Douglas Fairbanks (1883 - 1939)

American actor, screenwriter, director and producer.

* May 23, 1883 Denver, Colorado
 as Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman
 December 12, 1939 Santa Monica, California



Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer during the silent film era. He was one of the most popular and influential actors of his time, and is best known for his swashbuckling adventure films, including "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924), "The Black Pirate" (1926), and "The Mark of Zorro" (1920).

Fairbanks was born in Denver, Colorado, United States, in 1883. He began his career as a stage actor, and made his film debut in 1915. He quickly gained fame for his athletic, energetic, and charismatic performances, and became one of the first true movie stars of the silent film era.

Fairbanks was known for his handsome appearance and charming personality, and was often referred to as "The King of Hollywood." He was also a skilled acrobat and swordsman, and performed many of his own stunts in his films. This, combined with his good looks and charm, made him a favorite with audiences around the world.

In addition to his work as an actor, Fairbanks was also a successful screenwriter, director, and producer. He co-founded United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and D. W. Griffith in 1919, and produced and starred in a number of highly successful films under the United Artists banner.

Fairbanks was a pioneer in the development of the Hollywood studio system, and played a key role in shaping the film industry as it is known today. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the annual Academy Awards.


Vintage magazines

Mon Ciné, nr. 1, 23 February 1922
Mon Ciné, nr. 3, 9 March 1922
Mon Ciné, nr. 95, 13 December 1923

Boy's Cinema, nr. 1, 13 December 1919
Boy's Cinema, nr. 10, 14 February 1920
Boy's Cinema, nr. 10, 14 February 1920

Boy's Cinema, nr. 17, 3 April 1920
Boy's Cinema, nr. 18, 10 April 1920
Boy's Cinema, nr. 18, 10 April 1920


Books on Douglas Fairbanks

Jeffrey Vance, with Tony Maietta Douglas Fairbanks Jeffrey Vance, with Tony Maietta
Douglas Fairbanks
Berkeley; Los Angeles; London, 2008

Gary Carey
Doug & Mary, A biography of Douglas Fairbanks & Mary Pickford
New York, 1977

Booton Herndon
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, The most popular couple the world has ever known
New York, 1977

Richard Schickel
Douglas Fairbanks, The first celebrity
London, 1976

Richard Schickel
His Picture in the Papers, A Speculation on Celebrity in America Based on the Life of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
New York, 1973

Ralph Hancock and Letitia Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, The Fourth Musketeer
New York, 1953

Alistair Cooke
Douglas Fairbanks, the making of a screen character
New York, 1940

Maurice Leloir
Cinq mois à Hollywood avec Douglas Fairbanks, Films muets, films parlants
Paris, 1929

Wolf G. Martini (herausgeber) Douglas Fairbanks Wolf G. Martini (herausgeber)
Douglas Fairbanks
München, 1928

Max Tak Douglas Fairbanks Max Tak
Douglas Fairbanks
Amsterdam, 1927 (ca.)

Allene Talmey
Doug and Mary, And others
New York, 1927

Books with substantial mentioning of Douglas Fairbanks

Jennifer M. Bean (ed.)
Flickers of desire, Movie stars of the 1910s
New Brunswick, N.J., 2011

Patrice Petro (ed.)
Idols of modernity, Movie stars of the 1920s
New Brunswick, N.J., 2010

Brian J. Robb Silent cinema Brian J. Robb
Silent cinema
Harpenden, Herts, 2007

Michelle Vogel
Children of Hollywood, Accounts of growing up as the sons and daughters of stars
Jefferson, N.C., 2005

Foreword by John-Michael Howson Cut! Foreword by John-Michael Howson
Cut!, Hollywood murders, accidents, and other tragedies
Willoughby, Australia, 2005

Anthony Slide Silent Players Anthony Slide
Silent Players, A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses
Lexington, Ky, 2002

Mick LaSalle Dangerous Men Mick LaSalle
Dangerous Men, Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man
2002

Jeanine Basinger Silent Stars Jeanine Basinger
Silent Stars
Hanover and London, 2000

Tom Pendergast, Sara Pendergast (eds.)
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, 3. Actors and Actresses
Detroit/New York/San Francisco/London/Boston/Woodbridge, CT, 2000

Richard Dyer MacCann The Stars Appear Richard Dyer MacCann
The Stars Appear
Metuchen, NJ & London, 1992

Ann Lloyd (ed.) Movies of the Silent Years Ann Lloyd (ed.)
Movies of the Silent Years
London, 1985

DeWitt Bodeen From Hollywood DeWitt Bodeen
From Hollywood, The Careers of 15 Great American Stars
New York - London, 1976

Kevin Brownlow The Parade's Gone by... Kevin Brownlow
The Parade's Gone by...
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, 1976

James Robert Parish & Don E. Stanke
The Swashbucklers
New Rochelle, New York, 1976

Tony Thomas
Cads and Cavaliers, The Gentlemen Adventures of the Movies
South Brunswick and New York - London, 1973

Ray Stuart (ed.) Immortals of the Screen Ray Stuart (ed.)
Immortals of the Screen
New York, 1965

Cedric Osmond Bermingham (editor) Stars of the Screen 1931 Cedric Osmond Bermingham (editor)
Stars of the Screen 1931, A volume of biographies of contemporary actors and actresses engaged in photoplay throughout the world
London, [1931]

Charles Donald Fox and Milton L. Silver (eds.) Who's Who on the Screen Charles Donald Fox and Milton L. Silver (eds.)
Who's Who on the Screen
New York City, 1920

Books with an entry on Douglas Fairbanks

David Thomson The New Biographical Dictionary of Film David Thomson
The New Biographical Dictionary of Film
New York, 2003

Kay Weniger Das große Personenlexikon des Films Kay Weniger
Das große Personenlexikon des Films, Zweiter Band, C-F
Berlin, 2001

Glenn Mitchell A-Z of Silent Film Comedy Glenn Mitchell
A-Z of Silent Film Comedy, An Illustrated Companion
London, 1998

Roy Liebman Silent Film Performers Roy Liebman
Silent Film Performers, An Annotated Bibliography of Published, Unpublished and Archival Sources for over 350 Actors and Actresses
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, 1996

Danny Peary Cult Movie Stars Danny Peary
Cult Movie Stars
New York, [..], 1991

Martin J. Quigley (ed.) The Motion Picture Almanac Martin J. Quigley (ed.)
The Motion Picture Almanac, Big Stars in Big Pictures
Chicago, Ill., 1929

Charles Donald Fox Mirrors of Hollywood Charles Donald Fox
Mirrors of Hollywood, with brief biographies of favorite film folk
New York, 1925

Books with photograph(s) of Douglas Fairbanks

John Richard Finch and Paul Elby Close-Ups John Richard Finch and Paul Elby
Close-Ups, From the Golden Age of the Silent Cinema
South Brunswick and New York - London, 1978

Mary Dawn Earley
Stars of the Twenties, Observed by James Abbe
New York, 1975

Articles on Douglas Fairbanks

Scott Eyman, Blithe spirit, in: Filmcomment, nr. 5, 2015 pp. 56-60