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