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)
Sharad of Atlantis
1936
as Sharad
Samson and Delilah
1949
as Tubal
For Freedom
1918
as Robert Wayne
A Woman's Face
1941
as Court Attendant
Samson
1915
as Maurice Brachard
Brass Commandments
1923
as Stephen 'Flash' Lanning
School for Girls
1934
as Charles Waltham
The Mummy's Curse
1944
as The Sacristan
The Spoilers
1942
as Wheaton
Cleopatra
1934
as Lepidus
Heart Strings
1920
as Pierre Fournel
Lone Star
1952
as Tom Crockett
Trail of Robin Hood
1950
as Bill Franum
The Adventurer
1920
as Don Caesar de Bazan
The Corsican Brothers
1941
as Priest
Jack and the Beanstalk
1952
as The King
Hollywood Story
1951
as Himself
Captain Kidd
1945
as Capt. Rawson
Mr. Robinson Crusoe
1932
as William Belmont
Bride of Vengeance
1949
as Conti Peruzzi
A Soldier's Oath
1915
as Pierre Duval
Rough and Ready
1918
as Bill Stratton
Santa Fe Stampede
1938
as Dave Carson
Last of the Duanes
1941
as Texas Ranger Major McNeill
Git Along Little Dogies
1937
as Banker Maxwell
Tennessee Johnson
1942
as Senator Huyler
Hollywood Extra Girl
1935
as Crusades Actor (uncredited)
American Empire
1942
as Louisiana Judge
The Battle of Hearts
1916
as Martin Cane
South of the Border
1939
as Padre
The Man from Bitter Roots
1916
as Bruce Burt
If I Were King
1938
as General Barbezier
A Connecticut Yankee
1931
as King Arthur / Inventor
The Perils of Pauline
1947
as Western Saloon Set Hero
Supernatural
1933
as Nicky Hammond
The Painted Desert
1931
as Cash Holbrook
Kit Carson
1940
as Don Miguel Murphy
Shine On Harvest Moon
1938
as Milt Brower
The Pagan Lady
1931
as Malcolm 'Mal' Todd
Maid of Salem
1937
as Crown Justice Sewall
The Crusades
1935
as Hugo, Duke of Burgundy
Adventures of Red Ryder
1940
as Colonel Tom Ryder
A Tale of Two Cities
1917
as Charles Darnay / Sydney Carton
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2
1941
My Dog Shep
1946
as Carter J. Latham Jr.
The Eagle's Brood
1935
as El Toro
Men of Texas
1942
as General Sam Houston
The Scarlet Letter
1934
as Gov. Bellingham
The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand
1936
as Gordon Gaunt
God's Country
1946
as Sandy McTavish
The Lone Ranger
1938
as Father McKim
Custer's Last Stand
1936
as James Fitzpatrick
The Drifter
1932
as The Drifter
Happy Landing
1934
as Col. Curtis
Ten Nights in a Bar-room
1931
as Joe Morgan
Rolling Home
1946
as Rodeo Official
Du Barry, Woman of Passion
1930
as Louis XV
Colorado Sunset
1939
as Sheriff George Glenn
Good Dame
1934
as Judge Flynn
Mexicali Rose
1939
as Padre Dominic
Hi-Yo Silver
1940
as Father McKim
Convicted Woman
1940
as Commissioner McNeill
The Joyous Trouble-Makers
1920
as William Steele
Daughter of the West
1949
as Father Vallejo
Tropical Nights
1928
The Spoilers
1914
as Roy Glenister
The Man Who Fights Alone
1924
as John Marble
Custer's Last Stand
1936
as James Fitzpatrick
Between Men
1935
as John Wellington / Rand
Public Cowboy No. 1
1937
as Sheriff Matt Doniphon
Flaming Guns
1932
as Henry Ramsey
Wildfire
1945
as Judge Polson
The Silver Bullet
1942
as Dr. Thad Morgan
The Vigilantes Are Coming
1936
as Father José
Gangs of Sonora
1941
as Ward Beecham
Reckless Decision
1933
as Rev. John MacDougall
Wolves of the Night
1919
as Bruce Andrews
The Secret of Treasure Island
1938
as George Brennan Westmore (Editor)
Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles
1933
as Squire Beamish
Powdersmoke Range
1935
as Sam Oreham - Banker
Law of the Sea
1931
as Captain Len Andrews
Les Misérables
1917
as Jean Valjean
Boss of Hangtown Mesa
1942
as Judge Ezra Binns
The Sign of the Cross
1914
as Marcus Superbus
A Stage Romance
1922
as Edmund Kean
Frontier Badmen
1943
as Dad Courtwright
The Orphan
1920
as The Orphan
The Conqueror
1917
as Sam Houston
American Methods
1917
as William Armstrong
Lone Star Ranger
1942
as Texas Ranger Major McNeil
Moonshine Valley
1922
as Ned Connors
The Gunfighter
1923
as Billy Buell
His Greatest Sacrifice
1921
as Richard Hall
The Price of Silence
1917
as Senator Frank Deering
Today I Hang
1942
as Warden Burke
Wings of the Morning
1919
as Capt. Robert Anstruther
True Blue
1918
as Bob McKeever
The Silver Streak
1934
as B.J. Dexter
The Kid Ranger
1936
as Bill Mason
The Heart of a Lion
1917
as Barney Kemper
Riders of the Purple Sage
1918
as Lassiter
Without Compromise
1922
as Dick Leighton
Deep in the Heart of Texas
1942
as Colonel Mallory
The Last of the Duanes
1919
as Buck Duane
The Wide Open Spaces
1931
as U.S. Marshal
Are We Civilized?
1934
as Paul Franklin, Sr.
The Irish Gringo
1935
as Pop Wiley
The Brand of Hate
1934
as Joe Larkins
The Man Hunter
1919
as George Arnold
The Scuttlers
1920
as Jim Landers
Million Dollar Haul
1935
as Mr. Mallory - Sheila's Dad
Fires of Conscience
1916
as George Baxter
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
1939
as Senator Timothy Nolan
The Rainbow Trail
1918
as Lassiter / Shefford
Gun Cargo
1949
as Board of Inquiry Chairman
The Lone Star Ranger
1919
as Steele
Perjury
1921
as Robert Moore
Drag Harlan
1920
as Drag Harlan
If I Were King
1920
as François Villon
Shackles of Gold
1922
as John Gibbs
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
- Sharad of Atlantis (1936) — as Sharad
- Samson and Delilah (1949) — as Tubal
- For Freedom (1918) — as Robert Wayne
- A Woman's Face (1941) — as Court Attendant
- Samson (1915) — as Maurice Brachard
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.