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.

Filmography

• MGM Parade
• 1947Dick Tracy's Dilemma — Peter Premium
• 1947That Hagen Girl — Mr. Bowman (uncredited)
• 1947That's My Man — Steward
• 1947The Judge Steps Out — Colonel Bright (uncredited)
• 1946Blonde Alibi — Police Captain Hurley (Uncredited)
• 1946Ding Dong Williams — Mr. Saul Dana
• 1946My Darling Clementine — Saloon Owner (uncredited)
• 1946The Cat Creeps — James Walsh
• 1946The Notorious Lone Wolf — Inspector Crane (as William Davidson)
• 1946The Plainsman and the Lady — Russell
• 1945Blonde Ransom — Police Captain
• 1945Circumstantial Evidence — Board of Appeals Chairman
• 1945Dillinger — Bank President (uncredited)
• 1945See My Lawyer — Judge
• 1945Sing Your Way Home — F.T. Johnson (uncredited)
• 1945Tell It to a Star — Brannigan
• 1945The Man Who Walked Alone — Governor
• 1945They Were Expendable — Hotel Manager (uncredited)
• 1944A Night of Adventure — Gilbert J. Regan (uncredited)
• 1944Greenwich Village — Dance Director
• 1944In Society — Parker
• 1944Make Your Own Bed — Mr. Linklater
• 1944Shine on Harvest Moon — Tim Donovan (uncredited)
• 1944Up in Arms — Maxwell (uncredited)
• 1943Calaboose — Sheriff George Lane (as William Davidson)
• 1943Hers to Hold — Al
• 1943Mission to Moscow — Senator (uncredited)
• 1943Murder on the Waterfront — Capt. Towne
• 1943Over the Wall — Warden Ed
• 1943The Good Fellows — Blake
• 1943Truck Busters — Stephen S. Gray
• 1942Careful, Soft Shoulders — Mr. Aldrich
• 1942Gentleman Jim — Donovan (uncredited)
• 1942In This Our Life — Jim Purdy
• 1942Larceny, Inc. — McCarthy
• 1942Over My Dead Body — Crole (as William Davidson)
• 1942The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine — Cyrus Ballard
• 1942The Affairs of Martha — Homer Jacell
• 1942The Magnificent Dope — Mr. Reindel
• 1942The Male Animal — Alumnus
• 1941Highway West — Gorman
• 1941Hold That Ghost — Moose Matson
• 1941In the Navy — Capt. Richards (uncredited)
• 1941Keep 'Em Flying — Gonigle
• 1941Man-Made Monster — District Attorney Ralph B. Stanley
• 1941Remember the Day — Committeeman
• 1941Sun Valley Serenade — Jack Murray
• 1941The Great Man's Lady — Sen. Knobs
• 1941The Lady from Cheyenne — Nye Dunbar
• 1941Thieves Fall Out — Harrison "Harry" Eckles
• 1941Three Girls About Town — Labor Leader
• 1941Three Sons o' Guns — Henry Baxter
• 1941Uncle Joe — Mr. Day
• 1941Week-End in Havana — Captain Moss
• 1940A Night at Earl Carroll's — Mayor Green of San Bernardino
• 1940Charter Pilot — Mr. Wentworth
• 1940Florian — Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• 1940Girl in 313 — George Grayson
• 1940Granny Get Your Gun — Fitzgerald
• 1940Half a Sinner — Slick
• 1940Hired Wife — Mumford (as William Davidson)
• 1940Lady with Red Hair — Stock Company Manager (uncredited)
• 1940Lillian Russell — President Cleveland
• 1940Maryland — John Addison
• 1940My Little Chickadee — Sheriff of Little Bend (uncredited)
• 1940My Love Came Back — Agent
• 1940On Their Own — Judge Bull
• 1940Sailor's Lady — Judge Hinsdale
• 1940San Francisco Docks — Dist. Atty. Craig
• 1940Sandy Gets Her Man — Councilman Charles J. Clark
• 1940Seven Sinners — Police Chief
• 1940Tin Pan Alley — Hotel Manager
• 1939Blackwell's Island — Hempel
• 1939Blondie Meets the Boss — Elderly Man in Café (uncredited)
• 1939Dust Be My Destiny — Work Farm Warden
• 1939Each Dawn I Die — Bill Mason
• 1939Hidden Power — Foster
• 1939Honeymoon in Bali — Store Detective
• 1939Indianapolis Speedway — Duncan Martin
• 1939Invisible Stripes — Montgomery (uncredited)
