William Fairbanks
Encyclopedia
William Fairbanks was an American actor
. He appeared in over 65 silent movies
in the early 20th century.
He 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 stationary store in St. Louis.
His first screen
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 1920
release of his starring role in Goldstone's western
Hearts of the West
opposite 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 WWII
.
Other movies of Fairbanks include the western The Clean-Up (1922
); the western Down by the Rio Grande co-starring Dorothy Revier
, the drama A Fight for Honor co-starring Eva Novak
, in which Fairbanks played the role as Jack Adams, the Columbia Pictures
auto racing action
/drama Racing for Life co-starring Eva Novak, in which Fairbanks played the role as Jack Grant, and the western 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
, in which Fairbanks played Dave Merrill, and the action Flying High co-starring Alice Calhoun
, in which Fairbanks played Roy Cummins, (both released in 1926
); the crime
/drama One Chance in a Million co-starring Viora Daniel, in which Fairbanks played Jerry Blaine, and the action/adventure
The Down Grade co-starring Alice Calhoun, in which Fairbanks played Ted Lansing, (both released in 1927
); and the MGM
wagon train
western Wyoming (1928
) with Tim McCoy
and Dorothy Sebastian
, and directed
by W.S. Van Dyke
, in which Fairbanks played Buffalo Bill Cody
.
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.
William Fairbanks died at age 50 of lobar pneumonia
in Los Angeles, California
. A military funeral
service was conducted at graveside in Los Angeles National Cemetery
, Sawtelle
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He appeared in over 65 silent movies
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
in the early 20th century.
He was born Carl Ullman in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the son of Charles and Emma E. Ullman. His father was born in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and became a naturalized citizen
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
, and his mother was born in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. 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 stationary store in St. Louis.
His first screen
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
role was as Capt. Pierre Thierry in the war
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
Somewhere in France
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...
(1916
1916 in film
The year 1916 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 17 - release of A Daughter of the Gods, the first US production with a million dollar budget, with the first nude scene by a major star....
) starring Louise Glaum
Louise Glaum
Louise Glaum was an American actress. Best known for her role as a femme fatale in silent era motion picture dramas, she was credited with giving one of the best characterizations of a vamp in her early career....
and Howard C. Hickman
Howard C. Hickman
Howard C. Hickman was an accomplished stage leading man, who entered films through the auspices of producer Thomas H. Ince. He co-starred with his wife, actress Bessie Barriscale, in several productions before returning to the theatre...
. He was then living at 20 Horizon Avenue in Venice, California
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
, where he registered to vote. He appeared in five movies released in 1917
1917 in film
The year 1917 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Foundation of Universum Film AG , as a propaganda film company, in Berlin.*Technicolor System 1, a two-color process, is introduced...
, including his role as Dillon in the drama The Little Brother
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...
starring Enid Bennett
Enid Bennett
-Career:Born in York, Western Australia, Bennett started her film acting career in 1916, first starring in Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, with two other films that same year...
and William Garwood
William Garwood
William Garwood was an American stage and film actor and director of the early silent era in the 1910s....
. He was then living at 115 Dudley Avenue in Venice, where he registered for the draft
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He went on to serve as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Appearing in only one movie released in 1918
1918 in film
The year 1918 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband....
, as Stuart Morley in the comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
/drama The Hired Man starring Charles Ray and Charles K. French
Charles K. French
Charles K. French was an American motion picture actor who appeared in more than 240 movies between 1909 and 1945.-Selected filmography:...
, 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
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, and four of his movies were released that year.
He was elevated to star
Movie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
status by independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
producers
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Phil Goldstone and Ben F. Wilson
Ben F. Wilson
Ben F. Wilson , was an American film actor, director, producer and screenwriter of the silent era. He appeared in 212 films between 1911 and 1930...
