
William B. Davidson
View on IMDb ↗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 (250)
- 1994
Mae West and the Men Who Knew HerSelf (archive footage) - 1975
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?Self (archive footage) - 1955
MGM Parade - 1947
The Judge Steps OutColonel Bright (uncredited) - 1947
That's My ManSteward - 1947
Dick Tracy's DilemmaPeter Premium - 1947
That Hagen GirlMr. Bowman (uncredited) - 1946
Ding Dong WilliamsMr. Saul Dana - 1946
My Darling ClementineSaloon Owner (uncredited) - 1946
The Notorious Lone WolfInspector Crane (as William Davidson) - 1946
The Plainsman and the LadyRussell - 1946
The Cat CreepsJames Walsh - 1946
Blonde AlibiPolice Captain Hurley (Uncredited) - 1945
Tell It to a StarBrannigan - 1945Blonde RansomPolice Captain
- 1945
See My LawyerJudge - 1945
They Were ExpendableHotel Manager (uncredited) - 1945
The Man Who Walked AloneGovernor - 1945
DillingerBank President (uncredited) - 1945
Sing Your Way HomeF.T. Johnson (uncredited) - 1945
Circumstantial EvidenceBoard of Appeals Chairman - 1944
Shine on Harvest MoonTim Donovan (uncredited) - 1944
Greenwich VillageDance Director - 1944
Make Your Own BedMr. Linklater - 1944
In SocietyParker - 1944
Up in ArmsMaxwell (uncredited) - 1944
A Night of AdventureGilbert J. Regan (uncredited) - 1943
The Good FellowsBlake - 1943
Over the WallWarden Ed - 1943
Murder on the WaterfrontCapt. Towne - 1943
Hers to HoldAl - 1943
CalabooseSheriff George Lane (as William Davidson) - 1943
Truck BustersStephen S. Gray - 1943
Mission to MoscowSenator (uncredited) - 1942
Over My Dead BodyCrole (as William Davidson) - 1942
The Magnificent DopeMr. Reindel - 1942
Gentleman JimDonovan (uncredited) - 1942
Larceny, Inc.McCarthy - 1942
In This Our LifeJim Purdy - 1942
The Affairs of MarthaHomer Jacell - 1942
The Affairs of Jimmy ValentineCyrus Ballard - 1942
Careful, Soft ShouldersMr. Aldrich - 1942
The Male AnimalAlumnus - 1941
Remember the DayCommitteeman - 1941
Sun Valley SerenadeJack Murray - 1941
Uncle JoeMr. Day - 1941
Three Sons o' GunsHenry Baxter - 1941
Week-End in HavanaCaptain Moss - 1941
Hold That GhostMoose Matson - 1941
Highway WestGorman - 1941
Three Girls About TownLabor Leader - 1941
In the NavyCapt. Richards (uncredited) - 1941
The Great Man's LadySen. Knobs - 1941
Man-Made MonsterDistrict Attorney Ralph B. Stanley - 1941
Keep 'Em FlyingGonigle - 1941
Thieves Fall OutHarrison "Harry" Eckles - 1941
The Lady from CheyenneNye Dunbar - 1940
Charter PilotMr. Wentworth - 1940
On Their OwnJudge Bull - 1940
San Francisco DocksDist. Atty. Craig - 1940
Lady with Red HairStock Company Manager (uncredited) - 1940
Hired WifeMumford (as William Davidson) - 1940
Lillian RussellPresident Cleveland - 1940
My Little ChickadeeSheriff of Little Bend (uncredited) - 1940
MarylandJohn Addison - 1940
Sailor's LadyJudge Hinsdale - 1940
Sandy Gets Her ManCouncilman Charles J. Clark - 1940
Seven SinnersPolice Chief - 1940
Granny Get Your GunFitzgerald - 1940
Girl in 313George Grayson - 1940
Tin Pan AlleyHotel Manager - 1940
Half a SinnerSlick - 1940
My Love Came BackAgent - 1940
FlorianArchduke Franz Ferdinand - 1940
A Night at Earl Carroll'sMayor Green of San Bernardino - 1939
Hidden PowerFoster - 1939
The Honeymoon's OverCrane - 1939
Honeymoon in BaliStore Detective - 1939
Three Smart Girls Grow UpStock Broker - 1939
Sudden MoneySam - 1939
Each Dawn I DieBill Mason - 1939
Naughty but NiceSamuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher - 1939
