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
| Birth Location | Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA |
|---|---|
| Born | 1888-06-15 |
| Died | 1947-09-28 |
Movies
Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her
as Self (archive footage)
1994
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
1975
The Judge Steps Out
as Colonel Bright (uncredited)
1947
That Hagen Girl
as Mr. Bowman (uncredited)
1947
That's My Man
as Steward
1947
Dick Tracy's Dilemma
as Peter Premium
1947
The Plainsman and the Lady
as Russell
1946
My Darling Clementine
as Saloon Owner (uncredited)
1946
The Cat Creeps
as James Walsh
1946
Ding Dong Williams
as Mr. Saul Dana
1946
Blonde Alibi
as Police Captain Hurley (Uncredited)
1946
The Notorious Lone Wolf
as Inspector Crane (as William Davidson)
1946
They Were Expendable
as Hotel Manager (uncredited)
1945
Sing Your Way Home
as F.T. Johnson
1945
Tell It to a Star
as Brannigan
1945
Circumstantial Evidence
as Board of Appeals Chairman
1945
The Man Who Walked Alone
as Governor
1945
See My Lawyer
as Judge
1945
Greenwich Village
as Dance Director
1944
In Society
as Parker
1944
Make Your Own Bed
as Mr. Linklater
1944
A Night of Adventure
as Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited)
1944
Up in Arms
as Maxwell
1944
Over the Wall
as Warden Ed
1943
Murder on the Waterfront
as Capt. Towne
1943
The Good Fellows
as Blake
1943
Hers to Hold
as Al
1943
Mission to Moscow
as Senator (uncredited)
1943
Calaboose
as Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson)
1943
Truck Busters
as Stephen S. Gray
1943
Gentleman Jim
as Donovan (uncredited)
1942
Careful, Soft Shoulders
as Mr. Aldrich
1942
The Magnificent Dope
as Mr. Reindel
1942
The Affairs of Martha
as Homer Jacell
1942
In This Our Life
as Jim Purdy
1942
Larceny, Inc.
as McCarthy
1942
The Great Man's Lady
as Sen. Knobs
1942
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
as Cyrus Ballard
1942
The Male Animal
as Alumnus
1942
Over My Dead Body
as Crole (as William Davidson)
1942
Remember the Day
as Committeeman
1941
Keep 'Em Flying
as Gonigle
1941
Three Girls About Town
as Labor Leader
1941
Uncle Joe
as Mr. Day
1941
Week-End in Havana
as Captain Moss
1941
Sun Valley Serenade
as Jack Murray
1941
Hold That Ghost
as Moose Matson
1941
Highway West
as Gorman
1941
Three Sons o' Guns
as Henry Baxter
1941
In the Navy
as Capt. Richards (uncredited)
1941
Thieves Fall Out
as Harrison "Harry" Eckles
1941
The Lady from Cheyenne
as Nye Dunbar
1941
Man-Made Monster
as District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley
1941
San Francisco Docks
as Dist. Atty. Craig
1940
Charter Pilot
as Mr. Wentworth
1940
Lady with Red Hair
as Stock Company Manager (uncredited)
1940
Tin Pan Alley
as Hotel Manager
1940
Sandy Gets Her Man
as Councilman Charles J. Clark
1940
Seven Sinners
as Police Chief
1940
Hired Wife
as Mumford (as William Davidson)
1940
Maryland
as John Addison
1940
My Love Came Back
as Agent
1940
Sailor's Lady
as Judge Hinsdale
1940
Florian
as Archduke Franz Ferdinand
1940
Girl in 313
as George Grayson
1940
Lillian Russell
as President Cleveland
1940
On Their Own
as Judge Bull
1940
Half a Sinner
as Slick
1940
Granny Get Your Gun
as Fitzgerald
1940
My Little Chickadee
as Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
1940
Invisible Stripes
as Montgomery (uncredited)
1939
Private Detective
as Inspector Evans
1939
Smashing the Money Ring
as Warden Denby
1939
Honeymoon in Bali
as Store Detective
1939
Dust Be My Destiny