• 1939Naughty but Nice — Samuel 'Sam' 'Simsy' Hudson - Music Publisher
• 1939Off the Record — Scotty
• 1939On Trial — Mr. Gray
• 1939Private Detective — Inspector Evans
• 1939Smashing the Money Ring — Warden Denby
• 1939Sudden Money — Sam
• 1939Tail Spin — Sales Manager (Uncredited)
• 1939The Honeymoon's Over — Crane
• 1939They Made Me a Criminal — Ennis
• 1939Three Smart Girls Grow Up — Stock Broker
• 1938Blockade — Commandant
• 1938Cocoanut Grove — Hawtrey
• 1938Cowboy from Brooklyn — Mr. 'W.P.' Alvey
• 1938Hollywood Hotel — Director Kelton
• 1938Illegal Traffic — Dalton
• 1938Letter of Introduction — Mr. Raleigh (uncredited)
• 1938Mr. Doodle Kicks Off — Ellory Bugs
• 1938Racket Busters — Trucking Chairman (uncredited)
• 1938Sergeant Murphy — Maj. Gruff (uncredited)
• 1938The Jury's Secret — Page
• 1938There Goes My Heart — Skipper Jackson (uncredited)
• 1938You and Me — N. G. Orton, Attorney-at-Law (uncredited)
• 1937Behind the Mike — Cyrus Wittles
• 1937Easy Living — Mr. Hyde
• 1937Ever Since Eve — Henderson
• 1937It Happened in Hollywood — Al Howard
• 1937Let Them Live — The Editor
• 1937Love on Toast — Jonathan
• 1937Marked Woman — Bob Crandall
• 1937Marry the Girl — Drake
• 1937Melody for Two — Mr. Hale
• 1937Midnight Court — Alfred H. Kruger
• 1937Paradise Isle — Hoener
• 1937Something to Sing About — Café Manager
• 1937The Hurricane — The Bully (uncredited)
• 1937The Road Back — Bartscher
• 1936Earthworm Tractors — Mr. Jackson
• 1936Fatal Lady — Detective (uncredited)
• 1936Gold Diggers of 1937 — Andy Callahan
• 1936Love on a Bet — A.W. Hutchinson
• 1936Murder by an Aristocrat — Bayard Thatcher
• 1936Road Gang — Attorney General Mardsen
• 1936Satan Met a Lady — City Fathers Committee Spokesman (uncredited)
• 1936The Big Noise — Welford Andrews
• 1936The Singing Kid — Barney Hammond
• 1936You May Be Next! — Official (uncredited)
• 1935A Night at the Ritz — Connolly
• 1935Bordertown — Dr. Carter
• 1935Dangerous — Reed Walsh
• 1935Death Flies East — Police Captain Barrie
• 1935Devil Dogs of the Air — Adjutant
• 1935Go Into Your Dance — Tom McGee
• 1935In Person — Director Bill Sutter (uncredited)
• 1935Oil for the Lamps of China — E.H. Swaley
• 1935Redheads on Parade — Theatre Manager
• 1935Show Them No Mercy! — Chief Haggerty (as William Davidson)
• 1935Special Agent — Charlie Young - Carston's Lawyer
• 1935Straight from the Heart — Prosecuting Attorney
• 1935Sweet Music — Billie Madison
• 1935Woman Wanted — Collins
• 1934Fog Over Frisco — Editor Joe Hogue
• 1934Friends of Mr. Sweeney — Stephen Prime
• 1934Housewife — Nan's Attorney
• 1934Imitation of Life — Man Buying Cigar (uncredited)
• 1934Laughing Boy — Hartshone (as William Davidson)
• 1934The Big Shakedown — District Attorney (uncredited)
• 1934The Dragon Murder Case — Greeff
• 1934The Man Who Reclaimed His Head — Charles (as William Davidson)
• 1934The Secret Bride — Representative McPherson
• 1934The St. Louis Kid — Joe Hunter
• 1934Upperworld — City Editor (uncredited)
• 1933Dangerously Yours — George Carr
• 1933Female — Department Head (Uncredited)
• 1933Hello, Everybody! — Mr. Parker
• 1933I'm No Angel — Ernest Brown
• 1933Lady Killer — Director Williams
• 1933Meet the Baron — General Broadcasting Representative
• 1933Mystery of the Wax Museum — Detective (Uncredited)
• 1933The Billion Dollar Scandal — Jim Lawrence
• 1933The Intruder — Det. Lt. Samson
• 1933Torch Singer — Jarrett
• 1932Central Park — Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
• 1932Guilty or Not Guilty — Chief
• 1932Her Mad Night — District Attorney
