William Farnum
Known for Acting · 123 credits
- Born
- 1876-07-03
- Died
- 1953-06-05
- Place of birth
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Farnum (July 4, 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts – June 5, 1953 in Hollywood, California) was a major movie actor. One of three brothers, Farnum grew up in a family of actors. He made his acting debut at the age of ten in Richmond, Virginia in a production of Julius Caesar, with Edwin Booth playing the title character. His first major success was as the title character of Ben-Hur in 1900 though replacing the original actor Edward Morgan who premiered the character in 1899. Later plays Farnum appeared in were the costume epic The Prince of India (1906), The White Sister (1909) starring Viola Allen, The Littlest Rebel (1911) co-starring his brother Dustin and a child actress named Mary Miles Minter(then nine years old) & Arizona (1913) with Dustin and stage beauty Elsie Ferguson.
In The Spoilers in 1914, Farnum and Tom Santschi staged a classic movie fight which lasted for a full reel. In 1930, Farnum and Stantschi coached Gary Cooper and William Boyd in the fight scene for the 1930 version of The Spoilers. Other actors influenced by the Farnum scene were Milton Sills and Noah Beery in 1922 and Randolph Scott and John Wayne in 1942.
From 1915 to 1925, Farnum devoted his life to motion pictures. When becoming one of the biggest sensations in Hollywood, he also became one of the highest-paid actors, earning $10,000 a week. Farnum's silent pictures the western Drag Harlan(1920) and the drama-adventure If I Were King(1921) survive from his years contracted to Fox Films.
Farnum has a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was the younger brother of actor Dustin Farnum. He had another brother, Marshall Farnum, who was a silent film director and died in 1917.
Known For
Movies (123)
Samson and Delilah
1949
as Tubal
Lone Star
1952
as Tom Crockett
The Spoilers
1942
as Wheaton
Kit Carson
1940
as Don Miguel Murphy
A Woman's Face
1941
as Court Attendant
The Scuttlers
1920
as Jim Landers
Cleopatra
1934
as Lepidus
Captain Kidd
1945
as Capt. Rawson
The Crusades
1935
as Hugo, Duke of Burgundy
Hollywood Story
1951
as Himself
If I Were King
1938
as General Barbezier
The Mummy's Curse
1944
as The Sacristan
American Empire
1942
as Louisiana Judge
Sharad of Atlantis
1936
as Sharad
Jack and the Beanstalk
1952
as The King
Santa Fe Stampede
1938
as Dave Carson
Hi-Yo Silver
1940
as Father McKim
Supernatural
1933
as Nicky Hammond
Tennessee Johnson
1942
as Senator Huyler
Gangs of Sonora
1941
as Ward Beecham
The Corsican Brothers
1941
as Priest
Adventures of Red Ryder
1940
as Colonel Tom Ryder
The Perils of Pauline
1947
as Western Saloon Set Hero
The Lone Ranger
1938
as Father McKim
The Man Who Fights Alone
1924
as John Marble
Bride of Vengeance
1949
as Conti Peruzzi
Without Compromise
1922
as Dick Leighton
The Silver Streak
1934
as B.J. Dexter
The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand
1936
as Gordon Gaunt
The Brand of Hate
1934
as Joe Larkins
The Painted Desert
1931
as Cash Holbrook
The Scarlet Letter
1934
as Gov. Bellingham
Tropical Nights
1928
Between Men
1935
as John Wellington / Rand
Mexicali Rose
1939
as Padre Dominic
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
1939
as Senator Timothy Nolan
Deep in the Heart of Texas
1942
as Colonel Mallory
The Eagle's Brood
1935
as El Toro
Git Along Little Dogies
1937
as Banker Maxwell
Du Barry, Woman of Passion
1930
as Louis XV
Frontier Badmen
1943
as Dad Courtwright
Daughter of the West
1949
as Father Vallejo
Boss of Hangtown Mesa
1942
as Judge Ezra Binns
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2
1941
The Wide Open Spaces
1931
as U.S. Marshal
Custer's Last Stand
1936
as James Fitzpatrick
God's Country
1946
as Sandy McTavish
The Rainbow Trail
1918
as Lassiter / Shefford
South of the Border
1939
as Padre
Maid of Salem
1937
as Crown Justice Sewall
Ten Nights in a Bar-room
1931
as Joe Morgan
The Pagan Lady
1931
as Malcolm 'Mal' Todd
Wildfire
1945
as Judge Polson
Happy Landing
1934
as Col. Curtis
Public Cowboy No. 1
1937
as Sheriff Matt Doniphon
Powdersmoke Range
1935
as Sam Oreham - Banker
Shackles of Gold
1922
as John Gibbs
Gun Cargo
1949
as Board of Inquiry Chairman
The Conqueror
1917
as Sam Houston
Shine On Harvest Moon
1938
as Milt Brower
Good Dame
1934
as Judge Flynn
Trail of Robin Hood
1950
as Bill Franum
Are We Civilized?
