Reading this followed with a hell of a war written by fairbanks, jr. Original bronze plaque of napoleon, signed douglas fairbanks, jr. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including the thief of bagdad, robin hood, and the mark of zorro, but spent the early part of his career making comed ies fair banks was a founding member of united artists. Douglas fairbanks sr didnt exactly give his son his blessing when jr decided to copy his dad and become an actor, and it was many years before the boy became a man at least in his fathers eyes. Aug 09, 2000 the man in the more notorious shot is unveiled as duncan sandys, then a cabinet minister, and his masturbating rival as douglas fairbanks jr, the hollywood legend who dallied with marlene dietrich.
Fairbanks was born in 1883, and to coincide with his 125th birthday, an ambitious book douglas fairbanks, by jeffrey vance with tony maiettahas just been published. His attempts to rescue her change him into a swashbuckling hero. It is a brave son who follows in the footsteps of his fathers career, especially when that career. The douglas fairbanks museum preserving film history. Biography for douglas fairbanks turner classic movies. However, the environment he was born into and the circumstances naturally led him to be a thespian. Although he appeared in approximately 100 movies or tv shows, douglas elton ulmanbetter known as douglas fairbanks jr. Douglas fairbanks books the douglas fairbanks museum. Douglas fairbanks greatgrandson joins mary pickford. His first wife he was 19 years old, she of an uncertain age, although.
Navy unit specializing in tactical cover, diversion, and deception operations to admiral h. In 1923 douglas fairbanks turned forty, and for a man who had staked not just his career but his style and his sensibility on eternal youth, the date had a terrible significance. Biography of douglas fairbanks, jr garden city, ny. He attended the bovee school in new york and collegiate military and knickerbocker greys, new york. Moreover, the selfinvolved fairbanks senior was not a particularly good father and paid little attention to his son. In his own words also features rare photographs, original documents, autographs, and vintage memorabilia from the museums archives.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. He had been suffering from heart trouble, but in early 1939 started writing a script for a new. There he finds a distressed young woman about to be sold into marriage. He had gotten attached to lord mountbattens combined operations command where mountbatten, a personal friend, sent him to work with the beach jumpers a commando unit that sometimes went ashore in the hours preceding invasions, like that of sicily.
Nov 14, 2008 jeffrey vances new completist biography of film pioneer douglas fairbanks is worth a look. Knight errant a biography of douglas fairbanks, jr. At times it approaches hagiography, but it tells you a lot about its hero, and its generously illustratedcrucial for a performer whose impact was so overwhelmingly physical. Includes a foreword by keri leigh, curator of the douglas fairbanks museum. The stunts have been imitated and parodied, and so has the screen personality, which was an improbable combination of the laughing cavalier and the dashing democrat. Though he produced a few features during the 50s, he turned primarily to television, hosting, producing and sometimes acting in the british anthology series douglas fairbanks jr. Jeffrey vance is a film historian, producer, and lecturer as well as the author of an acclaimed trilogy of books on the great. Douglas fairbanks jr, who has died aged 90, carried his fathers name proudly, though he had to overcome paternal neglect and the comparison with one of hollywoods legendary stars. Ghost story by john irvin fred astaire, melvyn douglas. And jeffrey vance tells it with verve and compassion and admirable compression in his handsomely illustrated biography of douglas fairbanks. Douglas fairbanks 18831939 was one of the first film superstars, a screenwriter. The two first met in 1927, but it wasnt love at first sight.
Douglas fairbanks jr signed jsa certified 8x10 photo. Books with substantial mentioning of douglas fairbanks jr. The second volume of fairbanks jrs autobiography, about his war experiences, and, like the first volume, interesting and engagingly. Wellwritten and concise, vance details the amazing life, and all of the movies, of one of the 20th centurys most incredible icons. Headless men in sex scandal finally named uk news the. He is best known for starring in such films as the prisoner of zenda 1937, gunga din 1939 and the corsican brothers 1941. Douglas was the son of silent screen legend douglas fairbanks sr. Live douglas fairbanks 1917 hc 1110151904ms antique books douglas. May 23, 1883 december 12, 1939 was an american actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Book recommendations, author interviews, editors picks, and more. Where this film does differ somewhat from the remake is its relative brevity 82 minutes versus 103 and. Jeffrey vance this deft mix of biography, film history, and analysis is a superb portrait of a true pioneer who was critically important to the creation of cinema as the defining art form of the 20th century.
Fairbanks was born on december 9, 1909 in new york city, new york. Excellently written autobiography by douglas fairbanks, jr. Douglas fairbanks, jr 19092000 find a grave memorial. Douglas elto n fairban ks b orn doug las elton thomas ullman. Salad days, the first volume of douglas fairbanks, jr.
May 4, 2018 the king of the silent era see more ideas about douglas fairbanks, silent film and old hollywood. Fairbanks capitalized on his rising popularity by publishing a selfhelp book. Douglas elton fairbanks was an american actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Discover book depositorys huge selection of douglas fairbanks books online. After the divorce, fairbanks married his mistress, lady sylvia ashley. Reassigned to the united states in late 1942, fairbanks as brash a junior naval officer as he was a brash onscreen hero pitched his idea for a u. His constant training he kept two boxers on his payroll had actually served him ill. I like your nerve by william mcgann douglas fairbanks jr. The powerhouse couple was a media sensation as they honeymooned across europe. His first stepmother was americas sweetheart, mary pickford.
