
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.

Blake
The Good Fellows

Cyrus Ballard
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

Work Farm Warden
Dust Be My Destiny

Nicholas Van Kleet
The Call of Her People

The Stranger
The White Raven

John Conrad
The Greatest Power

Malcolm Grant
The Lifted Veil

Ernest Brown
I'm No Angel

Foster
Hidden Power

Brand
La belle Russe

Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson)
The Pretenders

Hon. Cyril Ralston
Lure of Ambition

Larry O'Malley
In Pursuit of Polly

Police Chief
Seven Sinners

Elton (as William Davidson)
Good Morning, Judge

Board of Appeals Chairman
Circumstantial Evidence

Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson)
Hook, Line and Sinker

Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson)
Queen of the Night Clubs

Jack Murray
Sun Valley Serenade

Director Williams
Lady Killer

Director Kelton
Hollywood Hotel

Mr. Jackson
Earthworm Tractors

George Carr
Dangerously Yours

Gorman
Highway West

Victor Dufresne
Hearts and Spurs

Greeff
The Dragon Murder Case

McCarthy
Larceny, Inc.

Hempel
Blackwell's Island

Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer
Special Agent

Randolph Sherman
Ports of Call

Sen. Knobs
The Great Man's Lady

Inspector Crane (as William Davidson)
The Notorious Lone Wolf

Lelewer
The Lost Squadron

Mr. Raleigh (uncredited)
Letter of Introduction

District Attorney
Her Mad Night

Hoener
Paradise Isle

Jack Rader
A Yellow Streak

Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson)
Show Them No Mercy!

Maj. Gruff (uncredited)
Sergeant Murphy

Billie Madison
Sweet Music

Captain
Sky Devils

M.H. Thomas
Graft

Brannigan
Tell It to a Star

Jackson
Scarlet Pages

Chess Player
The Animal Kingdom

A.W. Hutchinson
Love on a Bet

Capt. Towne
Murder on the Waterfront

John Utterson
The Menace

Alfred H. Kruger
Midnight Court

Hartshone (as William Davidson)
Laughing Boy

Sgt. Arnold
The Pride of the Legion

Drake
Marry the Girl

Watts
Woman Trap

Attorney General Mardsen
Road Gang

Agent
My Love Came Back

Dist. Atty. Stone
For the Defense

Mr. Day
Uncle Joe

Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Florian

Magistrate Tom Morrison
The Vice Squad

Homer Jacell
The Affairs of Martha

Robert Brent
For the Honor of the Crew

Russell
The Plainsman and the Lady

Ellory Bugs
Mr. Doodle Kicks Off

Mr. Bowman (uncredited)
That Hagen Girl

Duncan Martin
Indianapolis Speedway

Collins
Woman Wanted

Bill Dennett
Captain Applejack

Capt. Richards (uncredited)
In the Navy

Mr. Parker
Hello, Everybody!

Captain
The Most Dangerous Game

Wilkie
No Limit

Commandant
Blockade

Chief
Guilty or Not Guilty

Monsieur Bannack (uncredited)
Playboy of Paris

The Dumb-Bell

Joe Hunter
The St. Louis Kid

Major
A Man from Wyoming

John Hartfield
Her Debt of Honor

Lynn Hardi
In the Diplomatic Service

Police Captain Barrie
Death Flies East

Bayard Thatcher
Murder by an Aristocrat

Mr. Saul Dana
Ding Dong Williams

Capt. Mills
The Price of Malice

A Modern Cinderella

Blythe
The Carnation Kid

Robert Clifford
Partners of the Night

Roy Ladd
Cradle Snatchers

Henderson
Ever Since Eve

Al Howard
It Happened in Hollywood

Mr. Hyde
Easy Living

President Cleveland
Lillian Russell

Director Bill Sutter (uncredited)
In Person

Ennis
They Made Me a Criminal

Det. Lt. Samson
The Intruder

Windy Riley Goes Hollywood

The Bully (uncredited)
The Hurricane

Trucking Chairman (uncredited)
Racket Busters

Detective (uncredited)
Fatal Lady

Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey
Cowboy from Brooklyn

Hawtrey
Cocoanut Grove

First Ship's Officer
Sunny

Mr. Hale
Melody for Two

Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher
Naughty But Nice

Maxwell (uncredited)
Up in Arms

Dr. Delamater
Adam and Eva

Dance Director
Greenwich Village

Warden Denby
Smashing the Money Ring

Kendricks (uncredited)
The Sport Parade

E.H. Swaley
Oil for the Lamps of China

Mr. Wentworth
Charter Pilot

Welford Andrews
The Big Noise

Mumford (as William Davidson)
Hired Wife

Stephen Prime
Friends of Mr. Sweeney

Sales Manager (Uncredited)
Tail Spin

Elderly Man in Café (uncredited)
Blondie Meets the Boss

Stock Broker
Three Smart Girls Grow Up

Henry Baxter
Three Sons o' Guns

Bill Mason
Each Dawn I Die

Steward
That's My Man

Store Detective
Honeymoon in Bali

Skipper Jackson (uncredited)
There Goes My Heart

District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley
Man-Made Monster

