Fairbanks, Douglas

Fairbanks, Douglas (1883-1939), American film actor and producer, noted especially for the daring athletic feats and expert swordsmanship that highlighted his performances. He was born Douglas Elton Ulman in Denver, Colorado, and, after a short period with a Wall Street brokerage firm, turned to the stage in 1901. During the following 14 years he rose to stardom, appearing in a variety of roles. In 1915 he entered films, shortly afterwards forming his own production company. He was one of the most popular actors of his day, starring in such films as The Mark of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Thief of Bagdad (1924), Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925), The Black Pirate (1926), The Gaucho (1927), The Iron Mask (1929), and The Taming of the Shrew (1929). In association with his second wife (the actress Mary Pickford), the director D. W. Griffith, and the actor-director-producer Charlie Chaplin, Fairbanks founded the film-producing company United Artists, Inc., in 1919. His last film, The Private Life of Don Juan, was made in 1934.

His son, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., also a noted film actor, became prominent in film and television production.