• 1932Is My Face Red? — O'Sullivan
• 1932Scarface — Citizens Committee Member (uncredited)
• 1932Sky Devils — Captain
• 1932The Animal Kingdom — Chess Player (uncredited)
• 1932The Lost Squadron — Lelewer
• 1932The Menace — John Utterson
• 1932The Most Dangerous Game — Captain
• 1932The Pride of the Legion — Sgt. Arnold
• 1932The Sport Parade — Kendricks (uncredited)
• 1932The Thirteenth Guest — Police Captain Brown (uncredited)
• 1931Captain Applejack — Bill Dennett
• 1931Dishonored
• 1931Graft — M.H. Thomas
• 1931Half Holiday — Jerry - Andy's Pal
• 1931No Limit — Wilkie
• 1931The Secret Call — Jim Blake
• 1931The Vice Squad — Magistrate Tom Morrison
• 1931Windy Riley Goes Hollywood
• 1930A Man from Wyoming — Major
• 1930For the Defense — Dist. Atty. Stone
• 1930Hell's Angels — Staff Major
• 1930Hook, Line and Sinker — Frank Dukette aka Duke of Winchester (as William Davidson)
• 1930Men Are Like That — Frank Hyland
• 1930Oh, for a Man! — Kerry Stokes
• 1930Playboy of Paris — Monsieur Bannack (uncredited)
• 1930Scarlet Pages — Jackson
• 1930Sunny — First Ship's Officer
• 1930The Costello Case — Saunders
• 1930The Silver Horde — Tom Hilliard
• 1929Always Faithful — George W. Mason
• 1929Blaze o' Glory — District Attorney (as William Davidson)
• 1929Queen of the Night Clubs — Assistant District Attorney (as William Davidson)
• 1929The Carnation Kid — Blythe
• 1929Woman Trap — Watts
• 1928Good Morning, Judge — Elton (as William Davidson)
• 1928Sharp Tools
• 1927A Gentleman of Paris — Henri Dufour
• 1927Cradle Snatchers — Roy Ladd
• 1927The Last Trail — Kurt Morley
• 1925Hearts and Spurs — Victor Dufresne
• 1925Ports of Call — Randolph Sherman
• 1925Recompense — Col. Donovan
• 1925Women and Gold — Señor Ortego
• 1924The Storm Daughter — Rennert
• 1924The Valley of Doubt — Macy
• 1923Adam and Eva — Dr. Delamater
• 1922The Dumb-Bell
• 1921Nobody — John Rossmore
• 1921The Girl from Nowhere — Jimmy Ryder
• 1920Partners of the Night — Robert Clifford
• 1919A Woman There Was — Rev. Winthrop Stark
• 1919Impossible Catherine — John Henry Jackson
• 1919La belle Russe — Brand
• 1919Lure of Ambition — Hon. Cyril Ralston
• 1919The Capitol — Congressman Blake
• 1919The Gold Cure — Michael Darcy
• 1918Ashes of Love
• 1918Friend Husband — John Sparr
• 1918In Pursuit of Polly — Larry O'Malley
• 1918Our Little Wife — Dr. Elliott
• 1918Why I Would Not Marry — Undetermined Role
• 1917A Magdalene of the Hills — Bud Weaver
• 1917A Modern Cinderella
• 1917American Maid — David Starr
• 1917Her Second Husband — John Kirby
• 1917Lady Barnacle — Krishna Dhwaj
• 1917Mary Lawson's Secret — Dr. Brundage
• 1917More Truth Than Poetry — Allen Danby
• 1917Persuasive Peggy — Ed Trowbridge
• 1917The Call of Her People — Nicholas Van Kleet
• 1917The Greatest Power — John Conrad
• 1917The Lifted Veil — Malcolm Grant
• 1917The White Raven — The Stranger
• 1916Dorian's Divorce — Henry Morgan (as William Davidson)
• 1916Her Debt of Honor — John Hartfield
• 1916In the Diplomatic Service — Lynn Hardi
• 1916The Child of Destiny — Calvin Baker
• 1916The Pretenders — Joseph Bailey (as William Davidson)
• 1916The Price of Malice — Capt. Mills
• 1915A Yellow Streak — Jack Rader
• 1915For the Honor of the Crew — Robert Brent

Appearances as themselves (4)

• 1994Mae West and the Men Who Knew Her — Self (archive footage)
• 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? — Self (archive footage)
• 1933How to Break 90 #3: Hip Action — Himself
• 1931How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 2: 'Chip Shots' — Himself - Golfer