Private DetectiveInspector Evans - 1939
Dust Be My DestinyWork Farm Warden - 1939
Off the RecordScotty - 1939
They Made Me a CriminalEnnis - 1939
Tail SpinSales Manager (Uncredited) - 1939
Invisible StripesMontgomery (uncredited) - 1939
On TrialMr. Gray - 1939
Blondie Meets the BossElderly Man in Café (uncredited) - 1939
Smashing the Money RingWarden Denby - 1939
Indianapolis SpeedwayDuncan Martin - 1939
Blackwell's IslandHempel - 1938
Cocoanut GroveHawtrey - 1938
Mr. Doodle Kicks OffEllory Bugs - 1938
There Goes My HeartSkipper Jackson (uncredited) - 1938
Cowboy from BrooklynMr. 'W.P.' Alvey - 1938
Illegal TrafficDalton - 1938
You and MeN. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited) - 1938
Letter of IntroductionMr. Raleigh (uncredited) - 1938
Sergeant MurphyMaj. Gruff (uncredited) - 1938
Hollywood HotelDirector Kelton - 1938
BlockadeCommandant - 1938
Racket BustersTrucking Chairman (uncredited) - 1938
The Jury's SecretPage - 1937
Behind the MikeCyrus Wittles - 1937
Let Them LiveThe Editor - 1937
Easy LivingMr. Hyde - 1937
Melody for TwoMr. Hale - 1937
The HurricaneThe Bully (uncredited) - 1937
The Road BackBartscher - 1937
Marked WomanBob Crandall - 1937
Marry the GirlDrake - 1937
It Happened in HollywoodAl Howard - 1937
Something to Sing AboutCafé Manager - 1937
Paradise IsleHoener - 1937
Ever Since EveHenderson - 1937
Love on ToastJonathan - 1937
Midnight CourtAlfred H. Kruger - 1936
Fatal LadyDetective (uncredited) - 1936
The Big NoiseWelford Andrews - 1936
Love on a BetA.W. Hutchinson - 1936
Road GangAttorney General Mardsen - 1936
The Singing KidBarney Hammond - 1936
Gold Diggers of 1937Andy Callahan - 1936
Satan Met a LadyCity Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited) - 1936
Earthworm TractorsMr. Jackson - 1936
Murder by an AristocratBayard Thatcher - 1936
You May Be Next!Official (uncredited) - 1935
Redheads on ParadeTheatre Manager - 1935
Straight from the HeartProsecuting Attorney - 1935
Show Them No Mercy!Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson) - 1935
Oil for the Lamps of ChinaE.H. Swaley - 1935
Go Into Your DanceTom McGee - 1935
Death Flies EastPolice Captain Barrie - 1935
Devil Dogs of the AirAdjutant - 1935
Sweet MusicBillie Madison - 1935
Woman WantedCollins - 1935
In PersonDirector Bill Sutter (uncredited) - 1935
DangerousReed Walsh - 1935
A Night at the RitzConnolly - 1935
Special AgentCharlie Young - Carston's Lawyer - 1935
BordertownDr. Carter - 1934
HousewifeNan's Attorney - 1934
Imitation of LifeMan Buying Cigar (uncredited) - 1934
Friends of Mr. SweeneyStephen Prime - 1934
Fog Over FriscoEditor Joe Hogue - 1934
The St. Louis KidJoe Hunter - 1934
The Secret BrideRepresentative McPherson - 1934
UpperworldCity Editor (uncredited) - 1934
The Man Who Reclaimed His HeadCharles (as William Davidson) - 1934
The Big ShakedownDistrict Attorney (uncredited) - 1934
The Dragon Murder CaseGreeff - 1934
Laughing BoyHartshone (as William Davidson) - 1933How to Break 90 #3: Hip ActionHimself
- 1933
Dangerously YoursGeorge Carr - 1933
Hello, Everybody!Mr. Parker - 1933
Lady KillerDirector Williams - 1933
Mystery of the Wax MuseumDetective (Uncredited) - 1933
I'm No AngelErnest Brown - 1933
FemaleDepartment Head (Uncredited) - 1933
Torch SingerJarrett - 1933
Meet the BaronGeneral Broadcasting Representative - 1933
The IntruderDet. Lt. Samson - 1933
The Billion Dollar ScandalJim Lawrence - 1932
