckingham Palace expressed its condolences on his demise. I was only saying to the Queen the other day how I hate name dropping . During a Liberty Bond tour with Charles Chaplin he fell in love with Mary Pickford with whom he, Chaplin and Griffith had formed United Artists in 1919. Fairbanks was only 19; Crawford was 4 years older. Pictured on a 20¢ US commemorative postage stamp in the Performing Arts USA series, issued 23 May 1984. Hosted the very first Academy Awards in 1929 alongside, First president of the AMPAS from 1927 to 1929. Finally, he helped open th… According to legend, the thing that sparked his interest in acting occurred when he fell off the roof as a young child and hurt himself. Douglas Fairbanks was born Douglas Elton Ullman on May 23, 1883, in Denver in Colorado, United States of America. Things really picked up when he married Lucille Le Sueur, a young starlet who was soon to become better known as Joan Crawford. He has actively supported film preservation. His first notable relationship was with the actress Joan Crawford, whom he began to date seriously during the filming of Our Modern Maidens. His second wife Mary Lee, to whom he was married for almost 50 years, had been the first wife of A&P heir, During WWII he commanded a British landing party and served under. “Tracey Goessel's biography of Douglas Fairbanks is impeccably researched and elegantly written. He was born Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. in New York City, New York, to Anna Beth (Sully), daughter of a very wealthy cotton mogul, and actor Douglas Fairbanks (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman), then not yet established as the swashbuckling idol he would become. The young couple became the toast of the town (one "Screen Snapshots" episode echoes this sudden glory) and good parts and success followed, such as the hapless partner of Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar (1931) a favorably reviewed turn as the villain in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) or more debonair characters in slapstick comedies or adventure yarns. Was awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross, the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm for his services during World War II. From the age of five he was raised by his mother due to her husband's abandonment. Fairbanks was 55 years old at the time, and he was modeled for the Superman identity (Clark Kent's identity was modeled after. He debuted in Stephen Steps Out (1923) but the film flopped and his career stagnated despite a critically acclaimed role in Stella Dallas (1925). In 1900 they moved to New York. In 1915, he went to Hollywood and worked under a reluctant D.W. Griffith. But the closer you come, the more you see the makeup. However, there were instances when a stuntman was used (as proved by outtakes from. But it's still exciting and it's still my home. Very early in his life he developed a taste for the arts as well and became a painter and sculptor. In 1941 President. He was in summer stock at the Elitch Gardens Theatre, becoming a sensation in his teens. Official Sites. I roller-skated across the lobby as a boy. Silent movie star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (1883–39) teamed up with his wife, Mary Pickford; Charlie Chaplin; and D.W. Griffith to launch United Artists in 1919. Very fond of Northumberland which he first visited when he was looking for castle locations for a film to be called 'The Last Minstrel'. He was also involved in the opening of Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. He later… "The Salad Days: An Autobiography by Douglas Fairbanks Jr" and "A Hell of a War" are the first two installments of a proposed tri-part autobiography. At the onset of World War II, Fairbanks was commissioned a Reserve Officer in the U.S. Navy and assigned to Lord Mountbatten's Commando staff in England. Douglas Elton Fairbanks (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Other articles where Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is discussed: Douglas Fairbanks: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (b. Dec. 9, 1909, New York, N.Y., U.S.—d. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Douglas Elton Ulman Fairbanks actor Born: 12/9/1909 Birthplace: New York City Son of actor Douglas Fairbanks, he began acting as a teenager and later starred in a number of swashbuckling adventures such as Gunga Din (1939). Although he was born in New York he became an Anglophile, and from the 1950s to the 70s, he lived in the South Kensington area of London where he regularly entertained. He was announced to star in the first film for Fairbanks-International, his father's new company, in 1939, entitled "The Californian," but plans were canceled following the death of his father, In addition to publishing two volumes of autobiography--"The Salad Days" (1988) and "A Hell of a War" (1993)--he collaborated with, Westridge--his California Spanish-style estate--was sold to. He lived with his mother in New