William Farnum

William Farnum

1876-07-03 Boston, Massachusetts, USA 116 Credits

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 t...

Known For

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Complete Filmography

Lone Star

Lone Star

1952

as Tom Crockett

5.6
Acting

Rip-roaring big star, big budget semi-historical story about cattle baron Devereaux Burke, who is enlisted by an aging Andrew Jackson to dissuade Sam ...

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

1952

as The King

5.6
Acting

A young boy trades the family cow for magic beans. Ascending the beanstalk with the butcher who sold him the beans, he faces the giant terrorizing his...

Hollywood Story

Hollywood Story

1951

as Himself

6.6
Acting

An independent producer unwisely opens a can of worms after he decides to make a movie about the unsolved murder of a famous silent film director.

Trail of Robin Hood

Trail of Robin Hood

1950

as Bill Franum

5.2
Acting

Retired actor Jack Holt is raising Christmas trees for sale at a cost which permits every family to have one. A commercial tree company tries to drive...

Samson and Delilah

Samson and Delilah

1949

as Tubal

6.5
Acting

When strongman Samson rejects the love of the beautiful Philistine woman Delilah, she seeks vengeance that brings horrible consequences they both regr...

Gun Cargo

Gun Cargo

1949

as Board of Inquiry Chairman

Acting

A Maritime Board of Inquiry investigates the loss of the merchant ship, the Black Rover . Its captain, Jim Parker, offers the following testimony on h...

Bride of Vengeance

Bride of Vengeance

1949

as Conti Peruzzi

5.0
Acting

The tiny independent duchy of Ferrara is located between Casare Borgia's Rome and Venice, and Borgia has plans to conquer Venice via Ferrara. He murde...

Daughter of the West

Daughter of the West

1949

as Father Vallejo

Acting

A convent-raised woman (Martha Vickers) learns of her American Indian heritage through romance with an educated Navajo (Philip Reed) during the 1880s.

The Perils of Pauline

The Perils of Pauline

1947

as Western Saloon Set Hero

6.2
Acting

Funloving Pearl White, working in a garment sweatshop, gets her big chance when she "opens" for a delayed Shakespeare play...with a comic vaudeville p...

Rolling Home

Rolling Home

1946

as Rodeo Official

5.0
Acting

An elderly rodeo rider, his young grandson and their injured horse help transform the lives of various citizens in a small town. Released in 1946.

My Dog Shep

My Dog Shep

1946

as Carter J. Latham Jr.

6.0
Acting

An orphan boy on his way to live with his uncle picks up a stray dog, and the two become fast friends. However, the uncle doesn't want the dog, and wh...

God's Country

God's Country

1946

as Sandy McTavish

6.0
Acting

Lee Preston, aka Leland Bruce, kills a man in self defense but flees to the redwood country when the law makes it a murder charge. There he meets Lynn...

Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd

1945

as Capt. Rawson

6.0
Acting

Cutthroat pirate William Kidd captures Admiral Blayne's treasure ship and hides the bounty in a cave. Three years later, Kidd, posing as a respectable...

Wildfire

Wildfire

1945

as Judge Polson

1.0
Acting

Fanning has his men rustle horses and then blame it on a wild horse named Wildfire. Happy and Alkali arrive and immediately get into trouble with Fann...

The Mummy's Curse

The Mummy's Curse

1944

as The Sacristan

5.5
Acting

After being buried in quicksand for the past 25 years, Kharis is set free to roam the rural bayous of Louisiana, as is the soul of his beloved Princes...

Frontier Badmen

Frontier Badmen

1943

as Dad Courtwright

Acting

A group of cowboys ending their cattle drive in Abilene find that cattle prices are being kept artificially low, driving down the price they'll get fo...

American Empire

American Empire

1942

as Louisiana Judge

3.8
Acting

Richard Dix as Dan Taylor and Preston S. Foster as Paxton Bryce are two longtime friends seeking their fortune in Texas after the war. The two men dec...