. His screen name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
, taken from that of Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
, whose real surname happened to be the same as his, came about with the 1920
1920 in film
The year 1920 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 27 - The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks opens.-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1920:U.S.A. unless stated*The $1,000,000 Reward...
release of his starring role in Goldstone's western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
Hearts of the West
Hearts of the West
Hearts of the West is a 1975 comedy film directed by Howard Zieff, and starring Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith, Blythe Danner, and Alan Arkin. The story revolves around a wannabe 1930s writer who finds himself cast as a leading man in several B-movie westerns....
opposite 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 WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Other movies of Fairbanks include the western The Clean-Up (1922
1922 in film
-Events:* June 11 - United States première of Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North, the first commercially successful feature length documentary film....
); the western Down by the Rio Grande co-starring Dorothy Revier
Dorothy Revier
Dorothy Revier was an American actress.She was educated in the public schools of Oakland before going to New York City to study classical dancing...
, the drama A Fight for Honor co-starring Eva Novak
Eva Novak
Eva Barbara Novak was an American film actress, being quite popular during the silent film era. She was the younger sister of actress Jane Novak and daughter of Joseph, an immigrant from Bohemia, and Barbara Novak....
, in which Fairbanks played the role as Jack Adams, the Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
auto racing action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
/drama Racing for Life co-starring Eva Novak, in which Fairbanks played the role as Jack Grant, and the western Border Women co-starring Dorothy Revier, in which Fairbanks played Big Boy Merritt, (all released in 1924
1924 in film
-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
); the serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
Vanishing Millions co-starring Vivian Rich
Vivian Rich
Vivian Rich was an American silent film actress.-Career:Rich was born on the Atlantic ocean and spent her early years in Philadelphia. Later the family moved to Boston and she completed her education at the Boston Latin High School. From high school she went to the stage and played in musical...
, in which Fairbanks played Dave Merrill, and the action Flying High co-starring Alice Calhoun
Alice Calhoun
Alice Calhoun was an American silent film actress.-Film star:Born Alice Beatrice Calhoun in Cleveland, Ohio, she made her film debut in a role not credited in 1918 and went on to appear in another forty-seven films between then and 1929. As a star with Vitagraph in New York City, she moved with...
, in which Fairbanks played Roy Cummins, (both released in 1926
1926 in film
-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
); the crime
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
/drama One Chance in a Million co-starring Viora Daniel, in which Fairbanks played Jerry Blaine, and the action/adventure
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
The Down Grade co-starring Alice Calhoun, in which Fairbanks played Ted Lansing, (both released in 1927
1927 in film
-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
); and the MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
western Wyoming (1928
1928 in film
-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...
) with Tim McCoy
Tim McCoy
Col. Tim McCoy was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life and customs.-Early years:...
and Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian was an American film and stage actress.-Early life and career:Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In her youth she hoped to be a dancer and later a film actress. Her family frowned on both ambitions, however, so she fled to New York at the age of 15...
, and directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by W.S. Van Dyke
W. S. Van Dyke
Woodbridge Strong "Woody" Van Dyke, Jr. was an American motion picture director.-Early life and career:...
, in which Fairbanks played Buffalo Bill Cody
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
.
Although Fairbanks was a busy movie star
Movie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
through the greater part of the 1920s, after playing Long Collins in The Vanishing West
The Vanishing West
The Vanishing West is a 1928 Western film serial directed by Richard Thorpe. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Jack Perrin - Jack Marvin* Eileen Sedgwick - Betty Kincaid* Jack Dougherty - Jim Marvin...
(1928), he retired from the screen.
William Fairbanks died at age 50 of lobar pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. A military funeral
Military funeral
A military funeral is a specially orchestrated funeral 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 of honor, the firing of volley shots as a salute,...
service was conducted at graveside in Los Angeles National Cemetery
Los Angeles National Cemetery
The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in West Los Angeles, at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard. The cemetery was dedicated in 1889. Interred there are war veterans, from the Spanish-American war, World War I, World War II, Korean War,...
, Sawtelle
Sawtelle, Los Angeles, California
Sawtelle is an area partly within West Los Angeles, California, that may refer to a district that is part of the city of Los Angeles, an unincorporated area of the County of Los Angeles that by definition is not part of the municipality of Los Angeles, or may refer to a combination of these,...
.
External links
- William Fairbanks at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...