Donald Crisp was born George William Crisp at the family home in Bow, London. Donald's parents were James Crisp and Elizabeth Crisp, his birth was registered by his mother on 4th September 1882. Donald's sisters were Elizabeth, Ann, Alice (known as Louisa) and Eliza and his brothers were James, John and Mark. Family memories state that Donald's brother-in-law James Needham (Louisa's husband) lent/gave Donald the fare to USA. The family have a photo of Donald which he sent to 'Jimmy' and signed. On 16th February 1937 Donald applied for a US Social Security account number giving his address as N Vista Street Hollywood California, and his employers Warner Brothers Pictures, Burbank California. On his application Donald did not know his mother's maiden name.

Filmography

• 1963Spencer's Mountain — Grandpa Spencer
• 1961Greyfriars Bobby — James Brown
• 1960A Dog of Flanders — Jehan Daas
• 1960Pollyanna — Mayor Karl Warren
• 1958Saddle the Wind — Dennis Deneen
• 1958The Last Hurrah — The Cardinal
• 1957Drango — Judge Allen
• 1956Fire on the Heather
• 1955The Long Gray Line — Old Martin
• 1955The Man from Laramie — Alec Waggoman
• 1954Prince Valiant — King Aguar
• 1951Home Town Story — John MacFarland
• 1950Bright Leaf — Major Singleton
• 1949Africa Screams — Executive Producer
• 1949Challenge to Lassie — 'Jock' Gray
• 1948Hills of Home — Drumsheugh
• 1948Whispering Smith — Barney Rebstock
• 1947Ramrod — Jim Crew
• 1945National Velvet — Mr. Herbert Brown
• 1945Son of Lassie — Sam Carraclough
• 1945The Valley of Decision — William Scott
• 1944The Adventures of Mark Twain — J.B. Pond
• 1944The Uninvited — Commander Beech
• 1943Forever and a Day — Captain Martin
• 1943Lassie Come Home — Sam Carraclough
• 1942The Battle of Midway — Main Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
• 1942The Gay Sisters — Ralph Pedloch
• 1941Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Sir Charles Emery
• 1941How Green Was My Valley — Gwilym Morgan
• 1941Shining Victory — Dr. Drewett
• 1940Brother Orchid — Brother Superior
• 1940City for Conquest — Scotty MacPherson
• 1940Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet — Minister Althoff
• 1940Knute Rockne All American — Father John Callahan, C.S.C
• 1940The Sea Hawk — Admiral Sir John Burleson
• 1939Daughters Courageous — Samuel 'Sam' Sloane
• 1939Juarez — Maréchal Bazaine
• 1939Sons of Liberty — Alexander McDougall
• 1939The Oklahoma Kid — Judge Hardwick
• 1939The Old Maid — Doctor Lanskell
• 1939The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex — Francis Bacon
• 1939Wuthering Heights — Dr. Kenneth
• 1938Comet Over Broadway — Grant
• 1938Jezebel — Dr. Livingstone
• 1938Sergeant Murphy — Col. Todd Carruthers
• 1938The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse — Police Inspector Lewis Lane
• 1938The Beloved Brat — Mr. Morgan
• 1938The Dawn Patrol — Phipps
• 1938The Sisters — Tim Hazelton
• 1938Valley of the Giants — Andy Stone
• 1937Confession — Presiding Judge
• 1937Parnell — Michael Davitt
• 1937That Certain Woman — Jack V. Merrick Sr.
• 1937The Great O'Malley — Police Captain Cromwell
• 1937The Life of Emile Zola — Maitre Labori
• 1936A Woman Rebels — Judge Byron Thistlewaite
• 1936Beloved Enemy — Liam Burke
• 1936Mary of Scotland — Huntly
• 1936The Charge of the Light Brigade — Colonel Campbell
• 1936The White Angel — Dr. Hunt
• 1935Laddie — Mr. Pryor
• 1935Mutiny on the Bounty — Thomas Burkitt
• 1935Oil for the Lamps of China — J.T. McCarger
• 1935Vanessa: Her Love Story — George
• 1934The Crime Doctor — Mr. Anthony, District Attorney
• 1934The Key — Peadar Conlan
• 1934The Life of Vergie Winters — Mike Davey
• 1934The Little Minister — Docteur McQueen
• 1934What Every Woman Knows — David Wylie
• 1933Broadway Bad — Darrall
• 1933Hamlet, Act I: Scenes IV and V — Marcellus
• 1932A Passport to Hell — Sgt. Snyder
• 1932Red Dust — Guidon
• 1931Kick In — Garvey
• 1931Svengali — The Laird
• 1930Scotland Yard — Charles Fox
• 1930The Runaway Bride — Director
• 1929The Pagan — Roger Slater
• 1929The Return of Sherlock Holmes — Colonel Moran
• 1929Trent's Last Case — Sigsbee Manderson
• 1928Stand and Deliver — London Club Member (uncredited), Director
• 1928The Cop — Director
• 1928The River Pirate — Caxton
• 1928The Viking — Leif Ericsson
• 1927Dress Parade — Director
