William B. Davidson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- June 15, 1888
- Died
- September 28, 1947
- Birthplace
- Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
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 (uncredited)
Tell It to a Star 1945
as Brannigan
- Blonde Ransom
Blonde Ransom 1945
as Police Captain
Dillinger 1945
as Bank President (uncredited)
Circumstantial Evidence 1945
as Board of Appeals Chairman
The Man Who Walked Alone 1945
as Governor
See My Lawyer 1945
as Judge
Leave It to Blondie 1945
as Butler (uncredited)
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)
Shine on Harvest Moon 1944
as Tim Donovan (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
A Night at Earl Carroll's 1940
as Mayor Green of San Bernardino
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)
The Honeymoon's Over 1939
as Crane
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
Off the Record 1939
as Scotty
They Made Me a Criminal 1939
as Ennis
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 The Bully (uncredited)
Something to Sing About 1937
as Café Manager
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
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 (uncredited)
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
Straight from the Heart 1935
as Prosecuting Attorney
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
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 (uncredited)
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)
Sky Devils 1932
as Captain
The Lost Squadron 1932
as Lelewer
The Menace 1932
as John Utterson
- Half Holiday
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
Actor
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots' 1931
as Himself - Golfer
Dishonored 1931
Actor
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
Sharp Tools 1928
Actor
Good Morning, Judge 1928
as Elton (as William Davidson)
- The Lash
The Lash 1928
Actor
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
Women and Gold 1925
as Señor Ortego
Ports of Call 1925
as Randolph Sherman
The Valley of Doubt 1924
as Macy
The Storm Daughter 1924
as Rennert
Adam and Eva 1923
as Dr. Delamater
The Dumb-Bell 1922
Actor
Nobody 1921
as John Rossmore
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
The Gold Cure 1919
as Michael Darcy
Why I Would Not Marry 1918
as Undetermined Role
In Pursuit of Polly 1918
as Larry O'Malley
Ashes of Love 1918
Actor
Friend Husband 1918
as John Sparr
Our Little Wife 1918
as Dr. Elliott
Her Second Husband 1917
as John Kirby
American Maid 1917
as David Starr
Persuasive Peggy 1917
as Ed Trowbridge
More Truth Than Poetry 1917
as Allen Danby
The Lifted Veil 1917
as Malcolm Grant
The Greatest Power 1917
as John Conrad
Lady Barnacle 1917
as Krishna Dhwaj
The Call of Her People 1917
as Nicholas Van Kleet
A Magdalene of the Hills 1917
as Bud Weaver
Mary Lawson's Secret 1917
as Dr. Brundage
The White Raven 1917
as The Stranger
- A Modern Cinderella
A Modern Cinderella 1917
Actor
In the Diplomatic Service 1916
as Lynn Hardi
The Pretenders 1916
as Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson)
The Child of Destiny 1916
as Calvin Baker
Dorian's Divorce 1916
as Henry Morgan (as William Davidson)
The Price of Malice 1916
as Capt. Mills
- Her Debt of Honor
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
Credits from TMDB.