William B. Davidson

Born: 1888-06-15 in Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA

Died: 1947-09-28

Known For: Acting

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William B. Davidson (June 16, 1888 – September 28, 1947) was an American film actor. Davidson attended Columbia University where he played football. He became a popular football star. This fame eventually led to his foray into motion pictures after he had spent some time as a lawyer. He started in films in 1914 with Vitagraph and supported well known stage and film actresses such as Ethel Barrymore, Mabel Taliaferro, Charlotte Walker, Olga Petrova, Viola Dana, June Caprice, Edna Goodrich, and Mae West. He appeared in 318 films between 1915 and 1949. He was born in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and died in Santa Monica, California. His first Hollywood film was For the Honor of the Crew. Afterward, he appeared in many films, his best-known role was perhaps the Ship's captain in The Most Dangerous Game. He remained in show business until his sudden death after surgery in 1947.

Filmography

1947

That's My Man as Steward
Dick Tracy's Dilemma as Peter Premium
That Hagen Girl as Mr. Bowman (uncredited)
The Judge Steps Out as Colonel Bright (uncredited)

1946

My Darling Clementine as Saloon Owner (uncredited)
Blonde Alibi as Police Captain Hurley (Uncredited)
Ding Dong Williams as Mr. Saul Dana
The Plainsman and the Lady as Russell
The Cat Creeps as James Walsh
The Notorious Lone Wolf as Inspector Crane (as William Davidson)

1945

They Were Expendable as Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Sing Your Way Home as F.T. Johnson (uncredited)
The Man Who Walked Alone as Governor
See My Lawyer as Judge
Dillinger as Bank President (uncredited)
Circumstantial Evidence as Board of Appeals Chairman
Tell It to a Star as Brannigan
Blonde Ransom as Police Captain

1944

Greenwich Village as Dance Director
Up in Arms as Maxwell (uncredited)
In Society as Parker
Make Your Own Bed as Mr. Linklater
Shine on Harvest Moon as Tim Donovan (uncredited)
A Night of Adventure as Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited)

1943

Calaboose as Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson)
Mission to Moscow as Senator (uncredited)
Truck Busters as Stephen S. Gray
The Good Fellows as Blake
Hers to Hold as Al
Murder on the Waterfront as Capt. Towne
Over the Wall as Warden Ed

1942

In This Our Life as Jim Purdy
Gentleman Jim as Donovan (uncredited)
The Male Animal as Alumnus
The Affairs of Martha as Homer Jacell
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine as Cyrus Ballard
Larceny, Inc. as McCarthy
Careful, Soft Shoulders as Mr. Aldrich
Over My Dead Body as Crole (as William Davidson)
The Magnificent Dope as Mr. Reindel

1941

Remember the Day as Committeeman
Man-Made Monster as District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley
Hold That Ghost as Moose Matson
The Great Man's Lady as Sen. Knobs
In the Navy as Capt. Richards (uncredited)
Uncle Joe as Mr. Day
Three Girls About Town as Labor Leader
The Lady from Cheyenne as Nye Dunbar
Sun Valley Serenade as Jack Murray
Keep 'Em Flying as Gonigle
Thieves Fall Out as Harrison "Harry" Eckles
Highway West as Gorman
Week-End in Havana as Captain Moss
Three Sons o' Guns as Henry Baxter

1940

Seven Sinners as Police Chief
Lillian Russell as President Cleveland
Tin Pan Alley as Hotel Manager
Lady with Red Hair as Stock Company Manager (uncredited)
Girl in 313 as George Grayson
My Little Chickadee as Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
Sailor's Lady as Judge Hinsdale
Florian as Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Half a Sinner as Slick
Hired Wife as Mumford (as William Davidson)
Granny Get Your Gun as Fitzgerald
Maryland as John Addison
My Love Came Back as Agent
San Francisco Docks as Dist. Atty. Craig
Charter Pilot as Mr. Wentworth
On Their Own as Judge Bull
A Night at Earl Carroll's as Mayor Green of San Bernardino
Sandy Gets Her Man as Councilman Charles J. Clark

1939

Invisible Stripes as Montgomery (uncredited)
Naughty but Nice as Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher
Each Dawn I Die as Bill Mason
Blackwell's Island as Hempel
Dust Be My Destiny as Work Farm Warden
Private Detective as Inspector Evans
Sudden Money as Sam
The Honeymoon's Over as Crane
They Made Me a Criminal as Ennis
Blondie Meets the Boss as Elderly Man in Café (uncredited)
Honeymoon in Bali as Store Detective
Tail Spin as Sales Manager (Uncredited)
Three Smart Girls Grow Up as Stock Broker
Off the Record as Scotty
Smashing the Money Ring as Warden Denby
Indianapolis Speedway as Duncan Martin
On Trial as Mr. Gray
Hidden Power as Foster

1938

You and Me as N. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited)
Hollywood Hotel as Director Kelton
Cocoanut Grove as Hawtrey
Racket Busters as Trucking Chairman (uncredited)
The Jury's Secret as Page
Letter of Introduction as Mr. Raleigh (uncredited)
There Goes My Heart as Skipper Jackson (uncredited)
Cowboy from Brooklyn as Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey
Mr. Doodle Kicks Off as Ellory Bugs
Blockade as Commandant
Illegal Traffic as Dalton
Sergeant Murphy as Maj. Gruff (uncredited)

1937

Marked Woman as Bob Crandall
The Hurricane as The Bully (uncredited)
Let Them Live as The Editor
Easy Living as Mr. Hyde
The Road Back as Bartscher
Midnight Court as Alfred H. Kruger
Ever Since Eve as Henderson
Marry the Girl as Drake
Behind the Mike as Cyrus Wittles
Something to Sing About as Café Manager
It Happened in Hollywood as Al Howard
Love on Toast as Jonathan
Melody for Two as Mr. Hale
Paradise Isle as Hoener