It is a book that restores his subject to his rightful place as the american movies founding big brothershrewd, playful, flawed and endlessly fascinating. Commander fairbanks was born in new york, new york, on 9 december 1909, son of the late douglas fairbanks and anna beth sully fairbanks. With a film debut at, he entered an acting career that lasted up to 1951, when he went into production. Apr 22, 2016 the following year, we watch as she falls in love with the crown prince of hollywood, douglas fairbanks, jr. Douglas elton fairbanks born douglas elton thomas ullman. On them, with some help from douglas fairbanks, jr. The air mail 1925 as sandy wild horse mesa 1925 as chess weymer stella dallas 1925 as richard grosvenor the american venus 1926 as. American actor and noted family, the son of douglas fairbanks sr.
Filmography american aristocracy 1916 as newsboy uncredited the three musketeers 1921 as boy uncredited stephen steps out 1923 as stephen harlow jr. In this romantic comedy, a milquetoast bookworm finds his life transformed when he takes the advice of a fortune teller and travels to central america. Apr 20, 1988 he is the son of the movies first swashbuckling superhero. Mai 2000, ebenda war ein usamerikanischer filmschauspieler sowie film.
Paris 1923, produced by the 14yearold fairbanks when he attended school in paris. He later became an independent television producer in great britain and a company director internationally. Douglas fairbankss most popular book is the canterville ghost. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. These books include his handwriting, personal bookplate, and personal inscriptions and notes by authors and other notable figures. Books by douglas fairbanks author of laugh and live.
Douglas fairbanks jr vintage autograph hollywood movie star. Presents 195357, and of his remaining rare screen performances, almost all were for tv, notably the crooked hearts abc, 1972, with rosalind russell, arthur. A hell of a war hardcover january 1, 1995 by douglas jr fairbanks author 4. See more ideas about douglas fairbanks, fairbanks, silent film. Although he appeared in approximately 100 movies or tv shows, douglas fairbanks, jr. Douglas fairbanks by jeffrey vance, robert cushman hardcover. He was highly decorated naval officer of world war ii. He was the son of legendary silent movie actor douglas fairbanks. His movie career began to slow down during the 1950s but doug jr. Douglas fairbanks has 12 books on goodreads with 958 ratings.
One of the greatest stars of the silver screen recalls his experiences dur. The films effectiveness is especially surprising given that it contains two lengthy flashbacks which fly in the face of the genres usual need for immediacy and features a cast of primarily senior citizens john houseman and douglas fairbanks jr. Booklength manuscripts in the fairbanks archive include his multivolume. Shop movies starring douglas fairbanks, jr on dvd, vhs, and rare video formats at alibris.
May 08, 2000 douglas fairbanks jr, who has died aged 90, carried his fathers name proudly, though he had to overcome paternal neglect and the comparison with one of hollywoods legendary stars. Personal wardrobe relic keychain gunga din the mark of zorro fabric fobs worn by fairbanks. Fairbanks is the grandson of douglas fairbanks, jr. May 7, 2000, new york, his son by his first wife, anna beth sully, was a debonair leading man in the late 1930s and 40s who played roles similar to his fathers. For anyone with an interest in golden age cinema andor joan crawford, books like this are little treasure troves. He became an actor during the late silent era and a star of abudget films starring alongside actors such as greta garbo, edward g. Doyle new york will hold a major auction of items from the estate of the late douglas fairbanks, jr. Mar 28, 2016 hollywood stars mary pickford and douglas fairbanks tied the knot on march 28, 1920. Our marketplace offers a huge selection of movies from sellers worldwide. Highly recommend reading about an actor that it is unlikely that many people appreciate for his work outside of the acting world. In 1927 fairbanks made his stage debut in young woodley based on a book by john van druten.
He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including the thief of bagdad, robin hood, and the mark of zorro, but spent the early part of his career making comedies. Robinson, ronald colman, katharine hepburn, irene dunne, ginger rogers, cary grant, rita hayworth, and maureen ohara. For movie fans, it was a match made in heaven, the perfect hollywood romance, the true love story of a prince and a flapper. Fairbanks was born in 1883, and to coincide with his 125th birthday, an ambitious bookdouglas fairbanks, by jeffrey vance with tony maiettahas just been published. In 1949 he was made an honorary knight commander of the most excellent order of the british empire. Young fairbanks was more impressive as lois morans fiance in 1926s stella dallas, though it did give fairbanks sr. Fairbanks had several missions connected with that campaign. Douglas fairbanks by jeffrey vance, robert cushman. But no one has quite recaptured the freshness, the sense of perpetually innocent, perpetually adolescent narcissism, that douglas fairbanks brought to the screen. Where this film does differ somewhat from the remake is its relative brevity 82 minutes versus 103 and also a tighter focus on the grimness of the story. Actor and highly decorated wwii us naval officer douglas fairbanks jr was born he. Douglas fairbanks, horoscope for birth date 9 december. Michelle vogel children of hollywood, accounts of growing up as the sons and daughters of stars jefferson, n.