Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
| Douglas Fairbanks | |
|---|---|
Fairbanks in Private Life of Don Juan (1934)
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|
| Born |
Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman May 23, 1883 Denver, Colorado |
| Died | December 12, 1939 (aged 56) Santa Monica, California |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Denver East High School |
| Occupation | Actor, director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1899–1934 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. |
Douglas Fairbanks (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; 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 but spent the early part of his career making comedies.
Fairbanks was a founding member of United Artists. Fairbanks was also a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy and hosted the first Oscars Ceremony in 1929. With his marriage to Mary Pickford in 1920, the couple became Hollywood royalty and Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood", a nickname later passed on to actor Clark Gable.
Though widely considered as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the 1910s and 1920s, Fairbanks' career rapidly declined with the advent of the "talkies". His final film was The Private Life of Don Juan (1934).
Fairbanks was born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman (spelled "Ulman" by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in his memoirs) in Denver, Colorado, the son of H. Charles Ullman (born September 15, 1833) and Ella Adelaide (née Marsh; born 1847). He had two half-brothers, John Fairbanks, Jr. (born 1873) and Norris Wilcox (February 20, 1876 - October 21, 1946), and a full brother, Robert Payne Ullman (March 13, 1882 – February 22, 1948).
Douglas Fairbanks's father, Hezekiah Charles Ullman (1833–1915) was born in Berrysburg, Pennsylvania, but raised in Williamsport. He was the fourth child in a Jewish family consisting of six sons and four daughters. Charles's parents, Lazarus Ullman and Lydia Abrahams, had immigrated to the U.S. in 1830 from Baden, Germany.
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