Biography.guide
Home › People › Actor › William B. Davidson
Portrait of William B. Davidson

William B. Davidson

1888 – 1947

American actor

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William B. Davidson

Lived 1888 – 1947 (aged 59). William B. Davidson was an American actor.

William Beatman Davidson (June 16, 1888 – September 28, 1947) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1915 and 1947.

Early life Davidson was born in Dobbs Ferry, New York. He 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.

Career Davidson started in films in 1914 with Vitagraph. 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 (1932). He 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.

Death He remained in show business until his sudden death in Santa Monica, California, after surgery in 1947.

Partial filmography

A Yellow Streak (1915) The Child of Destiny (1916) Her Debt of Honor (1916) The Pretenders (1916) The White Raven (1917) Mary Lawson's Secret (1917) The Call of Her People (1917) The Greatest Power (1917) The Trail of the Shadow (1917) The Lifted Veil (1917) Lady Barnacle (1917) More Truth Than Poetry (1917) Her Second Husband (1917) The Other Woman (1918) Friend Husband (1918) Ashes of Love (1918) The Whirlpool (1918) In Pursuit of Polly (1918) Why I Would Not Marry? (1918) The Gold Cure (1919) A Woman There Was (1919) La Belle Russe (1919) The Capitol (1919) Lure of Ambition (1919) A Child for Sale (1920) The Valley of Doubt (1920) Conceit (1921) The Girl from Nowhere (1921) Nobody (1921) Destiny's Isle (1922) Women and Gold (1925) Cradle Snatchers (1927) A Gentleman of Paris (1927) The Noose (1928) Good Morning, Judge (1928) Woman Trap (1929) Blaze o'Glory (1929) Painted Faces (1929) The Silver Horde (1930) Scarlet Pages (1930) Playboy of Paris (1930) Hell's Angels (1930) For the Defense (1930) The Costello Case (1930) The Silver Horde (1930) Hook, Line and Sinker (1930) No Limit (1931) Dishonored (1931) The Secret Call (1931) Graft (1931) The Menace (1932) Sky Devils (1932) Guilty or Not Guilty (1932) The Lost Squadron (1932) The Pride of the Legion (1932) The Most Dangerous Game (1932) The Intruder (1933) I'm No Angel (1933) Dangerously (1933) Easy to Love (1934) The Dragon Murder Case (1934) The Secret Bride (1934) Bordertown (1935) Devil Dogs of the Air (1935) Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936) Road Gang (1936) Marked Woman (1937) as Bob Crandall Easy Living (1937) Marry the Girl (1937) Behind the Mike (1937) Sergeant Murphy (1938) (uncredited) The Jury's Secret (1938) They Made Me a Criminal (1939) On Trial (1939) Naughty but Nice (1939) Each Dawn I Die (1939) Honeymoon in Bali (1939) Dust Be My Destiny (1939) My Little Chickadee (1940) (uncredited) Lillian Russell (1940) Granny Get Your Gun (1940) Hired Wife (1940) Seven Sinners (1940) Tin Pan Alley (1940) Sun Valley Serenade (1941) Hold That Ghost (1941) Highway West (1941) Uncle Joe (1941) The Male Animal (1942) The Great Man's Lady (1942) Gentleman Jim (1942) Larceny, Inc. (1942) In This Our Life (1942) Tennessee Johnson (1942) (uncredited) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) (uncredited) The Affairs of Martha (1942) The Magnificent Dope (1942) Mission to Moscow (1943) (uncredited) The Impostor aka Strange Confession (1944) In Society (1944) San Diego, I Love You (1944) My Darling Clementine (1946) (uncredited) The Farmer's Daughter (1947) Dick Tracy's Dilemma (1947) That's My Man (1947) My Wild Irish Rose (1947)

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Columbia University

People in William B. Davidson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William B. Davidson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William B. Davidson?

American actor (1888–1947)

When was William B. Davidson born?

William B. Davidson was born on 16 June 1888 in Dobbs Ferry.

When did William B. Davidson die?

William B. Davidson died on 28 September 1947 in Santa Monica.

What was William B. Davidson's occupation?

William B. Davidson was an actor.

What nationality was William B. Davidson?

William B. Davidson was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William B. Davidson

· Wikidata: Q3568402

· DBpedia: William B. Davidson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William B. Davidson. https://biography.guide/william-b-davidson/

MLA: "William B. Davidson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-b-davidson/.

Chicago: "William B. Davidson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-b-davidson/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:59 UTC