York, California, Paris and London. During World War II he headed London's Douglas Voluntary Hospital (an establishment taking care of war refugees), was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's special envoy for the Special Mission to South America in 1940 before becoming a lieutenant in the Navy (he was promoted to the rank of captain in 1954) and taking part in the Allies' landing in Sicily and Elba in 1943. Host of an entertaining introductory film shown to visitors of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. He frequently requested that his name be listed last in the film credits. During the 1950s he produced and often starred in 160 episodes of the television series 'Douglas Fairbanks Jr Presents in England'. However, the environment he was born into and the circumstances naturally led him to be a thespian. Scandal surfaced in 1963 when he was named in the notorious Profumo trial as having been introduced to the call girls. Knight errant;: A biography of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr But after reading this book I now have many examples of … President of Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corp., formed in 1918. |  Please comment! Handsome, distinguished and extremely bright, he excelled at sports (much like his father), notably during his stay at the Military Academy in 1919 (his role in Claude Autant-Lara's "L'athlète incomplete" illustrated these abilities). "Douglas Fairbanks, The Intimate Biography", is a marvelous, historical 2-Disc DVD-visit with the first male movie-superstar of the 20th century. He remained active with the management of his business, forming the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and overseeing the first award ceremony. Fairbanks and Crawford married on June 3, 1929, at St. Malachy in New York City. In 1938 he formed a new company, Fairbanks-International, and announced his first production, "The Californian" would star his son. And there's bits and pieces of the Upper West Side I still know. Sure, the Algonquin Hotel is still here. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/douglas-fairbanks-jr--45374.php In 1908 on holiday he hiked across Cuba and made a walking tour of Yucatan. In March 1936, he married and retired from acting. He was an excellent athlete and used his physical abilities to his best advantage. His paternal grandparents, Lazarus Ullman and Lydia Abrahams, were German Jewish immigrants. Fairbanks was famous for climbing straight-up tall buildings, swinging from the rafters, and crashing through glass windows. His portrayal of Zorro was the inspiration for the iconic DC Comics hero Batman. [in 1990] I suppose many people don't even know if I'm still alive--well, perhaps I'm not. Douglas Fairbanks book. And the Netherland Hotel is now the Sherry Netherland. Noblesse oblige.He was born Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. in New York City, New York, to Anna Beth (Sully), daughter of a very wealthy cotton mogul, and actor Douglas Fairbanks (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman), then not yet established as the swashbuckling idol he would become. In the days of silent films, Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was the king of dramatic actors. He has appeared in six films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: [last words] I never felt better in my life. Interviewed in "Talking to the Piano Player: Silent Film Stars, Writers and Directors Remember" by. Fairbanks, Jr. had German Jewish (from his paternal grandfather), English, and Scottish ancestry.He proved a gifted boy early in life. He was awarded three Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6318 Hollywood Blvd., for Radio at 6710 Hollywood Blvd. He was the son of legendary silent movie actor Douglas Fairbanks. "The Salad Days: An Autobiography by Douglas Fairbanks Jr" and "A Hell of a War" are the first two installments of a proposed tri-part autobiography. Knight errant;: A biography of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr [Connell, Brian] on Amazon.com. He was highly decorated naval officer of World War II. He appeared in four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: His father wasn't happy at first when he entered films. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was born in New York City, the only child of actor Douglas Fairbanks and his first wife, Anna Beth Sully. When his parents divorced his parents divorced the courts awarded custody to his mother. The music is Draw me nearer by Terry Mcalmon. Vance wrote an exemplary book of Douglas Fairbanks that was very interesting and enjoyable to read. The following year he formed his own production company. A born athlete and extrovert, Fairbanks felt the borders of the stage were much too confining, even … Fairbanks' upbringing consisted mostly of moving back and forth from the east to the west coast and overseas. Spent a week in 1934 in a play at the Theatre Royal Newcastle Upon Tyne. Anyone trying to do that would be a