• 1927Man Bait — Director
• 1927Nobody's Widow — Director
• 1927The Fighting Eagle — Director
• 1927Vanity — Director
• 1926Sunny Side Up — Director
• 1926The Black Pirate — MacTavish
• 1926Young April — Director
• 1925Don Q Son of Zorro — Don Sebastian, Director
• 1924The Navigator — Director
• 1923Ponjola — Director
• 1922Tell Your Children — Director
• 1921The Barbarian — Director
• 1921The Bonnie Brier Bush — Lachlan Campbell, Director
• 1921The Princess of New York — Director
• 1920Held by the Enemy — Director
• 1920Miss Hobbs — Director
• 1920The Six Best Cellars — Director
• 1919A Very Good Young Man — Director
• 1919Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl — Battling Burrows
• 1919It Pays to Advertise — Director
• 1919Johnny Get Your Gun — Director
• 1919Love Insurance — Director
• 1919Putting It Over — Director
• 1919Something to Do — Director
• 1919The Poor Boob — Director
• 1919Too Much Johnson — Director
• 1919Under the Top — Director
• 1919Venus in the East — Director
• 1919Why Smith Left Home — Director
• 1918Believe Me, Xantippe — Director
• 1918Jules of the Strong Heart — Director
• 1918Less Than Kin — Director
• 1918Rimrock Jones — Director
• 1918The Firefly of France — Director
• 1918The Goat — Director
• 1918The House of Silence — Director
• 1918The Way of a Man with a Maid — Director
• 1917His Sweetheart — Director
• 1917Lost in Transit — Director
• 1917The Bond Between — Director
• 1917The Clever Mrs. Carfax — Director
• 1917The Cook of Canyon Camp — Director, Screenplay
• 1917The Countess Charming — Director
• 1917The Eyes of the World — Director
• 1917The Marcellini Millions — Director
• 1916Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages — Extra (uncredited)
• 1916Ramona — Jim Farrar, Director
• 1915A Girl of Yesterday — A.H. Monroe
• 1915An Old-Fashioned Girl — Director
• 1915How Hazel Got Even — Director
• 1915May Blossom — Steve Harland
• 1915The Birth of a Nation — Gen. U.S. Grant, Assistant Director
• 1915The Commanding Officer — Col. Archer (the Commandant)
• 1915The Love Route — Harry Marshall
• 1914A Lesson in Mechanics
• 1914Another Chance — The Tramp, Director
• 1914At Dawn — Director
• 1914Down the Hill to Creditville — Director
• 1914Her Father's Silent Partner — Director
• 1914Her Mother's Necklace — The Burglar, Director
• 1914Home, Sweet Home — The Mother's Son
• 1914Over the Ledge
• 1914Sands of Fate — Director
• 1914The Availing Prayer — Director
• 1914The Avenging Conscience
• 1914The Battle of the Sexes — Frank Andrews
• 1914The Different Man — The Ranch Foreman
• 1914The Escape — 'Bull' McGee
• 1914The Little Country Mouse — Director
• 1914The Mountain Rat — Steve
• 1914The Mysterious Shot — Buck, Director
• 1914The Newer Woman — Cop, Director
• 1914The Niggard — Director
• 1914The Sisters
• 1914The Tavern of Tragedy — Bob Jameson - the Spy, Director
• 1914The Warning — Mr. Edwards, Director
• 1914Their First Acquaintance — Director
• 1913Black and White
• 1913By Man's Law — Lee Calvert - Brother Owner
• 1913Near To Earth
• 1913Olaf—An Atom — The Beggar
• 1913Pirate Gold
• 1913The Blue or the Gray — Southern Rival
• 1912The Musketeers of Pig Alley — Rival Gang Member (uncredited)
• 1911Fate's Turning — The Valet
• 1911Heart Beats of Long Ago — Courtier
• 1911Her Awakening — Accident Witness
• 1911Swords and Hearts — At Frazier House/Bushwacker (uncredited)
• 1911The Adventures of Billy — First Tramp
• 1911The Battle — A Union soldier (uncredited)
• 1911The Failure — Bank Employee
• 1911The Italian Barber — At Ball
• 1911The Long Road — A Servant / The Landlord
• 1911The Making of a Man — Actor / Backstage
• 1911The Miser's Heart — Policeman
• 1911The Primal Call — At Club
• 1911The Two Paths — Footman
• 1911What Shall We Do with Our Old? — Night Court Bailiff
• 1910Sunshine Sue — Head of the Sweatshop
• 1910The Golden Supper — Courtier/Monk
• 1910Winning Back His Love — At Stage Door
• 1909Through the Breakers — At the Club

Appearances as themselves (7)

• 1988Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me — Self (archive footage)
• 1983Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• MGM Parade — Self
• 1955The Red, White and Blue Line — Self
• 1954A Star Is Born World Premiere — Self
• This Is Your Life — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self