Tennessee Johnson

Tennessee Johnson

1942

as Senator Huyler

6.1
Acting

The tumultuous presidency of 19th-president Andrew Johnson is chronicled in this biopic. The story begins with Johnson's boyhood and covers his early ...

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Deep in the Heart of Texas

1942

as Colonel Mallory

5.0
Acting

Hoping to increase its box-office allure by adopting the title of a popular song, Deep in the Heart of Texas (clap!clap!clap!clap!) was the first John...

Boss of Hangtown Mesa

Boss of Hangtown Mesa

1942

as Judge Ezra Binns

Acting

It is now an accepted fact that the best of Johnny Mack Brown's Universal westerns were directed by the talented Joseph H. Lewis. Boss of Hangtown Mes...

The Silver Bullet

The Silver Bullet

1942

as Dr. Thad Morgan

4.0
Acting

A cowboy heads for the town where his father was murdered to find out who was responsible.

Men of Texas

Men of Texas

1942

as General Sam Houston

Acting

A Chicago reporter (Robert Stack) and photographer focus on a Confederate outlaw (Brod Crawford) in post-Civil War Texas.

The Spoilers

The Spoilers

1942

as Wheaton

6.2
Acting

When honest ship captain Roy Glennister gets swindled out of his mine claim, he turns to saloon singer Cherry Malotte for assistance in his battle wit...

Lone Star Ranger

Lone Star Ranger

1942

as Texas Ranger Major McNeil

3.0
Acting

Texas Ranger Buck Dunne is assigned to round up a gang of bank robbers. The leader of the gang turns out to be the "respectable" Judge Longstreth, mak...

Today I Hang

Today I Hang

1942

as Warden Burke

Acting

Henry Courtney, a wealthy importer is found murdered and the famous DeNormand necklace has been stolen. The false testimony of two witnesses, Rand and...

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

1941

6.0
Acting

Hedda Hopper plays hostess at a party for her (grown) son William (DeWolfe Jr.). Hopper, attends the dedication of the Motion Picture Relief Fund's co...

The Corsican Brothers

The Corsican Brothers

1941

as Priest

6.7
Acting

Cultured Mario and outlaw Lucien, twins separated at birth, join forces to avenge their parents' death at the hands of evil Colonna. Because each feel...

Last of the Duanes

Last of the Duanes

1941

as Texas Ranger Major McNeill

6.0
Acting

Based on Zane Grey's tale of a man who gains an unfair reputation as a gunfighter while out to avenge his father's death.

Gangs of Sonora

Gangs of Sonora

1941

as Ward Beecham

Acting

Commissioner Tredwell is the law of the land and he gets whatever he wants with the help of hired guns and lackey lawyer Conners. The only one who pub...

A Woman's Face

A Woman's Face

1941

as Court Attendant

6.9
Acting

A female blackmailer with a disfiguring facial scar meets a plastic surgeon who offers her the possibility of looking like a normal woman.

Kit Carson

Kit Carson

1940

as Don Miguel Murphy

6.1
Acting

Frontiersman Kit Carson fights off Indian attacks on the trail to California.

Adventures of Red Ryder

Adventures of Red Ryder

1940

as Colonel Tom Ryder

5.5
Acting

Calvin Drake employs a group of low-lifes to drive away land owners along the path of a new railroad; Red Ryder opposes this strategy.

Hi-Yo Silver

Hi-Yo Silver

1940

as Father McKim

6.0
Acting

Edited version of the 1938 Republic serial "The Lone Ranger."

Convicted Woman

Convicted Woman

1940

as Commissioner McNeill

3.7
Acting

A reporter and a lawyer investigate a women's prison and help an inmate who does not belong there.

South of the Border

South of the Border

1939

as Padre

5.0
Acting

A federal agent and his partner hang out in Mexico to check a revolution.

Rovin' Tumbleweeds

Rovin' Tumbleweeds

1939

as Senator Timothy Nolan

4.5
Acting

Rancher Autry takes a job singing on the radio to aid farmers and ranchers whose lands were destroyed by raging floods. Blaming crooked politicians, h...