as Work Farm Warden
1939
Hidden Power
as Foster
1939
Each Dawn I Die
as Bill Mason
1939
Indianapolis Speedway
as Duncan Martin
1939
Naughty But Nice
as Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher
1939
On Trial
as Mr. Gray
1939
Sudden Money
as Sam
1939
Three Smart Girls Grow Up
as Stock Broker
1939
Blondie Meets the Boss
as Elderly Man in Café (uncredited)
1939
Tail Spin
as Sales Manager (Uncredited)
1939
Blackwell's Island
as Hempel
1939
Off the Record
as Scotty
1939
They Made Me a Criminal
as Ennis
1939
Illegal Traffic
as Dalton
1938
There Goes My Heart
as Skipper Jackson (uncredited)
1938
Mr. Doodle Kicks Off
as Ellory Bugs
1938
Letter of Introduction
as Mr. Raleigh (uncredited)
1938
Racket Busters
as Trucking Chairman (uncredited)
1938
Cowboy from Brooklyn
as Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey
1938
Blockade
as Commandant
1938
Cocoanut Grove
as Hawtrey
1938
The Jury's Secret
as Page
1938
Hollywood Hotel
as Director Kelton
1938
Sergeant Murphy
as Maj. Gruff (uncredited)
1938
Love on Toast
as Jonathan
1937
The Hurricane
as Abusive Drunk (uncredited)
1937
Something to Sing About
as Mr. Richards (as William Davidson)
1937
Behind the Mike
as Cyrus Wittles
1937
It Happened in Hollywood
as Al Howard
1937
Paradise Isle
as Hoener
1937
Easy Living
as Mr. Hyde
1937
Ever Since Eve
as Henderson
1937
Marry the Girl
as Drake
1937
The Road Back
as Bartscher
1937
Melody for Two
as Mr. Hale
1937
Let Them Live
as The Editor
1937
Marked Woman
as Bob Crandall
1937
Midnight Court
as Alfred H. Kruger
1937
Gold Diggers of 1937
as Andy Callahan
1936
Earthworm Tractors
as Mr. Jackson
1936
Satan Met a Lady
as City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited)
1936
The Big Noise
as Welford Andrews
1936
Murder by an Aristocrat
as Bayard Thatcher (as William Davidson)
1936
Fatal Lady
as Detective (uncredited)
1936
The Singing Kid
as Barney Hammond
1936
Road Gang
as Attorney General Mardsen
1936
Love on a Bet
as A.W. Hutchinson
1936
You May Be Next!
as Official (uncredited)
1936
Dangerous
as Reed Walsh
1935
Show Them No Mercy!
as Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson)
1935
In Person
as Director Bill Sutter
1935
Special Agent
as Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer
1935
Woman Wanted
as Collins
1935
Oil for the Lamps of China
as E.H. Swaley
1935
Go Into Your Dance
as Tom McGee
1935
A Night at the Ritz
as Connolly
1935
Death Flies East
as Police Captain Barrie
1935
Sweet Music
as Billie Madison
1935
Devil Dogs of the Air
as Adjutant
1935
Bordertown
as Dr. Carter
1935
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head
as Charles (as William Davidson)
1934
The Secret Bride
as Representative McPherson
1934
Imitation of Life
as Man Buying Cigar (uncredited)
1934
The St. Louis Kid
as Joe Hunter
1934
The Dragon Murder Case
as Greeff
1934
Housewife
as Nan's Attorney
1934
Friends of Mr. Sweeney
as Stephen Prime
1934
Fog Over Frisco
as Editor Joe Hogue
1934
Upperworld
as City Editor (uncredited)
1934
Laughing Boy
as Hartshone (as William Davidson)
1934
The Big Shakedown
as District Attorney (uncredited)
1934
Lady Killer
as Director Williams
1933
Female
as Department Head (Uncredited)
1933
Meet the Baron
as General Broadcasting Representative
1933
I'm No Angel
as Ernest Brown
1933
Torch Singer
as Jarrett
1933
How to Break 90 #3: Hip Action
as Himself
1933
The Intruder
as Det. Lt. Samson
1933
Dangerously Yours
as George Carr
1933
Mystery of the Wax Museum
as Detective (Uncredited)
1933
Hello, Everybody!
