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
1994
- Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her as Self (archive footage)
1975
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
1955
1947
- That Hagen Girl as Mr. Bowman (uncredited)
- That's My Man as Steward
- Dick Tracy's Dilemma as Peter Premium
- The Judge Steps Out as Colonel Bright (uncredited)
1946
- My Darling Clementine as Saloon Owner (uncredited)
- The Notorious Lone Wolf as Inspector Crane (as William Davidson)
- 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
1945
- They Were Expendable as Hotel Manager (uncredited)
- Dillinger as Bank President (uncredited)
- Blonde Ransom as Police Captain
- Circumstantial Evidence as Board of Appeals Chairman
- Tell It to a Star as Brannigan
- The Man Who Walked Alone as Governor
- See My Lawyer as Judge
- Sing Your Way Home as F.T. Johnson
1944
- In Society as Parker
- Greenwich Village as Dance Director
- Up in Arms as Maxwell (uncredited)
- Shine on Harvest Moon as Tim Donovan (uncredited)
- Make Your Own Bed as Mr. Linklater
- A Night of Adventure as Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited)
1943
- Mission to Moscow as Senator (uncredited)
- Truck Busters as Stephen S. Gray
- Hers to Hold as Al
- The Good Fellows as Blake
- Calaboose as Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson)
- Murder on the Waterfront as Capt. Towne
- Over the Wall as Warden Ed
1942
- Gentleman Jim as Donovan (uncredited)
- Larceny, Inc. as McCarthy
- The Male Animal as Alumnus
- In This Our Life as Jim Purdy
- The Magnificent Dope as Mr. Reindel
- The Affairs of Martha as Homer Jacell
- Over My Dead Body as Crole (as William Davidson)
- The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine as Cyrus Ballard
- Careful, Soft Shoulders as Mr. Aldrich
1941
- Hold That Ghost as Moose Matson
- Sun Valley Serenade as Jack Murray
- In the Navy as Capt. Richards (uncredited)
- The Lady from Cheyenne as Nye Dunbar
- Keep 'Em Flying as Gonigle
- Three Girls About Town as Labor Leader
- Man-Made Monster as District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley
- Remember the Day as Committeeman
- The Great Man's Lady as Sen. Knobs
- Highway West as Gorman
- Thieves Fall Out as Harrison "Harry" Eckles
- Uncle Joe as Mr. Day
- Week-End in Havana as Captain Moss
- Three Sons o' Guns as Henry Baxter
1940
- Seven Sinners as Police Chief
- Girl in 313 as George Grayson
- My Love Came Back as Agent
- Sailor's Lady as Judge Hinsdale
- My Little Chickadee as Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
- San Francisco Docks as Dist. Atty. Craig
- Florian as Archduke Franz Ferdinand
- Sandy Gets Her Man as Councilman Charles J. Clark
- A Night at Earl Carroll's as Mayor Green of San Bernardino
- Maryland as John Addison
- Lady with Red Hair as Stock Company Manager (uncredited)
- Granny Get Your Gun as Fitzgerald
- Half a Sinner as Slick
- On Their Own as Judge Bull
- Lillian Russell as President Cleveland
- Tin Pan Alley as Hotel Manager
- Charter Pilot as Mr. Wentworth
- Hired Wife as Mumford (as William Davidson)
1939
- Dust Be My Destiny as Work Farm Warden
- Tail Spin as Sales Manager (Uncredited)
- They Made Me a Criminal as Ennis
- Each Dawn I Die as Bill Mason
- Invisible Stripes as Montgomery (uncredited)
- Blondie Meets the Boss as Elderly Man in Café (uncredited)
- Naughty But Nice as Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher
- Hidden Power as Foster
- Smashing the Money Ring as Warden Denby
- Sudden Money as Sam
- Off the Record as Scotty
- Indianapolis Speedway as Duncan Martin
- On Trial as Mr. Gray
- Three Smart Girls Grow Up as Stock Broker
- Blackwell's Island as Hempel
- Honeymoon in Bali as Store Detective
- The Honeymoon's Over as Crane
- Private Detective as Inspector Evans
1938
- You and Me as N. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited)
- Hollywood Hotel as Director Kelton
- Letter of Introduction as Mr. Raleigh (uncredited)
- Racket Busters as Trucking Chairman (uncredited)
- Illegal Traffic as Dalton
- The Jury's Secret as Page
- Cocoanut Grove as Hawtrey
- Blockade as Commandant
- There Goes My Heart as Skipper Jackson (uncredited)
- Cowboy from Brooklyn as Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey
- Sergeant Murphy as Maj. Gruff (uncredited)
- Mr. Doodle Kicks Off as Ellory Bugs
1937
- Marked Woman as Bob Crandall
- The Hurricane as The Bully (uncredited)
- Something to Sing About as Mr. Richards (as William Davidson)
- Easy Living as Mr. Hyde
- The Road Back as Bartscher
- Ever Since Eve as Henderson
- Marry the Girl as Drake
- Midnight Court as Alfred H. Kruger
- Let Them Live as The Editor
- Love on Toast as Jonathan
- Paradise Isle as Hoener
- Behind the Mike as Cyrus Wittles
- Melody for Two as Mr. Hale
- It Happened in Hollywood as Al Howard
1936
- Gold Diggers of 1937 as Andy Callahan
- Satan Met a Lady as City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited)