1936

Road Gang as Attorney General Mardsen
Satan Met a Lady as City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited)
The Singing Kid as Barney Hammond
Gold Diggers of 1937 as Andy Callahan
Fatal Lady as Detective (uncredited)
Earthworm Tractors as Mr. Jackson
Love on a Bet as A.W. Hutchinson
The Big Noise as Welford Andrews
You May Be Next! as Official (uncredited)
Murder by an Aristocrat as Bayard Thatcher

1935

Special Agent as Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer
In Person as Director Bill Sutter (uncredited)
Dangerous as Reed Walsh
Woman Wanted as Collins
Redheads on Parade as Theatre Manager
Bordertown as Dr. Carter
Go Into Your Dance as Tom McGee
Death Flies East as Police Captain Barrie
Show Them No Mercy! as Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson)
A Night at the Ritz as Connolly
Oil for the Lamps of China as E.H. Swaley
Sweet Music as Billie Madison
Devil Dogs of the Air as Adjutant
Straight from the Heart as Prosecuting Attorney

1934

Housewife as Nan's Attorney
Imitation of Life as Man Buying Cigar (uncredited)
Fog Over Frisco as Editor Joe Hogue
Upperworld as City Editor (uncredited)
The Big Shakedown as District Attorney (uncredited)
Friends of Mr. Sweeney as Stephen Prime
The St. Louis Kid as Joe Hunter
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head as Charles (as William Davidson)
Laughing Boy as Hartshone (as William Davidson)
The Dragon Murder Case as Greeff
The Secret Bride as Representative McPherson

1933

I'm No Angel as Ernest Brown
Mystery of the Wax Museum as Detective (Uncredited)
Hello, Everybody! as Mr. Parker
Lady Killer as Director Williams
Female as Department Head (Uncredited)
Meet the Baron as General Broadcasting Representative
Torch Singer as Jarrett
The Intruder as Det. Lt. Samson
The Billion Dollar Scandal as Jim Lawrence
How to Break 90 #3: Hip Action as Himself
Dangerously Yours as George Carr

1932

Scarface as Citizens Committee Member (uncredited)
The Most Dangerous Game as Captain
The Animal Kingdom as Chess Player (uncredited)
Is My Face Red? as O'Sullivan
Central Park as Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Sky Devils as Captain
The Menace as John Utterson
The Sport Parade as Kendricks (uncredited)
The Lost Squadron as Lelewer
Her Mad Night as District Attorney
Guilty or Not Guilty as Chief
The Pride of the Legion as Sgt. Arnold
The Thirteenth Guest as Police Captain Brown (uncredited)

1931

Dishonored
No Limit as Wilkie
Graft as M.H. Thomas
The Secret Call as Jim Blake
The Vice Squad as Magistrate Tom Morrison
Windy Riley Goes Hollywood
Captain Applejack as Bill Dennett
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots' as Himself - Golfer
Half Holiday as Jerry - Andy's Pal

1930

Hell's Angels as Staff Major
Oh, for a Man! as Kerry Stokes
A Man from Wyoming as Major
Playboy of Paris as Monsieur Bannack (uncredited)
Hook, Line and Sinker as Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson)
The Silver Horde as Tom Hilliard
Sunny as First Ship's Officer
For the Defense as Dist. Atty. Stone
Scarlet Pages as Jackson
Men Are Like That as Frank Hyland
The Costello Case as Saunders

1929

Woman Trap as Watts
Blaze o' Glory as District Attorney (as William Davidson)
Queen of the Night Clubs as Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson)
The Carnation Kid as Blythe
Always Faithful as George W. Mason

1928

Good Morning, Judge as Elton (as William Davidson)
Sharp Tools

1927

The Last Trail as Kurt Morley
A Gentleman of Paris as Henri Dufour
Cradle Snatchers as Roy Ladd

1925

Recompense as Col. Donovan
Ports of Call as Randolph Sherman
Hearts and Spurs as Victor Dufresne
Women and Gold as Señor Ortego

1924

The Storm Daughter as Rennert
The Valley of Doubt as Macy

1923

Adam and Eva as Dr. Delamater

1922

The Dumb-Bell

1921

Nobody as John Rossmore
The Girl from Nowhere as Jimmy Ryder

1920

Partners of the Night as Robert Clifford

1919

The Gold Cure as Michael Darcy
La belle Russe as Brand
Impossible Catherine as John Henry Jackson
The Capitol as Congressman Blake
A Woman There Was as Rev. Winthrop Stark
Lure of Ambition as Hon. Cyril Ralston

1918

Our Little Wife as Dr. Elliott
Friend Husband as John Sparr
In Pursuit of Polly as Larry O'Malley
Why I Would Not Marry as Undetermined Role
Ashes of Love

1917

More Truth Than Poetry as Allen Danby
The Call of Her People as Nicholas Van Kleet
A Modern Cinderella
The White Raven as The Stranger
A Magdalene of the Hills as Bud Weaver
Her Second Husband as John Kirby
The Greatest Power as John Conrad
The Lifted Veil as Malcolm Grant
Mary Lawson's Secret as Dr. Brundage
Lady Barnacle as Krishna Dhwaj
American Maid as David Starr
Persuasive Peggy as Ed Trowbridge

1916

Her Debt of Honor as John Hartfield
The Child of Destiny as Calvin Baker
The Pretenders as Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson)
In the Diplomatic Service as Lynn Hardi
Dorian's Divorce as Henry Morgan (as William Davidson)
The Price of Malice as Capt. Mills

1915

A Yellow Streak as Jack Rader
For the Honor of the Crew as Robert Brent