as Mr. Parker
1933
The Billion Dollar Scandal
as Jim Lawrence
1933
The Animal Kingdom
as Chess Player
1932
Central Park
as Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
1932
Guilty or Not Guilty
as Chief
1932
The Sport Parade
as Kendricks (uncredited)
1932
The Pride of the Legion
as Sgt. Arnold
1932
Her Mad Night
as District Attorney
1932
The Most Dangerous Game
as Captain (uncredited)
1932
The Thirteenth Guest
as Police Captain Brown (Uncredited)
1932
Is My Face Red?
as O'Sullivan
1932
Scarface
as Citizens Committee Member (uncredited)
1932
Sky Devils
as Captain
1932
The Lost Squadron
as Lelewer
1932
The Menace
as John Utterson
1932
Half Holiday
as Jerry - Andy's Pal
1931
Graft
as M.H. Thomas
1931
The Secret Call
as Jim Blake
1931
The Vice Squad
as Magistrate Tom Morrison
1931
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots'
as Himself - Golfer
1931
1931
Captain Applejack
as Bill Dennett
1931
No Limit
as Wilkie
1931
Hook, Line and Sinker
as Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson)
1930
Oh, for a Man!
as Kerry Stokes
1930
Hell's Angels
as Staff Major
1930
Sunny
as First Ship's Officer
1930
The Silver Horde
as Tom Hilliard
1930
Playboy of Paris
as Monsieur Bannack (uncredited)
1930
The Costello Case
as Saunders
1930
Scarlet Pages
as Jackson
1930
For the Defense
as Dist. Atty. Stone
1930
A Man from Wyoming
as Major
1930
Men Are Like That
as Frank Hyland
1930
Blaze o' Glory
as District Attorney (as William Davidson)
1929
Always Faithful
as George W. Mason
1929
Woman Trap
as Watts
1929
Queen of the Night Clubs
as Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson)
1929
The Carnation Kid
as Blythe
1929
1928
Good Morning, Judge
as Elton (as William Davidson)
1928
A Gentleman of Paris
as Henri Dufour
1927
Cradle Snatchers
as Roy Ladd
1927
The Last Trail
as Kurt Morley
1927
Hearts and Spurs
as Victor Dufresne
1925
Recompense
as Col. Donovan
1925
Ports of Call
as Randolph Sherman
1925
Adam and Eva
as Dr. Delamater
1923
1922
Partners of the Night
as Robert Clifford
1920
The Capitol
as Congressman Blake
1919
Lure of Ambition
as Hon. Cyril Ralston
1919
Impossible Catherine
as John Henry Jackson
1919
La belle Russe
as Brand
1919
A Woman There Was
as Rev. Winthrop Stark
1919
Why I Would Not Marry
as Undetermined Role
1918
In Pursuit of Polly
as Larry O'Malley
1918
The Lifted Veil
as Malcolm Grant
1917
The Greatest Power
as John Conrad
1917
The Call of Her People
as Nicholas Van Kleet
1917
Mary Lawson's Secret
as Dr. Brundage
1917
The White Raven
as The Stranger
1917
1917
In the Diplomatic Service
as Lynn Hardi
1916
The Pretenders
as Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson)
1916
Dorian's Divorce
as Henry Morgan (as William Davidson)
1916
The Price of Malice
as Capt. Mills
1916
Her Debt of Honor
as John Hartfield
1916
A Yellow Streak
as Jack Rader
1915
For the Honor of the Crew
as Robert Brent
1915
William B. Davidson hasn't worked on any movies or TV shows
