Douglas Fairbanks

Also known as Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman, Douglas Ullman, Doug Fairbanks

American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer (1883–1939)

AI overview

Douglas Fairbanks was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer who lived from 1883 to 1939 and became one of the major entertainment figures of his era. He matters because he was a pioneering figure in early Hollywood cinema who helped shape the film industry during its formative years.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born: 1883
Died: 1939
Works: 37

Top works

The three musketeers
The Fourth Round
Taking stock of ourselves
The thief of Bagdad
Crandall's Knickerbocker program, November 4, 1917

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Denver, Colorado, United States

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) 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. An astute businessman, Fairbanks was a founding member of United Artists. Fairbanks was also a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy and hosted the…

Known for

Mary Pickford a Blessing and a Curse — Self2023
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty — Self (archive footage)2020
The Image Book — (archive footage)2018
I, Douglas Fairbanks — Self (archive footage)2018
Propaganda: Engineering Consent — Self - Actor (archive footage)2018

Article

Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckling roles in silent films. One of the biggest stars of the silent era, Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He was also a founding member of United Artists as well as the Motion Picture Academy and hosted the 1st Academy Awards in 1929.

Born in Denver, Colorado, Fairbanks started acting from an early age and established himself as an accomplished stage actor on Broadway by the late 1800s. He made his film debut in 1915 and quickly became one of the most popular and highest paid actors in Hollywood. In 1919, he co-founded United Artists alongside Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and D. W. Griffith. Fairbanks married Pickford in 1920 and the couple came to be regarded as "Hollywood royalty". Primarily a comedic actor early in his career, he moved into the adventure genre with the 1920 film The Mark of Zorro and found further success in films including Robin Hood (1922) and The Thief of Bagdad (1924).