Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
June 15, 1888
Place of Birth:
Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA
Social Media
William B. Davidson
Biography
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
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her | Self (archive footage) |
| 1975 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) |
| 1947 | That Hagen Girl | Mr. Bowman (uncredited) |
| 1947 | That's My Man | Steward |
| 1947 | The Judge Steps Out | Colonel Bright (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Dick Tracy's Dilemma | Peter Premium |
| 1946 | The Notorious Lone Wolf | Inspector Crane (as William Davidson) |
| 1946 | The Plainsman and the Lady | Russell |
| 1946 | Ding Dong Williams | Mr. Saul Dana |
| 1946 | My Darling Clementine | Saloon Owner (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Cat Creeps | James Walsh |
| 1946 | Blonde Alibi | Police Captain Hurley (Uncredited) |
| 1945 | Circumstantial Evidence | Board of Appeals Chairman |
| 1945 | Tell It to a Star | Brannigan |
| 1945 | See My Lawyer | Judge |
| 1945 | The Man Who Walked Alone | Governor |
| 1945 | They Were Expendable | Hotel Manager (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Sing Your Way Home | F.T. Johnson |
| 1944 | Up in Arms | Maxwell (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Greenwich Village | Dance Director |
| 1944 | A Night of Adventure | Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Make Your Own Bed | Mr. Linklater |
| 1944 | In Society | Parker |
| 1943 | The Good Fellows | Blake |
| 1943 | Murder on the Waterfront | Capt. Towne |
| 1943 | Hers to Hold | Al |
| 1943 | Calaboose | Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson) |
| 1943 | Mission to Moscow | Senator (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Over the Wall | Warden Ed |
| 1943 | Truck Busters | Stephen S. Gray |
| 1942 | The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine | Cyrus Ballard |
| 1942 | Larceny, Inc. | McCarthy |
| 1942 | The Affairs of Martha | Homer Jacell |
| 1942 | Over My Dead Body | Crole (as William Davidson) |
| 1942 | Gentleman Jim | Donovan (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Careful, Soft Shoulders | Mr. Aldrich |
| 1942 | In This Our Life | Jim Purdy |
| 1942 | The Male Animal | Alumnus |
| 1942 | The Magnificent Dope | Mr. Reindel |
| 1941 | Sun Valley Serenade | Jack Murray |
| 1941 | Highway West | Gorman |
| 1941 | The Great Man's Lady | Sen. Knobs |
| 1941 | Uncle Joe | Mr. Day |
| 1941 | In the Navy | Capt. Richards (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Three Sons o' Guns | Henry Baxter |
| 1941 | Man-Made Monster | District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley |
| 1941 | Keep 'Em Flying | Gonigle |
| 1941 | The Lady from Cheyenne | Nye Dunbar |
| 1941 | Hold That Ghost | Moose Matson |
| 1941 | Three Girls About Town | Labor Leader |
| 1941 | Remember the Day | Committeeman |
| 1941 | Week-End in Havana | Captain Moss |
| 1941 | Thieves Fall Out | Harrison "Harry" Eckles |
| 1940 | Seven Sinners | Police Chief |
| 1940 | My Love Came Back | Agent |
| 1940 | Florian | Archduke Franz Ferdinand |
| 1940 | Lillian Russell | President Cleveland |
| 1940 | Charter Pilot | Mr. Wentworth |
| 1940 | Hired Wife | Mumford (as William Davidson) |
| 1940 | On Their Own | Judge Bull |
| 1940 | My Little Chickadee | Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Half a Sinner | Slick |
| 1940 | Tin Pan Alley | Hotel Manager |
| 1940 | Lady with Red Hair | Stock Company Manager (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Girl in 313 | George Grayson |
| 1940 | Maryland | John Addison |
| 1940 | Sailor's Lady | Judge Hinsdale |
| 1940 | Sandy Gets Her Man | Councilman Charles J. Clark |
| 1940 | San Francisco Docks | Dist. Atty. Craig |
| 1940 | Granny Get Your Gun | Fitzgerald |
| 1940 | A Night at Earl Carroll's | Mayor Green of San Bernardino |
| 1939 | Dust Be My Destiny | Work Farm Warden |
| 1939 | Hidden Power | Foster |
