William Farnum

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

116

Gender

Male

Birthday

1876-07-03

Day of death

1953-06-05 (76 years old)

Place of Birth

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

William Farnum

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. Description above from the Wikipedia article William Farnum, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

  • Samson and Delilah

    Samson and Delilah

  • Santa Fe Stampede

    Santa Fe Stampede

  • The Orphan

    The Orphan

  • Gangs of Sonora

    Gangs of Sonora

  • Jack and the Beanstalk

    Jack and the Beanstalk

  • The Kid Ranger

    The Kid Ranger

  • American Empire

    American Empire

  • Custer's Last Stand

    Custer's Last Stand

  • If I Were King

    If I Were King

  • The Silver Streak

    The Silver Streak

  • A Connecticut Yankee

    A Connecticut Yankee

  • Ten Nights in a Bar-room

    Ten Nights in a Bar-room

  • Drag Harlan

    Drag Harlan

  • The Brand of Hate

    The Brand of Hate

  • Hollywood Story

    Hollywood Story

  • Cleopatra

    Cleopatra

  • The Man Hunter

    The Man Hunter

  • Lone Star

    Lone Star

  • The Vigilantes Are Coming

    The Vigilantes Are Coming

  • Supernatural

    Supernatural

  • The Painted Desert

    The Painted Desert

  • Custer's Last Stand

    Custer's Last Stand

  • Mexicali Rose

    Mexicali Rose

  • The Crusades

    The Crusades

  • Reckless Decision

    Reckless Decision

  • The Corsican Brothers

    The Corsican Brothers

  • The Wonderful Adventure

    The Wonderful Adventure

  • Daughter of the West

    Daughter of the West

  • The Eagle's Brood

    The Eagle's Brood

  • South of the Border

    South of the Border

  • Wildfire

    Wildfire

  • Tropical Nights

    Tropical Nights

  • Les Misérables

    Les Misérables

  • Between Men

    Between Men

  • A Stage Romance

    A Stage Romance

  • The Bondman

    The Bondman

  • Rolling Home

    Rolling Home

  • The Spoilers

    The Spoilers

  • The Last of the Duanes

    The Last of the Duanes

  • The Rainbow Trail

    The Rainbow Trail

  • Sharad of Atlantis

    Sharad of Atlantis

  • Gun Cargo

    Gun Cargo

  • The Sign of the Cross

    The Sign of the Cross

  • School for Girls

    School for Girls

  • Kit Carson

    Kit Carson

  • The Conqueror

    The Conqueror

  • The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand

    The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand

  • The Spoilers

    The Spoilers

  • Convicted Woman

    Convicted Woman

  • Public Cowboy No. 1

    Public Cowboy No. 1

  • Perjury

    Perjury

  • Law of the Sea

    Law of the Sea

  • Powdersmoke Range

    Powdersmoke Range

  • Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

    Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

  • When a Man Sees Red

    When a Man Sees Red

  • The Scarlet Letter

    The Scarlet Letter

  • Bride of Vengeance

    Bride of Vengeance

  • The Silver Bullet

    The Silver Bullet

  • Are We Civilized?

    Are We Civilized?

  • Shackles of Gold

    Shackles of Gold

  • Shine On Harvest Moon

    Shine On Harvest Moon

  • Moonshine Valley

    Moonshine Valley

  • The Pagan Lady

    The Pagan Lady

  • The Man Who Fights Alone

    The Man Who Fights Alone

  • The Secret of Treasure Island

    The Secret of Treasure Island

  • The Gunfighter

    The Gunfighter

  • Today I Hang

    Today I Hang

  • Flaming Guns

    Flaming Guns

  • The Lone Star Ranger

    The Lone Star Ranger

  • The Wide Open Spaces

    The Wide Open Spaces

  • Million Dollar Haul

    Million Dollar Haul

  • Trail of Robin Hood

    Trail of Robin Hood

  • Tennessee Johnson

    Tennessee Johnson

  • Good Dame

    Good Dame

  • Rovin' Tumbleweeds

    Rovin' Tumbleweeds

  • A Woman's Face

    A Woman's Face

  • Frontier Badmen

    Frontier Badmen

  • Wolves of the Night

    Wolves of the Night

  • The Irish Gringo

    The Irish Gringo

  • American Methods

    American Methods

  • Last of the Duanes

    Last of the Duanes

  • Deep in the Heart of Texas

    Deep in the Heart of Texas

  • Happy Landing

    Happy Landing

  • A Tale of Two Cities

    A Tale of Two Cities

  • Adventures of Red Ryder

    Adventures of Red Ryder

  • The Drifter

    The Drifter

  • Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles

    Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles

  • Captain Kidd

    Captain Kidd

  • Samson

    Samson

  • Mr. Robinson Crusoe

    Mr. Robinson Crusoe

  • Men of Texas

    Men of Texas

  • God's Country

    God's Country

  • Hi-Yo Silver

    Hi-Yo Silver

  • Maid of Salem

    Maid of Salem

  • Du Barry, Woman of Passion

    Du Barry, Woman of Passion

  • My Dog Shep

    My Dog Shep

  • The Mummy's Curse

    The Mummy's Curse

  • The Perils of Pauline

    The Perils of Pauline

  • Rough and Ready

    Rough and Ready

  • Brass Commandments

    Brass Commandments

  • Lone Star Ranger

    Lone Star Ranger

  • The Joyous Trouble-Makers

    The Joyous Trouble-Makers

  • The Lone Ranger

    The Lone Ranger

  • Git Along Little Dogies

    Git Along Little Dogies

  • Boss of Hangtown Mesa

    Boss of Hangtown Mesa

  • Colorado Sunset

    Colorado Sunset

  • Hollywood Extra Girl

    Hollywood Extra Girl

  • Without Compromise

    Without Compromise

  • Riders of the Purple Sage

    Riders of the Purple Sage

  • The Price of Silence

    The Price of Silence

  • Fires of Conscience

    Fires of Conscience

  • The Heart of a Lion

    The Heart of a Lion

  • Wings of the Morning

    Wings of the Morning

  • True Blue

    True Blue

  • His Greatest Sacrifice

    His Greatest Sacrifice

  • If I Were King

    If I Were King