- Road Gang as Attorney General Mardsen
- The Singing Kid as Barney Hammond
- Murder by an Aristocrat as Bayard Thatcher
- Love on a Bet as A.W. Hutchinson
- Fatal Lady as Detective (uncredited)
- The Big Noise as Welford Andrews
- Earthworm Tractors as Mr. Jackson
- You May Be Next! as Official (uncredited)
1935
- Special Agent as Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer
- Dangerous as Reed Walsh
- Redheads on Parade as Theatre Manager
- Woman Wanted as Collins
- Oil for the Lamps of China as E.H. Swaley
- Bordertown as Dr. Carter
- Straight from the Heart as Prosecuting Attorney
- In Person as Director Bill Sutter (uncredited)
- Show Them No Mercy! as Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson)
- Death Flies East as Police Captain Barrie
- Devil Dogs of the Air as Adjutant
- Sweet Music as Billie Madison
- Go Into Your Dance as Tom McGee
- A Night at the Ritz as Connolly
1934
- Imitation of Life as Man Buying Cigar (uncredited)
- Upperworld as City Editor (uncredited)
- Housewife as Nan's Attorney
- The Secret Bride as Representative McPherson
- Fog Over Frisco as Editor Joe Hogue
- The Dragon Murder Case as Greeff
- The Big Shakedown as District Attorney (uncredited)
- The St. Louis Kid as Joe Hunter
- The Man Who Reclaimed His Head as Charles (as William Davidson)
- Friends of Mr. Sweeney as Stephen Prime
- Laughing Boy as Hartshone (as William Davidson)
1933
- Mystery of the Wax Museum as Detective (Uncredited)
- Lady Killer as Director Williams
- I'm No Angel as Ernest Brown
- Female as Department Head (Uncredited)
- Torch Singer as Jarrett
- The Intruder as Det. Lt. Samson
- Hello, Everybody! as Mr. Parker
- The Billion Dollar Scandal as Jim Lawrence
- Meet the Baron as General Broadcasting Representative
- Dangerously Yours as George Carr
- How to Break 90 #3: Hip Action as Himself
1932
- Scarface as Citizens Committee Member (uncredited)
- The Most Dangerous Game as Captain
- Sky Devils as Captain
- The Thirteenth Guest as Police Captain Brown (uncredited)
- The Animal Kingdom as Chess Player
- Is My Face Red? as O'Sullivan
- The Lost Squadron as Lelewer
- Central Park as Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
- The Pride of the Legion as Sgt. Arnold
- The Menace as John Utterson
- Guilty or Not Guilty as Chief
- The Sport Parade as Kendricks (uncredited)
- Her Mad Night as District Attorney
1931
- Dishonored
- Graft as M.H. Thomas
- The Secret Call as Jim Blake
- The Vice Squad as Magistrate Tom Morrison
- No Limit as Wilkie
- Captain Applejack as Bill Dennett
- Windy Riley Goes Hollywood
- Half Holiday as Jerry - Andy's Pal
- How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots' as Himself - Golfer
1930
- Hell's Angels as Staff Major
- A Man from Wyoming as Major
- Playboy of Paris as Monsieur Bannack (uncredited)
- For the Defense as Dist. Atty. Stone
- The Silver Horde as Tom Hilliard
- Sunny as First Ship's Officer
- Oh, for a Man! as Kerry Stokes
- Scarlet Pages as Jackson
- Hook, Line and Sinker as Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson)
- Men Are Like That as Frank Hyland
- The Costello Case as Saunders
1929
- Woman Trap as Watts
- The Carnation Kid as Blythe
- Queen of the Night Clubs as Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson)
- Always Faithful as George W. Mason
- Blaze o' Glory as District Attorney (as William Davidson)
1928
- Good Morning, Judge as Elton (as William Davidson)
- Sharp Tools
1927
- Cradle Snatchers as Roy Ladd
- A Gentleman of Paris as Henri Dufour
- The Last Trail as Kurt Morley
1925
- Recompense as Col. Donovan
- Women and Gold as Señor Ortego
- Hearts and Spurs as Victor Dufresne
- Ports of Call as Randolph Sherman
1924
- The Valley of Doubt as Macy
- The Storm Daughter as Rennert
1923
- Adam and Eva as Dr. Delamater
1922
1921
- The Girl from Nowhere as Jimmy Ryder
- Nobody as John Rossmore
1920
- Partners of the Night as Robert Clifford
1919
- Lure of Ambition as Hon. Cyril Ralston
- La belle Russe as Brand
- The Capitol as Congressman Blake
- Impossible Catherine as John Henry Jackson
- A Woman There Was as Rev. Winthrop Stark
- The Gold Cure as Michael Darcy
1918
- Ashes of Love
- In Pursuit of Polly as Larry O'Malley
- Our Little Wife as Dr. Elliott
- Why I Would Not Marry as Undetermined Role
- Friend Husband as John Sparr
1917
- The White Raven as The Stranger
- The Call of Her People as Nicholas Van Kleet
- Persuasive Peggy as Ed Trowbridge
- The Lifted Veil as Malcolm Grant
- Her Second Husband as John Kirby
- The Greatest Power as John Conrad
- More Truth Than Poetry as Allen Danby
- American Maid as David Starr
- Mary Lawson's Secret as Dr. Brundage
- A Magdalene of the Hills as Bud Weaver
- A Modern Cinderella
- Lady Barnacle as Krishna Dhwaj
1916
- 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 Child of Destiny as Calvin Baker
- Her Debt of Honor as John Hartfield
- The Price of Malice as Capt. Mills
1915
- A Yellow Streak as Jack Rader
- For the Honor of the Crew as Robert Brent