ScarfaceCitizens Committee Member (uncredited) - 1932
The Pride of the LegionSgt. Arnold - 1932
Guilty or Not GuiltyChief - 1932
The Most Dangerous GameCaptain - 1932
The Lost SquadronLelewer - 1932
Central ParkPolice Lieutenant (uncredited) - 1932
The Animal KingdomChess Player (uncredited) - 1932
The MenaceJohn Utterson - 1932
The Sport ParadeKendricks (uncredited) - 1932
The Thirteenth GuestPolice Captain Brown (uncredited) - 1932
Sky DevilsCaptain - 1932
Is My Face Red?O'Sullivan - 1932
Her Mad NightDistrict Attorney - 1931Half HolidayJerry - Andy's Pal
- 1931
The Secret CallJim Blake - 1931
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots'Himself - Golfer - 1931
Captain ApplejackBill Dennett - 1931
The Vice SquadMagistrate Tom Morrison - 1931
Dishonored - 1931
No LimitWilkie - 1931
Windy Riley Goes Hollywood - 1931
GraftM.H. Thomas - 1930
Men Are Like ThatFrank Hyland - 1930
A Man from WyomingMajor - 1930
The Costello CaseSaunders - 1930
Scarlet PagesJackson - 1930
Playboy of ParisMonsieur Bannack (uncredited) - 1930
Hell's AngelsStaff Major - 1930
SunnyFirst Ship's Officer - 1930
Oh, for a Man!Kerry Stokes - 1930
Hook, Line and SinkerFrank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson) - 1930
The Silver HordeTom Hilliard - 1930
For the DefenseDist. Atty. Stone - 1929
The Carnation KidBlythe - 1929
Always FaithfulGeorge W. Mason - 1929
Queen of the Night ClubsAssistant District Attorney (as William Davidson) - 1929
Blaze o' GloryDistrict Attorney (as William Davidson) - 1929
Woman TrapWatts - 1928
Good Morning, JudgeElton (as William Davidson) - 1928Sharp Tools
- 1927
The Last TrailKurt Morley - 1927
A Gentleman of ParisHenri Dufour - 1927
Cradle SnatchersRoy Ladd - 1925
Hearts and SpursVictor Dufresne - 1925
Women and GoldSeñor Ortego - 1925
RecompenseCol. Donovan - 1925
Ports of CallRandolph Sherman - 1924
The Storm DaughterRennert - 1924
The Valley of DoubtMacy - 1923
Adam and EvaDr. Delamater - 1922
The Dumb-Bell - 1921
The Girl from NowhereJimmy Ryder - 1921
NobodyJohn Rossmore - 1920
Partners of the NightRobert Clifford - 1919
Lure of AmbitionHon. Cyril Ralston - 1919
A Woman There WasRev. Winthrop Stark - 1919
Impossible CatherineJohn Henry Jackson - 1919
The Gold CureMichael Darcy - 1919
La belle RusseBrand - 1919
The CapitolCongressman Blake - 1918
In Pursuit of PollyLarry O'Malley - 1918
Why I Would Not MarryUndetermined Role - 1918
Ashes of Love - 1918
Our Little WifeDr. Elliott - 1918
Friend HusbandJohn Sparr - 1917
A Magdalene of the HillsBud Weaver - 1917
Mary Lawson's SecretDr. Brundage - 1917
Her Second HusbandJohn Kirby - 1917
American MaidDavid Starr - 1917
The White RavenThe Stranger - 1917
The Lifted VeilMalcolm Grant - 1917
The Greatest PowerJohn Conrad - 1917
The Call of Her PeopleNicholas Van Kleet - 1917A Modern Cinderella
- 1917
Persuasive PeggyEd Trowbridge - 1917
Lady BarnacleKrishna Dhwaj - 1917More Truth Than PoetryAllen Danby
- 1916
The Child of DestinyCalvin Baker - 1916
The PretendersJoseph Bailey (as William Davidson) - 1916
Dorian's DivorceHenry Morgan (as William Davidson) - 1916Her Debt of HonorJohn Hartfield
- 1916
In the Diplomatic ServiceLynn Hardi - 1916
The Price of MaliceCapt. Mills - 1915
A Yellow StreakJack Rader - 1915
For the Honor of the CrewRobert Brent
Tell It to a Star
Hidden Power
Fatal Lady
The Carnation Kid
Hearts and Spurs
The Girl from Nowhere
Partners of the Night
Lure of Ambition
A Magdalene of the Hills
The Child of Destiny