Self (archive footage)
Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her

Kurt Morley
The Last Trail

Jimmy Ryder
The Girl from Nowhere

Al
Hers to Hold

Colonel Bright (uncredited)
The Judge Steps Out

Judge Bull
On Their Own

Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited)
A Night of Adventure

Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson)
Calaboose

Dr. Carter
Bordertown

Adjutant
Devil Dogs of the Air

Peter Premium
Dick Tracy's Dilemma

Jonathan
Love on Toast

Representative McPherson
The Secret Bride

Reed Walsh
Dangerous

Rev. Winthrop Stark
A Woman There Was

Crole (as William Davidson)
Over My Dead Body

Gonigle
Keep 'Em Flying

Dr. Brundage
Mary Lawson's Secret

Citizens Committee Member (uncredited)
Scarface

Saloon Owner (uncredited)
My Darling Clementine

Nye Dunbar
The Lady from Cheyenne

Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
My Little Chickadee

Moose Matson
Hold That Ghost

Slick
Half a Sinner

Hotel Manager
Tin Pan Alley

Barney Hammond
The Singing Kid

Donovan (uncredited)
Gentleman Jim

Connolly
A Night at the Ritz

Stock Company Manager (uncredited)
Lady with Red Hair

George Grayson
Girl in 313

John Addison
Maryland

General Broadcasting Representative
Meet the Baron

Himself
How to Break 90 #3: Hip Action

Inspector Evans
Private Detective

City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited)
Satan Met a Lady

Labor Leader
Three Girls About Town

Tom Hilliard
The Silver Horde

Mr. Richards (as William Davidson)
Something to Sing About

Jim Blake
The Secret Call

George W. Mason
Always Faithful

Committeeman
Remember the Day

Himself - Golfer
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots'

Sharp Tools

Andy Callahan
Gold Diggers of 1937

Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Kerry Stokes
Oh, for a Man!

Sam
Sudden Money

Mr. Aldrich
Careful, Soft Shoulders

Nan's Attorney
Housewife

Scotty
Off the Record

Saunders
The Costello Case

Frank Hyland
Men Are Like That

Mr. Gray
On Trial

Jerry - Andy's Pal
Half Holiday

Captain Moss
Week-End in Havana

James Walsh
The Cat Creeps

Editor Joe Hogue
Fog Over Frisco

Harrison "Harry" Eckles
Thieves Fall Out

Staff Major
Hell's Angels

Senator (uncredited)
Mission to Moscow

Judge Hinsdale
Sailor's Lady

Bob Crandall
Marked Woman

Jarrett
Torch Singer

Warden Ed
Over the Wall

Tom McGee
Go Into Your Dance

Stephen S. Gray
Truck Busters

Police Captain Hurley (Uncredited)
Blonde Alibi

Page
The Jury's Secret

Judge
See My Lawyer

Councilman Charles J. Clark
Sandy Gets Her Man

Cyrus Wittles
Behind the Mike

The Editor
Let Them Live

Undetermined Role
Why I Would Not Marry

Col. Donovan
Recompense

Mr. Linklater
Make Your Own Bed

John Henry Jackson
Impossible Catherine

Jim Lawrence
The Billion Dollar Scandal

District Attorney (uncredited)
The Big Shakedown

Official (uncredited)
You May Be Next!

Man Buying Cigar (uncredited)
Imitation of Life

Parker
In Society

Dist. Atty. Craig
San Francisco Docks

Governor
The Man Who Walked Alone

Fitzgerald
Granny Get Your Gun

Congressman Blake
The Capitol

Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Central Park

Montgomery (uncredited)
Invisible Stripes

Jim Purdy
In This Our Life

District Attorney (as William Davidson)
Blaze o' Glory

Henry Morgan (as William Davidson)
Dorian's Divorce

Hotel Manager (uncredited)
They Were Expendable

O'Sullivan
Is My Face Red?

Henri Dufour
A Gentleman of Paris

Alumnus
The Male Animal

Department Head (Uncredited)
Female

Detective (Uncredited)
Mystery of the Wax Museum

Charles (as William Davidson)
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head

Dalton
Illegal Traffic

Mr. Reindel
The Magnificent Dope

Dishonored

Police Captain Brown (uncredited)
The Thirteenth Guest

F.T. Johnson
Sing Your Way Home

Bartscher
The Road Back

Macy
The Valley of Doubt

Ed Trowbridge
Persuasive Peggy

John Kirby
Her Second Husband

David Starr
American Maid

Ashes of Love

Theatre Manager
Redheads on Parade

N. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited)
You and Me

Prosecuting Attorney
Straight from the Heart

Mayor Green of San Bernardino
A Night at Earl Carroll's

Tim Donovan (uncredited)
Shine on Harvest Moon

City Editor (uncredited)
Upperworld

Michael Darcy
The Gold Cure

Krishna Dhwaj
Lady Barnacle

Bud Weaver
A Magdalene of the Hills

Calvin Baker
The Child of Destiny

Dr. Elliott
Our Little Wife

John Sparr
Friend Husband

John Rossmore
Nobody

Allen Danby
More Truth Than Poetry

Rennert
The Storm Daughter
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
245
Gender
Male
Birthday
1888-06-15
Place of Birth
Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA
Also Known As
Wm. B. Davidson