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William Farnum

William Farnum

Known For Acting
Birthday Jul 03, 1876
Died Jun 05, 1953 (76)
Birthplace Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Jul 30, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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

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Profile
Filmography

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

1952

as The King

Lone Star

Lone Star

1952

as Tom Crockett

Trail of Robin Hood

Trail of Robin Hood

1950

as Bill Franum

Gun Cargo

Gun Cargo

1949

as Board of Inquiry Chairman

Daughter of the West

Daughter of the West

1949

as Father Vallejo

Samson and Delilah

Samson and Delilah

1949

as Tubal

Bride of Vengeance

Bride of Vengeance

1949

as Conti Peruzzi

The Perils of Pauline

The Perils of Pauline

1947

as Western Saloon Set Hero

My Dog Shep

My Dog Shep

1946

as Carter J. Latham Jr.

God's Country

God's Country

1946

as Sandy McTavish

Rolling Home

Rolling Home

1946

as Rodeo Official

Wildfire

Wildfire

1945

as Judge Polson

Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd

1945

as Capt. Rawson

The Mummy's Curse

The Mummy's Curse

1944

as The Sacristan

Frontier Badmen

Frontier Badmen

1943

as Dad Courtwright

The Silver Bullet

The Silver Bullet

1942

as Dr. Thad Morgan

Today I Hang

Today I Hang

1942

as Warden Burke

Boss of Hangtown Mesa

Boss of Hangtown Mesa

1942

as Judge Ezra Binns

Lone Star Ranger

Lone Star Ranger

1942

as Texas Ranger Major McNeil

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Deep in the Heart of Texas

1942

as Colonel Mallory

Men of Texas

Men of Texas

1942

as General Sam Houston

The Spoilers

The Spoilers

1942

as Wheaton

American Empire

American Empire

1942

as Louisiana Judge

Tennessee Johnson

Tennessee Johnson

1942

as Senator Huyler

Last of the Duanes

Last of the Duanes

1941

as Texas Ranger Major McNeill

Gangs of Sonora

Gangs of Sonora

1941

as Ward Beecham

The Corsican Brothers

The Corsican Brothers

1941

as Priest

A Woman's Face

A Woman's Face

1941

as Court Attendant

Hi-Yo Silver

Hi-Yo Silver

1940

as Father McKim

Adventures of Red Ryder

Adventures of Red Ryder

1940

as Colonel Tom Ryder

Convicted Woman

Convicted Woman

1940

as Commissioner McNeill

Kit Carson

Kit Carson

1940

as Don Miguel Murphy

Rovin' Tumbleweeds

Rovin' Tumbleweeds

1939

as Senator Timothy Nolan

Mexicali Rose

Mexicali Rose

1939

as Padre Dominic

Colorado Sunset

Colorado Sunset

1939

as Sheriff George Glenn

South of the Border

South of the Border

1939

as Padre

Santa Fe Stampede

Santa Fe Stampede

1938

as Dave Carson

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

1938

as Father McKim

The Secret of Treasure Island

The Secret of Treasure Island

1938

as George Brennan Westmore (Editor)

If I Were King

If I Were King

1938

as General Barbezier

Public Cowboy No. 1

Public Cowboy No. 1

1937

as Sheriff Matt Doniphon

Git Along Little Dogies

Git Along Little Dogies

1937

as Banker Maxwell

Maid of Salem

Maid of Salem

1937

as Crown Justice Sewall

The Kid Ranger

The Kid Ranger

1936

as Bill Mason

Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand

1936

as James Fitzpatrick

Sharad of Atlantis

Sharad of Atlantis

1936

as Sharad

The Vigilantes Are Coming

The Vigilantes Are Coming

1936

as Father José

Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand

1936

as James Fitzpatrick

The Irish Gringo

The Irish Gringo

1935

as Pop Wiley

Between Men

Between Men

1935

as John Wellington / Rand

Million Dollar Haul

Million Dollar Haul

1935

as Mr. Mallory - Sheila's Dad

The Eagle's Brood

The Eagle's Brood

1935

as El Toro

Hollywood Extra Girl

Hollywood Extra Girl

1935

as Crusades Actor (uncredited)

The Crusades

The Crusades

1935

as Hugo, Duke of Burgundy

Powdersmoke Range

Powdersmoke Range

1935

as Sam Oreham - Banker

Are We Civilized?