Colorado Sunset

Colorado Sunset

1939

as Sheriff George Glenn

Acting

When his well-meaning sidekick (Smiley Burnette) buys a cow farm instead of a cattle ranch, singing cowpoke Gene Autry prepares to embrace the dairy b...

Mexicali Rose

Mexicali Rose

1939

as Padre Dominic

6.0
Acting

Gene Autry and his sidekick Frog look into a phony oil scam being perpetrated on a mission orphanage.

Shine On Harvest Moon

Shine On Harvest Moon

1938

as Milt Brower

3.5
Acting

A rustler's son (Roy Rogers) courts a rancher's daughter (Mary Hart) during a range war.

Santa Fe Stampede

Santa Fe Stampede

1938

as Dave Carson

5.5
Acting

The Mesquiteers capture a horse thief who escapes justice through a crooked judge. They gather signatures urging the governor to investigate but a fri...

If I Were King

If I Were King

1938

as General Barbezier

6.8
Acting

King Louis XI masquerades as a commoner in Paris, seeking out the treachery he is sure lurks in his kingdom. At a local tavern, he overhears the brash...

The Secret of Treasure Island

The Secret of Treasure Island

1938

as George Brennan Westmore (Editor)

4.0
Acting

A variety of people are searching for a long-hidden treasure somewhere on an island. Chapters: 1. The Isle of Fear, 2. The Ghost Talks, 3. The Phan...

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

1938

as Father McKim

6.0
Acting

In 1865, Captain Mark Smith of the Confederate Army leads a band of deserters to conquer Texas and rule it as a dictator. In one of his first actions,...

Public Cowboy No. 1

Public Cowboy No. 1

1937

as Sheriff Matt Doniphon

6.0
Acting

Deputies Gene Autry and Frog go up against modern cattle rustlers. These rustlers use technology such as, airplanes, radios and refrigerated trucks to...

Git Along Little Dogies

Git Along Little Dogies

1937

as Banker Maxwell

6.0
Acting

When war breaks out between oilmen and cattle ranchers, Gene sides with the ranchers until he learns that oil will bring a railraod to town.

Maid of Salem

Maid of Salem

1937

as Crown Justice Sewall

5.9
Acting

When a young woman named Barbara Clarke has an affair with adventurer Roger Coverman, it causes a scandal in the Puritanical town of Salem, Massachuse...

The Vigilantes Are Coming

The Vigilantes Are Coming

1936

as Father José

5.5
Acting

A masked hero called "The Eagle" leads California ranchers in a struggle against Russian Cossacks who are plotting to take over California and turn it...

Sharad of Atlantis

Sharad of Atlantis

1936

as Sharad

4.2
Acting

Crash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Norton for a search for the source of a string of ear...

The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand

The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand

1936

as Gordon Gaunt

4.8
Acting

15-Chapter Serial about a scientist that discovers a formula for making synthetic gold and the people that want it.

Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand

1936

as James Fitzpatrick

Acting

The feature length version of the serial by the same name. A mystical medicine arrow, the key to a lost gold treasure, is lost in one of many Indian a...

The Kid Ranger

The Kid Ranger

1936

as Bill Mason

3.7
Acting

Ranger Ray plans to marry stage driver Bill Mason's daughter Mary, but there are problems ahead....

Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand

1936

as James Fitzpatrick

4.5
Acting

Kit Cardigan seeks the killer of his father...among other plot threads leading up to the famous historical incident.

The Irish Gringo

The Irish Gringo

1935

as Pop Wiley

Acting

A half Mexican, half Irish gunman called The Irish Gringo and his pals come across a little girl wandering in the desert. It turns out her grandfather...

Between Men

Between Men

1935

as John Wellington / Rand

5.0
Acting

When his young son is shot, John Wellington kills the culprit and flees. But his son Johnny recovers and is raised by Sir George. Some twenty years la...

The Eagle's Brood

The Eagle's Brood

1935

as El Toro

5.0
Acting

When the outlaw El Toro saves Hoppy's life, Hoppy agrees to find his missing grandson.

