Polyphemus
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Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1888-06-15 (136 years old)

Place of Birth

Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA

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

Acting

1994

Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her as Self (archive footage)

1975

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)

1947

That Hagen Girl as Mr. Bowman (uncredited)
That's My Man as Steward
The Judge Steps Out as Colonel Bright (uncredited)
Dick Tracy's Dilemma as Peter Premium

1946

The Notorious Lone Wolf as Inspector Crane (as William Davidson)
Ding Dong Williams as Mr. Saul Dana
My Darling Clementine as Saloon Owner (uncredited)
The Cat Creeps as James Walsh
Blonde Alibi as Police Captain Hurley (Uncredited)

1945

Circumstantial Evidence as Board of Appeals Chairman
Tell It to a Star as Brannigan
See My Lawyer as Judge
They Were Expendable as Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Sing Your Way Home as F.T. Johnson

1944

Up in Arms as Maxwell (uncredited)
Greenwich Village as Dance Director
A Night of Adventure as Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited)
Make Your Own Bed as Mr. Linklater
In Society as Parker

1943

Calaboose as Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson)
Mission to Moscow as Senator (uncredited)
Over the Wall as Warden Ed
Truck Busters as Stephen S. Gray

1942

Larceny, Inc. as McCarthy
The Affairs of Martha as Homer Jacell
Over My Dead Body as Crole (as William Davidson)
Gentleman Jim as Donovan (uncredited)
In This Our Life as Jim Purdy
The Male Animal as Alumnus
The Magnificent Dope as Mr. Reindel

1941

Sun Valley Serenade as Jack Murray
Highway West as Gorman
The Great Man's Lady as Sen. Knobs
Uncle Joe as Mr. Day
In the Navy as Capt. Richards (uncredited)
Three Sons o' Guns as Henry Baxter
Man-Made Monster as District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley
Keep 'Em Flying as Gonigle
Hold That Ghost as Moose Matson
Three Girls About Town as Labor Leader
Remember the Day as Committeeman
Week-End in Havana as Captain Moss
Thieves Fall Out as Harrison "Harry" Eckles

1940

Seven Sinners as Police Chief
Florian as Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Lillian Russell as President Cleveland
Charter Pilot as Mr. Wentworth
Hired Wife as Mumford (as William Davidson)
On Their Own as Judge Bull
My Little Chickadee as Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
Half a Sinner as Slick
Tin Pan Alley as Hotel Manager
Lady with Red Hair as Stock Company Manager (uncredited)
Girl in 313 as George Grayson
Maryland as John Addison
Sailor's Lady as Judge Hinsdale
Sandy Gets Her Man as Councilman Charles J. Clark
San Francisco Docks as Dist. Atty. Craig
Granny Get Your Gun as Fitzgerald

1939

Dust Be My Destiny as Work Farm Warden
Hidden Power as Foster
Indianapolis Speedway as Duncan Martin
Naughty But Nice as Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher
Smashing the Money Ring as Warden Denby
Tail Spin as Sales Manager (Uncredited)
Blondie Meets the Boss as Elderly Man in Café (uncredited)
Each Dawn I Die as Bill Mason
Honeymoon in Bali as Store Detective
Private Detective as Inspector Evans
Off the Record as Scotty
On Trial as Mr. Gray
Invisible Stripes as Montgomery (uncredited)

1938

Hollywood Hotel as Director Kelton
Letter of Introduction as Mr. Raleigh (uncredited)
Sergeant Murphy as Maj. Gruff (uncredited)
Mr. Doodle Kicks Off as Ellory Bugs
Blockade as Commandant
Racket Busters as Trucking Chairman (uncredited)
Cowboy from Brooklyn as Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey
Cocoanut Grove as Hawtrey
There Goes My Heart as Skipper Jackson (uncredited)
Illegal Traffic as Dalton
You and Me as N. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited)

1937

Paradise Isle as Hoener
Midnight Court as Alfred H. Kruger
Ever Since Eve as Henderson
Easy Living as Mr. Hyde
The Hurricane as Abusive Drunk (uncredited)
Melody for Two as Mr. Hale
Love on Toast as Jonathan
Something to Sing About as Mr. Richards (as William Davidson)
Marked Woman as Bob Crandall
Behind the Mike as Cyrus Wittles
Let Them Live as The Editor
The Road Back as Bartscher