Are We Civilized?

1934

as Paul Franklin, Sr.

The Brand of Hate

The Brand of Hate

1934

as Joe Larkins

Happy Landing

Happy Landing

1934

as Col. Curtis

The Silver Streak

The Silver Streak

1934

as B.J. Dexter

Good Dame

Good Dame

1934

as Judge Flynn

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

1934

as Gov. Bellingham

School for Girls

School for Girls

1934

as Charles Waltham

Cleopatra

Cleopatra

1934

as Lepidus

Reckless Decision

Reckless Decision

1933

as Rev. John MacDougall

Supernatural

Supernatural

1933

as Nicky Hammond

The Drifter

The Drifter

1932

as The Drifter

Flaming Guns

Flaming Guns

1932

as Henry Ramsey

Mr. Robinson Crusoe

Mr. Robinson Crusoe

1932

as William Belmont

Ten Nights in a Bar-room

Ten Nights in a Bar-room

1931

as Joe Morgan

Law of the Sea

Law of the Sea

1931

as Captain Len Andrews

A Connecticut Yankee

A Connecticut Yankee

1931

as King Arthur / Inventor

The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

1931

as Cash Holbrook

The Wide Open Spaces

The Wide Open Spaces

1931

as U.S. Marshal

The Pagan Lady

The Pagan Lady

1931

as Malcolm 'Mal' Todd

Du Barry, Woman of Passion

Du Barry, Woman of Passion

1930

as Louis XV

The Man Who Fights Alone

The Man Who Fights Alone

1924

as John Marble

The Gunfighter

The Gunfighter

1923

as Billy Buell

Brass Commandments

Brass Commandments

1923

as Stephen 'Flash' Lanning

Without Compromise

Without Compromise

1922

as Dick Leighton

Shackles of Gold

Shackles of Gold

1922

as John Gibbs

Moonshine Valley

Moonshine Valley

1922

as Ned Connors

His Greatest Sacrifice

His Greatest Sacrifice

1921

as Richard Hall

If I Were King

If I Were King

1920

as François Villon

Drag Harlan

Drag Harlan

1920

as Drag Harlan

The Last of the Duanes

The Last of the Duanes

1919

as Buck Duane

Rough and Ready

Rough and Ready

1918

as Bill Stratton

True Blue

True Blue

1918

as Bob McKeever

The Rainbow Trail

The Rainbow Trail

1918

as Lassiter / Shefford

Riders of the Purple Sage

Riders of the Purple Sage

1918

as Lassiter

When a Man Sees Red

When a Man Sees Red

1917

as Larry Smith

The Conqueror

The Conqueror

1917

as Sam Houston

Les Misérables

Les Misérables

1917

as Jean Valjean

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

1917

as Charles Darnay / Sydney Carton

The Bondman

The Bondman

1916

as Stephen Orry/Jason Orry

Fires of Conscience

Fires of Conscience

1916

as George Baxter

Samson

Samson

1915

as Maurice Brachard

The Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross

1914

as Marcus Superbus

The Spoilers

The Spoilers

1914

as Roy Glenister

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

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Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 4 6 1
2024 7 11 20 2
2024 8 6 16 2
2024 9 4 9 1
2024 10 2 5 1
2024 11 1 2 1
2024 12 1 4 1
2025 1 3 7 1
2025 2 1 2 1
2025 3 1 2 1
2025 5 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 1 4 0
2025 9 1 1 0
2025 10 1 1 1

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