Powdersmoke Range

Powdersmoke Range

1935

as Sam Oreham - Banker

Acting

Three cowboys buy a ranch but have to fight off gunmen to keep it.

Hollywood Extra Girl

Hollywood Extra Girl

1935

as Crusades Actor (uncredited)

6.0
Acting

A short semi-documentary about a "typical extra girl" on a DeMille film.

The Crusades

The Crusades

1935

as Hugo, Duke of Burgundy

6.2
Acting

King Richard the Lionhearted launches a crusade to preserve Christianity in Jerusalem.

Million Dollar Haul

Million Dollar Haul

1935

as Mr. Mallory - Sheila's Dad

5.0
Acting

Special Insurance-Investigator Dan Kennedy and his wonder dog, Tarzan the Police Dog, are called in to investigate the persistent robbing of a shippin...

The Silver Streak

The Silver Streak

1934

as B.J. Dexter

6.8
Acting

A high-speed train becomes the star of the film as it rushes from Chicago to Hoover Dam to transport an iron lung to a needy patient.

The Brand of Hate

The Brand of Hate

1934

as Joe Larkins

4.5
Acting

Trouble starts when Bill Larkins and his two sons move in with his brother Joe. They start rustling cattle and then kill Rod's father with Joe's gun. ...

Cleopatra

Cleopatra

1934

as Lepidus

6.1
Acting

The queen of Egypt barges the Nile and flirts with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar.

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

1934

as Gov. Bellingham

4.9
Acting

In the seventeenth century, in Massachusetts, a young woman is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress for bearing a child out of wedlock.

Happy Landing

Happy Landing

1934

as Col. Curtis

Acting

An action-filled film with outlaws-of-the-clouds at war with the men of the U. S. Flying Service. A young pilot, Nick Ferris, fights to track down a d...

Are We Civilized?

Are We Civilized?

1934

as Paul Franklin, Sr.

4.0
Acting

1934 drama of man's inhumanity to man, starring William Farnum and Anita Louise, directed by Edwin Carewe, screenplay by Harold Sherman. This film was...

School for Girls

School for Girls

1934

as Charles Waltham

6.0
Acting

After being convicted of stealing some jewels, Annette Eldrige is sent to a reformatory administered by a sadistic and corrupt female warder. However,...

Good Dame

Good Dame

1934

as Judge Flynn

5.5
Acting

A chorus girl gets stranded in a small midwestern town. Against her better judgement, she hooks up with a smooth-talking con artist who says he can he...

Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles

Stolen by Gypsies or Beer and Bicycles

1933

as Squire Beamish

1.0
Acting

When the fiendish Sinclair Sable arranges the kidnapping of the beautiful Benecia Beamish, only the members of the Beer and Bicycle Club can save her.

Supernatural

Supernatural

1933

as Nicky Hammond

6.0
Acting

After her brother's death, Roma Courtney becomes the heiress to his fortune. When a fake psychic claims to have a message from Roma's dead brother, he...

Reckless Decision

Reckless Decision

1933

as Rev. John MacDougall

4.5
Acting

The teenage daughter of a puritanical Reverend promises him she will not marry until she is older, but after a night of heavy drinking she wakes up to...

Flaming Guns

Flaming Guns

1932

as Henry Ramsey

6.0
Acting

A ranch manager falls in love with a banker's daughter, but after a quarrel with the girl's parents, flee across the border into Mexico.

Mr. Robinson Crusoe

Mr. Robinson Crusoe

1932

as William Belmont

6.1
Acting

Steve Drexel voluntarily strands himself on a deserted island on a bet. He intends to re-create civilization and carves a miniature city of 52nd Stree...

The Drifter

The Drifter

1932

as The Drifter

5.5
Acting

A man known as The Drifter returns home to his cabin in the woods and winds up getting involved with an escaped convict, a gunfighter, lumber company ...

The Wide Open Spaces

1931

as U.S. Marshal

Acting

A Wild West spoof by The Masquers Comedy Club of Hollywood.

Law of the Sea

Law of the Sea

1931

as Captain Len Andrews

5.5
Acting

A sadistic, evil ship captain lusts after a beautiful young girl he spots in town. It turns out that she's the girlfriend of a young man whose father ...