1936

Earthworm Tractors as Mr. Jackson
Love on a Bet as A.W. Hutchinson
Road Gang as Attorney General Mardsen
Murder by an Aristocrat as Bayard Thatcher (as William Davidson)
Fatal Lady as Detective (uncredited)
The Big Noise as Welford Andrews
The Singing Kid as Barney Hammond
Satan Met a Lady as City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited)
Gold Diggers of 1937 as Andy Callahan
You May Be Next! as Official (uncredited)

1935

Special Agent as Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer
Show Them No Mercy! as Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson)
Sweet Music as Billie Madison
Woman Wanted as Collins
Death Flies East as Police Captain Barrie
In Person as Director Bill Sutter
Bordertown as Dr. Carter
Dangerous as Reed Walsh
Go Into Your Dance as Tom McGee
Redheads on Parade as Theatre Manager
Straight from the Heart as Prosecuting Attorney

1934

Laughing Boy as Hartshone (as William Davidson)
The St. Louis Kid as Joe Hunter
Friends of Mr. Sweeney as Stephen Prime
The Secret Bride as Representative McPherson
Upperworld as City Editor (uncredited)
Housewife as Nan's Attorney
Fog Over Frisco as Editor Joe Hogue
The Big Shakedown as District Attorney (uncredited)
Imitation of Life as Man Buying Cigar (uncredited)
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head as Charles (as William Davidson)

1933

I'm No Angel as Ernest Brown
Lady Killer as Director Williams
Dangerously Yours as George Carr
Hello, Everybody! as Mr. Parker
The Intruder as Det. Lt. Samson
Meet the Baron as General Broadcasting Representative
Torch Singer as Jarrett
Female as Department Head (Uncredited)
Mystery of the Wax Museum as Detective (Uncredited)

1932

Her Mad Night as District Attorney
Sky Devils as Captain
The Animal Kingdom as Chess Player
The Menace as John Utterson
The Sport Parade as Kendricks (uncredited)
Scarface as Citizens Committee Member (uncredited)
Central Park as Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Is My Face Red? as O'Sullivan
The Thirteenth Guest as Police Captain Brown (Uncredited)

1931

Graft as M.H. Thomas
The Vice Squad as Magistrate Tom Morrison
Captain Applejack as Bill Dennett
No Limit as Wilkie
The Secret Call as Jim Blake
Half Holiday as Jerry - Andy's Pal

1930

Hook, Line and Sinker as Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson)
Scarlet Pages as Jackson
For the Defense as Dist. Atty. Stone
Playboy of Paris as Monsieur Bannack (uncredited)
Sunny as First Ship's Officer
The Silver Horde as Tom Hilliard
Oh, for a Man! as Kerry Stokes
The Costello Case as Saunders
Men Are Like That as Frank Hyland
Hell's Angels as Staff Major

1929

Queen of the Night Clubs as Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson)
Woman Trap as Watts
Always Faithful as George W. Mason
Blaze o' Glory as District Attorney (as William Davidson)

1928

Good Morning, Judge as Elton (as William Davidson)

1927

Cradle Snatchers as Roy Ladd
The Last Trail as Kurt Morley
A Gentleman of Paris as Henri Dufour

1925

Hearts and Spurs as Victor Dufresne
Ports of Call as Randolph Sherman
Recompense as Col. Donovan

1924

1923

Adam and Eva as Dr. Delamater

1922

1921

The Girl from Nowhere as Jimmy Ryder

1920

Partners of the Night as Robert Clifford

1919

Lure of Ambition as Hon. Cyril Ralston
A Woman There Was as Rev. Winthrop Stark
Impossible Catherine as John Henry Jackson
The Capitol as Congressman Blake

1918

In Pursuit of Polly as Larry O'Malley
Why I Would Not Marry as Undetermined Role

1917

The White Raven as The Stranger
The Call of Her People as Nicholas Van Kleet
The Greatest Power as John Conrad
The Lifted Veil as Malcolm Grant
Mary Lawson's Secret as Dr. Brundage
Persuasive Peggy as Ed Trowbridge
Her Second Husband as John Kirby
American Maid as David Starr

1916

The Pretenders as Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson)
Her Debt of Honor as John Hartfield
The Price of Malice as Capt. Mills
Dorian's Divorce as Henry Morgan (as William Davidson)

1915

A Yellow Streak as Jack Rader