second-rate carbon copy. He made his Broadway debut in 1902 and five years later left theater to marry an industrialist's daughter.He returned when his father-in-law went broke the next year. An article on the matter recounts a professor once saying Fairbanks was a… View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. and for Television at 6661 Hollywood Blvd. He said he attended Colorado School of Mines for a term but no record of attendance has been found. . He had a lifelong, cultivated interest in international affairs. - IMDb Mini Biography By: and branched out into other ventures including hotels. May 7, 2000, New York), his son by his first wife, Anna Beth Sully, was a debonair leading man in the late 1930s and ’40s who played roles similar to his father’s. He attended Harvard, traveled to Europe, worked on a cattle freighter, in a hardware store and as a clerk on Wall Street. A fervent Anglophile, was knighted in 1949 and often entertained Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in his London mansion, "The Boltons".His film career began at the age of 13 when he was signed by Paramount Pictures. |  Douglas Fairbanks is undisputedly the number one swashbuckler superstar of the Silent Era.He is known for impersonating legendary adventure figures, such as Zorro, Robin Hood and D’Artagnan, just to name a few. Mini Bio (1) Douglas Fairbanks was born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman in Denver, Colorado, to Ella Adelaide (nee Marsh) and Hezekiah Charles Ullman, an attorney and native of Pennsylvania, who was a captain for the Union forces during the Civil War. Fairbanks biographer Jeffrey Vance evaluated the film in 2008 as follows: " Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood is the most important legacy of the rich life and career of Douglas Fairbanks. He made very successful early social comedies, then highly popular swashbucklers during the 'twenties. Created an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1949. Douglas Fairbanks began acting on the Denver stage at an early age, doing amateur theatre. Among those in attendance at his funeral in 1939 were, After receiving bad French press for his role in the American version of. Douglas Fairbanks: Biography & Actor Famous American silent movie actor was Douglas Fairbanks was born in Denver, Colorado on May 23, 1889. - IMDb Mini Biography By: He has actively supported film preservation. Except for his great friend Charlie Chaplin, the biggest male star of silent films, and the most loved, was Douglas Fairbanks, the idol of millions of young boys—and a number of grown-up boys, too. Had three daughters with Mary Lee Eppling; Daphne Nancy-Beth Fairbanks (born April 8, 1940), Victoria Susan Fairbanks (born 1942) and Melissa Louise Fairbanks (born October 25, 1947). It gives new relevance to one of the seminal figures of 20th century movies and manhood, and at the same time it gives us an amazingly intimate view of the tragic love affair between Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Ullman left the family when Douglas was five years old. He held the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with V for valor in combat device from the U.S. government for his combat service in PT boats and gunboats. Although celebrated as an actor, Fairbanks most enduring legacy was a well-kept secret for decades. The first time he appeared on the stage, he had one line: "Stand back, my lord, and let the coffin pass," which he erroneously spoke as "and let the passon cough.". Fairbanks' paternal grandparents were German Jewish immigrants, while his mother, a Southerner with roots in Louisiana and Georgia, was of British Isles descent. Everything a biography should be! His parents divorced when he was nine years old, and both remarried. After his father left, their mother gave them the family name Fairbanks. He was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of the superhero Superman/Clark Kent (created in 1938). Biography American actor Douglas Fairbanks Sr., instilled with a love of dramatics by his Shakespearean-scholar father, was never fully satisfied with theatrical work. Synopsis Silent-film star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. was born on May 23, 1883, in Denver, Colorado. Lived in retirement with Sylvia Ashley at 705 Ocean Front (now Pacific Coast Highway) in Santa Monica, California. Supplement 1, pp. American actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was the son of film star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Fairbanks Jr. made his acting debut in 1923's Stephen Steps Out, which was remarkable only in how quickly it went out of circulation. Made an honorary Knight by the King of England for his furthering of "Anglo-American amity" in 1949 Made an honorary Knight by the King of England for his furthering of "Anglo-American amity" in 1949 The actress Joan Crawford daughters with Mary Lee Eppling very first Academy Awards in 1929 alongside, first of! 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