The Pagan Lady

The Pagan Lady

1931

as Malcolm 'Mal' Todd

2.5
Acting

Dot starts out as a bartender in Havana when in walks Dingo Mike (Charles Bickford) and orders up a drink that sounds like something you'd consume on ...

A Connecticut Yankee

A Connecticut Yankee

1931

as King Arthur / Inventor

6.0
Acting

Making a delivery to a mysterious mansion in a rainstorm, radio salesman Hank Martin is knocked out when a suit of armor topples on him. Upon awakenin...

Ten Nights in a Bar-room

Ten Nights in a Bar-room

1931

as Joe Morgan

4.3
Acting

A man's heavy drinking drives away his family and threatens to destroy his relationship with his little daughter.

The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

1931

as Cash Holbrook

4.8
Acting

Western pardners Jeff and Cash find a baby boy in an otherwise deserted emigrants' camp, and clash over which is to be "father." They are still bitter...

Du Barry, Woman of Passion

Du Barry, Woman of Passion

1930

as Louis XV

5.4
Acting

Jeannette Vaubernier, an impulsive shopgirl en route to deliver a hat, dreams of luxury and position as she saunters through the woods, and attracted ...

Tropical Nights

Tropical Nights

1928

Acting

Patsy Ruth Miller stars as the romantic bone of contention between pearl divers Malcolm McGregor and Wallace MacDonald. When McGregor's brother is mur...

The Man Who Fights Alone

The Man Who Fights Alone

1924

as John Marble

Acting

John Marble, a construction engineer is stricken by paralysis and begins to envision the growth of love between his wife Marion and his best friend, B...

The Gunfighter

The Gunfighter

1923

as Billy Buell

Acting

Billy Buell (William Farnum), a stranger involving himself with a long-standing mountain feud. The Benchleys and the Camps have been feuding ever sinc...

Brass Commandments

Brass Commandments

1923

as Stephen 'Flash' Lanning

Acting

"Flash" Lanning returns to Bozzam City from the East to put an end to cattle rustling. Gloria Hallowell, who has known him by reputation, falls in lov...

Without Compromise

Without Compromise

1922

as Dick Leighton

Acting

When the ability of Dick Leighton (William Farnum), Sheriff of Randolph, Oregon, to enforce law and order is tested by the leader of the political opp...

Moonshine Valley

Moonshine Valley

1922

as Ned Connors

Acting

Ned Connors, a prospector, has a happy marriage with his wife, living in the hills, until fate brings a sick visitor to their shack. The guest, Dr. Ma...

Shackles of Gold

Shackles of Gold

1922

as John Gibbs

1.0
Acting

Gibbs is a laborer at the docks who, through his hard work and good judgment, becomes a millionaire on Wall Street. He becomes acquainted with the Van...

A Stage Romance

1922

as Edmund Kean

Acting
Perjury

Perjury

1921

as Robert Moore

Acting

Robert Moore is the general manager of the firm run by John Gibson. After Gibson makes several visits to Moore's home, unfounded rumors begin of a rel...

His Greatest Sacrifice

His Greatest Sacrifice

1921

as Richard Hall

3.5
Acting

Richard Hall is a successful writer, while his wife, Alice, is interested in pursuing a career as a singer. She meets James Hamilton, a musical agent,...

Drag Harlan

Drag Harlan

1920

as Drag Harlan

Acting

William Farnum is Drag Harlan, a tough cowboy vigilante. After learning about a gold mine from a dying man, he seeks his daughter (Jackie Saunders) as...

If I Were King

If I Were King

1920

as François Villon

Acting

J. Gordon Edwards silent adventure melodrama about a famous poet who is allowed to rule France for a week!

The Joyous Trouble-Makers

The Joyous Trouble-Makers

1920

as William Steele

Acting
The Orphan

The Orphan

1920

as The Orphan

Acting
Wings of the Morning

Wings of the Morning

1919

as Capt. Robert Anstruther

Acting
The Last of the Duanes

The Last of the Duanes

1919

as Buck Duane

Acting

Buck Duane guns down the man who killed his father and flees from the law. He rescues a girl he once loved from outlaws, but the wife of outlaw chief ...