| 1939 | Blackwell's Island | Hempel |
| 1939 | Indianapolis Speedway | Duncan Martin |
| 1939 | They Made Me a Criminal | Ennis |
| 1939 | Naughty But Nice | Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher |
| 1939 | Smashing the Money Ring | Warden Denby |
| 1939 | Tail Spin | Sales Manager (Uncredited) |
| 1939 | Blondie Meets the Boss | Elderly Man in Café (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Three Smart Girls Grow Up | Stock Broker |
| 1939 | Each Dawn I Die | Bill Mason |
| 1939 | Honeymoon in Bali | Store Detective |
| 1939 | Private Detective | Inspector Evans |
| 1939 | Sudden Money | Sam |
| 1939 | Off the Record | Scotty |
| 1939 | On Trial | Mr. Gray |
| 1939 | Invisible Stripes | Montgomery (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Hollywood Hotel | Director Kelton |
| 1938 | Letter of Introduction | Mr. Raleigh (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Sergeant Murphy | Maj. Gruff (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Mr. Doodle Kicks Off | Ellory Bugs |
| 1938 | Blockade | Commandant |
| 1938 | Racket Busters | Trucking Chairman (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Cowboy from Brooklyn | Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey |
| 1938 | Cocoanut Grove | Hawtrey |
| 1938 | There Goes My Heart | Skipper Jackson (uncredited) |
| 1938 | The Jury's Secret | Page |
| 1938 | Illegal Traffic | Dalton |
| 1938 | You and Me | N. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Paradise Isle | Hoener |
| 1937 | Midnight Court | Alfred H. Kruger |
| 1937 | Marry the Girl | Drake |
| 1937 | Ever Since Eve | Henderson |
| 1937 | It Happened in Hollywood | Al Howard |
| 1937 | Easy Living | Mr. Hyde |
| 1937 | The Hurricane | Abusive Drunk (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Melody for Two | Mr. Hale |
| 1937 | Love on Toast | Jonathan |
| 1937 | Something to Sing About | Mr. Richards (as William Davidson) |
| 1937 | Marked Woman | Bob Crandall |
| 1937 | Behind the Mike | Cyrus Wittles |
| 1937 | Let Them Live | The Editor |
| 1937 | The Road Back | Bartscher |
| 1936 | Earthworm Tractors | Mr. Jackson |
| 1936 | Love on a Bet | A.W. Hutchinson |
| 1936 | Road Gang | Attorney General Mardsen |
| 1936 | Murder by an Aristocrat | Bayard Thatcher (as William Davidson) |
| 1936 | Fatal Lady | Detective (uncredited) |
| 1936 | The Big Noise | Welford Andrews |
| 1936 | The Singing Kid | Barney Hammond |
| 1936 | Satan Met a Lady | City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Gold Diggers of 1937 | Andy Callahan |
| 1936 | You May Be Next! | Official (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Special Agent | Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer |
| 1935 | Show Them No Mercy! | Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson) |
| 1935 | Sweet Music | Billie Madison |
| 1935 | Woman Wanted | Collins |
| 1935 | Death Flies East | Police Captain Barrie |
| 1935 | In Person | Director Bill Sutter |
| 1935 | Oil for the Lamps of China | E.H. Swaley |
| 1935 | Bordertown | Dr. Carter |
| 1935 | Devil Dogs of the Air | Adjutant |
| 1935 | Dangerous | Reed Walsh |
| 1935 | A Night at the Ritz | Connolly |
| 1935 | Go Into Your Dance | Tom McGee |
| 1935 | Redheads on Parade | Theatre Manager |
| 1935 | Straight from the Heart | Prosecuting Attorney |
| 1934 | The Dragon Murder Case | Greeff |
| 1934 | Laughing Boy | Hartshone (as William Davidson) |
| 1934 | The St. Louis Kid | Joe Hunter |
| 1934 | Friends of Mr. Sweeney | Stephen Prime |
| 1934 | The Secret Bride | Representative McPherson |
| 1934 | Upperworld | City Editor (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Housewife | Nan's Attorney |
| 1934 | Fog Over Frisco | Editor Joe Hogue |
| 1934 | The Big Shakedown | District Attorney (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Imitation of Life | Man Buying Cigar (uncredited) |
| 1934 | The Man Who Reclaimed His Head | Charles (as William Davidson) |
| 1933 | I'm No Angel | Ernest Brown |
| 1933 | Lady Killer | Director Williams |
