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