1934
as Paul Franklin, Sr.
School for Girls
1934
as Charles Waltham
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933
as Squire Beamish
Flaming Guns
1932
as Henry Ramsey
Rolling Home
1946
as Rodeo Official
Brass Commandments
1923
as Stephen 'Flash' Lanning
Riders of the Purple Sage
1918
as Lassiter
A Connecticut Yankee
1931
as King Arthur / Inventor
A Tale of Two Cities
1917
as Charles Darnay / Sydney Carton
The Last of the Duanes
1919
as Buck Duane
Colorado Sunset
1939
as Sheriff George Glenn
Convicted Woman
1940
as Commissioner McNeill
The Silver Bullet
1942
as Dr. Thad Morgan
Custer's Last Stand
1936
as James Fitzpatrick
The Vigilantes Are Coming
1936
as Father José
American Methods
1917
as William Armstrong
Million Dollar Haul
1935
as Mr. Mallory - Sheila's Dad
My Dog Shep
1946
as Carter J. Latham Jr.
The Lone Star Ranger
1919
as Steele
Perjury
1921
as Robert Moore
The Sign of the Cross
1914
as Marcus Superbus
The Drifter
1932
as The Drifter
Last of the Duanes
1941
as Texas Ranger Major McNeill
Men of Texas
1942
as General Sam Houston
Mr. Robinson Crusoe
1932
as William Belmont
The Man from Bitter Roots
1916
as Bruce Burt
Reckless Decision
1933
as Rev. John MacDougall
The Gunfighter
1923
as Billy Buell
Law of the Sea
1931
as Captain Len Andrews
The Heart of a Lion
1917
as Barney Kemper
True Blue
1918
as Bob McKeever
Moonshine Valley
1922
as Ned Connors
Fires of Conscience
1916
as George Baxter
Wolves of the Night
1919
as Bruce Andrews
The Irish Gringo
1935
as Pop Wiley
Hollywood Extra Girl
1935
as Crusades Actor (uncredited)
The Secret of Treasure Island
1938
as George Brennan Westmore (Editor)
Heart Strings
1920
as Pierre Fournel
His Greatest Sacrifice
1921
as Richard Hall
A Stage Romance
1922
as Edmund Kean
The Bondman
1916
as Stephen Orry/Jason Orry
The Wonderful Adventure
1915
as Martin Stanley
The Spoilers
1914
as Roy Glenister
Les Misérables
1917
as Jean Valjean
Lone Star Ranger
1942
as Texas Ranger Major McNeil
Rough and Ready
1918
as Bill Stratton
Today I Hang
1942
as Warden Burke
The Price of Silence
1917
as Senator Frank Deering
The Man Hunter
1919
as George Arnold
The Orphan
1920
as The Orphan
Drag Harlan
1920
as Drag Harlan
The Adventurer
1920
as Don Caesar de Bazan
Wings of the Morning
1919
as Capt. Robert Anstruther
The Joyous Trouble-Makers
1920
as William Steele
Samson
1915
as Maurice Brachard
The Battle of Hearts
1916
as Martin Cane
If I Were King
1920
as François Villon
The Kid Ranger
1936
as Bill Mason
About William Farnum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William Farnum (July 4, 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts – June 5, 1953 in Hollywood, California) was a major movie actor. One of three brothers, Farnum grew up in a family of actors. He made his acting debut at the age of ten in Richmond, Virginia in a production of Julius Caesar, with Edwin Booth playing the title character. His first major success was as the title character of Ben-Hur in 1900 though replacing the original actor Edward Morgan who premiered the character in 1899. Later plays Farnum appeared… With 123 credits spanning from 1914 to 1952, William Farnum has appeared in 123 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for William Farnum movies, William Farnum filmography, or the latest projects starring William Farnum can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William Farnum Movies
- Samson and Delilah (1949) — as Tubal
- Lone Star (1952) — as Tom Crockett
- The Spoilers (1942) — as Wheaton
- Kit Carson (1940) — as Don Miguel Murphy
- A Woman's Face (1941) — as Court Attendant
Where to Watch William Farnum Films
Most William Farnum movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William Farnum, check our movies catalogue and browse page.