| 1933 | Dangerously Yours | George Carr |
| 1933 | Hello, Everybody! | Mr. Parker |
| 1933 | The Intruder | Det. Lt. Samson |
| 1933 | Meet the Baron | General Broadcasting Representative |
| 1933 | How to Break 90 #3: Hip Action | Himself |
| 1933 | Torch Singer | Jarrett |
| 1933 | The Billion Dollar Scandal | Jim Lawrence |
| 1933 | Female | Department Head (Uncredited) |
| 1933 | Mystery of the Wax Museum | Detective (Uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Lost Squadron | Lelewer |
| 1932 | Her Mad Night | District Attorney |
| 1932 | Sky Devils | Captain |
| 1932 | The Animal Kingdom | Chess Player |
| 1932 | The Menace | John Utterson |
| 1932 | The Pride of the Legion | Sgt. Arnold |
| 1932 | The Most Dangerous Game | Captain |
| 1932 | Guilty or Not Guilty | Chief |
| 1932 | The Sport Parade | Kendricks (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Scarface | Citizens Committee Member (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Central Park | Police Lieutenant (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Is My Face Red? | O'Sullivan |
| 1932 | The Thirteenth Guest | Police Captain Brown (Uncredited) |
| 1931 | Graft | M.H. Thomas |
| 1931 | The Vice Squad | Magistrate Tom Morrison |
| 1931 | Captain Applejack | Bill Dennett |
| 1931 | No Limit | Wilkie |
| 1931 | Windy Riley Goes Hollywood | |
| 1931 | The Secret Call | Jim Blake |
| 1931 | How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots' | Himself - Golfer |
| 1931 | Half Holiday | Jerry - Andy's Pal |
| 1931 | Dishonored | |
| 1930 | Hook, Line and Sinker | Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson) |
| 1930 | Scarlet Pages | Jackson |
| 1930 | For the Defense | Dist. Atty. Stone |
| 1930 | Playboy of Paris | Monsieur Bannack (uncredited) |
| 1930 | A Man from Wyoming | Major |
| 1930 | Sunny | First Ship's Officer |
| 1930 | The Silver Horde | Tom Hilliard |
| 1930 | Oh, for a Man! | Kerry Stokes |
| 1930 | The Costello Case | Saunders |
| 1930 | Men Are Like That | Frank Hyland |
| 1930 | Hell's Angels | Staff Major |
| 1929 | Queen of the Night Clubs | Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson) |
| 1929 | Woman Trap | Watts |
| 1929 | The Carnation Kid | Blythe |
| 1929 | Always Faithful | George W. Mason |
| 1929 | Blaze o' Glory | District Attorney (as William Davidson) |
| 1928 | Good Morning, Judge | Elton (as William Davidson) |
| 1928 | Sharp Tools | |
| 1927 | Cradle Snatchers | Roy Ladd |
| 1927 | The Last Trail | Kurt Morley |
| 1927 | A Gentleman of Paris | Henri Dufour |
| 1925 | Hearts and Spurs | Victor Dufresne |
| 1925 | Ports of Call | Randolph Sherman |
| 1925 | Recompense | Col. Donovan |
| 1924 | The Valley of Doubt | Macy |
| 1923 | Adam and Eva | Dr. Delamater |
| 1922 | The Dumb-Bell | |
| 1921 | The Girl from Nowhere | Jimmy Ryder |
| 1920 | Partners of the Night | Robert Clifford |
| 1919 | La belle Russe | Brand |
| 1919 | Lure of Ambition | Hon. Cyril Ralston |
| 1919 | A Woman There Was | Rev. Winthrop Stark |
| 1919 | Impossible Catherine | John Henry Jackson |
| 1919 | The Capitol | Congressman Blake |
| 1918 | In Pursuit of Polly | Larry O'Malley |
| 1918 | Why I Would Not Marry | Undetermined Role |
| 1918 | Ashes of Love | |
| 1917 | The White Raven | The Stranger |
| 1917 | The Call of Her People | Nicholas Van Kleet |
| 1917 | The Greatest Power | John Conrad |
| 1917 | The Lifted Veil | Malcolm Grant |
| 1917 | A Modern Cinderella | |
| 1917 | Mary Lawson's Secret | Dr. Brundage |
| 1917 | Persuasive Peggy | Ed Trowbridge |
| 1917 | Her Second Husband | John Kirby |
| 1917 | American Maid | David Starr |
| 1916 | The Pretenders | Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson) |
| 1916 | Her Debt of Honor | John Hartfield |
| 1916 | In the Diplomatic Service | Lynn Hardi |
| 1916 | The Price of Malice | Capt. Mills |
| 1916 | Dorian's Divorce | Henry Morgan (as William Davidson) |
| 1915 | A Yellow Streak | Jack Rader |
| 1915 | For the Honor of the Crew | Robert Brent |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|