Wolves of the Night

Wolves of the Night

1919

as Bruce Andrews

Acting
The Lone Star Ranger

The Lone Star Ranger

1919

as Steele

Acting

In this western, William Farnum plays yet another Zane Grey character. Duane Steele (Farnum) is a Texas Ranger who is determined to get the outlaws ou...

The Man Hunter

The Man Hunter

1919

as George Arnold

Acting
The Rainbow Trail

The Rainbow Trail

1918

as Lassiter / Shefford

Acting

Following in his dad's footsteps, Shefford devotes himself to freeing his community from the grip of a particularly despotic Mormon sect. In so doing,...

Riders of the Purple Sage

Riders of the Purple Sage

1918

as Lassiter

Acting

Lassiter quits the Texas Rangers and spends his life in pursuit of a group of Mormons who kidnapped his married sister. In a town on the Utah border, ...

True Blue

True Blue

1918

as Bob McKeever

Acting

True Blue begins with the marriage of black-sheep British nobleman Gilbert Brockhurst to the daughter of a Western rancher. When he learns that he has...

Rough and Ready

Rough and Ready

1918

as Bill Stratton

Acting

In New York, Bill Stratton saves a friend's marriage, but Bill's fiancée, Evelyn, misinterprets the situation and believes Bill to be unfaithful to he...

The Heart of a Lion

The Heart of a Lion

1917

as Barney Kemper

Acting

Hiram Danforth (William Farnum) is on a quest to find his birth mother, a search complicated by his upbringing and the social context of the time. The...

Les Misérables

Les Misérables

1917

as Jean Valjean

5.0
Acting

In 19th century France, Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a relentless policeman named Javert. The pursuit consumes both me...

When a Man Sees Red

When a Man Sees Red

1917

as Larry Smith

Acting

Story based on a Saturday Evening Post story entitled "The Painted Lady," which was written by Larry Evans. First mate Luther Smith returns to his hom...

The Conqueror

The Conqueror

1917

as Sam Houston

Acting

The life of Sam Houston, soldier, statesman, patriot and one of the founders of the Republic of Texas, is depicted.

American Methods

American Methods

1917

Acting
A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

1917

as Charles Darnay / Sydney Carton

4.8
Acting

At the outbreak of the French Revolution, Charles Darnay goes to Paris to rescue an imprisoned former family servant. He is himself imprisoned and con...

The Price of Silence

The Price of Silence

1917

as Senator Frank Deering

Acting

U. S. Senator Frank Deering has spent his life trying to alleviate the misery of child labor. Judge Vernon, his closest friend, aids him in this strug...

Fires of Conscience

Fires of Conscience

1916

as George Baxter

Acting

George Baxter presents his new wife, Margery. Paul Sneed, Baxter's neighbor, knew Margery before the marriage. When Baxter returns home unexpectedly o...

The Bondman

The Bondman

1916

as Stephen Orry/Jason Orry

Acting

The narrative hinges on Jason's vow to wreak vengeance on his father for abandoning his mother. But his father dies, and Jason turns his desire for re...

The Wonderful Adventure

The Wonderful Adventure

1915

as Martin Stanley

Acting

Wealthy New York contractor Wilton Demarest falls victim to the wiles of beautiful adventuress Mazora. Soon, he becomes addicted to drugs, neglects hi...

Samson

1915

as Maurice Brachard

10.0
Acting
The Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross

1914

as Marcus Superbus

4.9
Acting

In 64 A.D., Marcus Superbus is Prefect of Rome. When the Emperor Nero decides to renew persecution of the Christians, Marcus opposes him, fearing for ...

The Spoilers

The Spoilers

1914

as Roy Glenister

6.2
Acting

The Spoilers is a 1914 film directed by Colin Campbell. It is set in Nome, Alaska during the 1898 Gold Rush, with William Farnum as Roy Glennister, Ka...