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Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 1909 - 2000

Douglas Elton Ulman Fairbanks Jr. of New York, New York County, NY was born on December 9, 1909 in New York, and died at age 90 years old on May 7, 2000 in New York. Douglas Fairbanks was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA.

Douglas Elton Ulman Fairbanks Jr.

Doug

New York, New York County, NY 10021

December 9, 1909

New York, New York, United States

May 7, 2000

New York, New York, United States

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Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Fairbanks (1909 - 2000)

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Douglas Elton Ulman Fairbanks Jr.'s History: 1909 - 2000

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Introduction

Although he appeared in approximately 100 movies or TV shows, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. never really intended to take up acting as a career. However, the environment he was born into and the circumstances naturally led him to be a thespian. Noblesse oblige. He was born Douglas Elton Fairbanks, Jr. in New York City, New York, to Anna Beth (Sully), daughter of a very wealthy cotton mogul, and actor Douglas Fairbanks (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman), then not yet established as the swashbuckling idol he would become. Fairbanks, Jr. had German Jewish (from his paternal grandfather), English, and Scottish ancestry. He proved a gifted boy early in life. To the end of his life he remained a multi-talented, hyperactive man, not content to appear in the 100 films mentioned above. Handsome, distinguished and extremely bright, he excelled at sports (much like his father), notably during his stay at the Military Academy in 1919 (his role in Claude Autant-Lara's "L'athlète incomplete" illustrated these abilities). He also excelled academically, and attended the Lycéee Janson de Sailly in Paris, where he had followed his divorced mother. Very early in his life he developed a taste for the arts as well and became a painter and sculptor. Not content to limiting himself to just one field, he became involved in business, in fields as varied as mining, hotel management, owning a chain of bowling alleys and a firm that manufactured popcorn. During World War II he headed London's Douglas Voluntary Hospital (an establishment taking care of war refugees), was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's special envoy for the Special Mission to South America in 1940 before becoming a lieutenant in the Navy (he was promoted to the rank of captain in 1954) and taking part in the Allies' landing in Sicily and Elba in 1943. A fervent Anglophile, was knighted in 1949 and often entertained Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in his London mansion, "The Boltons". His film career began at the age of 13 when he was signed by Paramount Pictures. He debuted in Stephen Steps Out (1923) but the film flopped and his career stagnated despite a critically acclaimed role in Stella Dallas (1925). Things really picked up when he married Lucille Le Sueur, a young starlet who was soon to become better known as Joan Crawford. The young couple became the toast of the town (one "Screen Snapshots" episode echoes this sudden glory) and good parts and success followed, such as the hapless partner of Edward G. Robinson in Little Caesar (1931) a favorably reviewed turn as the villain in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) or more debonair characters in slapstick comedies or adventure yarns. The 1930s were a fruitful period for Fairbanks, his most memorable role probably being that of the British soldier in Gunga Din (1939); although it was somewhat of a "swashbuckling" role, Fairbanks made a point of never imitating his father. After the World War II, his star waned and, despite a moving part in Ghost Story(1981), he did not appear in a major movie. Now a legend himself, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. left this world with the satisfaction of having lived up to the Fairbanks name at the end of a life nobody could call "wasted". To read more about his long and fascinating life, see IMDb Mini Biography by Guy Bellinger and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. dies at age 90.
12/9

1909

Birthday

December 9, 1909

Birthdate

New York, New York United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Douglas Fairbanks was Caucasian of German Jewish heritage on his paternal line (his paternal grandparents were from Baden, Germany).
Nationality & Locations

Douglas was an American, born and raised in New York City. Later, due to his career, he lived in Hollywood, California, dying in New York City at the age of 90. He was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood California in the same gravesite as his father was buried.
Religious Beliefs

Protestant
Military Service

Throughout the war he served in the United States Navy in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, rising from lieutenant (junior grade) to commander and, after the war, to captain. His decorations included the Silver Star, the British Distinguished Service Cross, and the French Legion of Honor. He became the first American officer to command a British flotilla of raiding craft during a commando operation in World War II. He served under Adm. Lord Louis Mountbatten, who later introduced him to his nephew, Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He held the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with V for valor in combat devices from the U.S. government for his combat service in PT boats and gunboats. He was also awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross, the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm for his services during World War II.
Professional Career

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was an actor, producer, author and businessman. He starred in 75 movies, including "Catherine the Great," "The Prisoner of Zenda,""Gunga Din," "Little Caesar," "Sinbad the Sailor" and "State Secret. His career ranged from silent films to "talkies."
Personal Life & Family

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Famous Memorial Veteran Original Name Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. Birth 9 Dec 1909 Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA Death 7 May 2000 (aged 90) Manhattan, New York County, New York, USA Burial Hollywood Forever Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, USA Plot Section 11 (Fairbanks Garden), Lot 1, Grave 1 Memorial ID 9611 · View Source Memorial Photos 4 Flowers 1k+ Actor. He was the son of silent film star Douglas Fairbanks Sr., and the first husband of actress Joan Crawford. He began his career during the silent era in bit parts until 1923 when he starred in the film Stephen Steps Out which quickly went out of circulation. He continued working and had parts in the films Broken Hearts of Hollywood (1926), Modern Mothers (1928), Dead Man's Curve (1928), A Woman of Affairs (1928) which starred Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, The Jazz Age (1929), and Our Modern Maidens (1929) which starred his future wife Joan Crawford. He and Joan were considered a fixture of the Hollywood social circle, but Doug Jr. was soon to reveal more dimensions than anyone could have ever imagined. He appeared in a 1927 stage play that proved to his detractors that he was indeed a talented actor and not just the son of Douglas Fairbanks. Doug Jr. had a pleasant voice which further helped his success with the advent of talking pictures. During the 1930's acted in popular films like The Dawn Patrol (1930), Little Caesar (1931), Morning Glory (1933) and Mimi (1935). His biggest films of the 1930's were The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), The Rage of Paris (1938), and Gunga Din (1939) which also starred Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen and featured Joan Fontaine. In 1935 he proved to be a very savvy businessman and started up his own production company, Criterion Films which was the first of six companies created by Fairbanks. After his father passed away in 1939, Doug Jr. extended his activities into politics and served his country. He helped organize the Hollywood branch of a committee designed to give aid to the Allied cause during World War II. In 1940 he was appointed by President Roosevelt as an envoy for the Special Mission to South America. In 1941 he was commissioned as a Navy Lieutenant. In 1942 he was chief officer of operations, in 1943 he was involved in the Allied invasion of Sicily and Elba and eventually worked his way up to commander then in 1954 he retired as a captain. Doug Jr. also was the head of Douglas Voluntary Hospitals in England which took care of war refugees. After the war, he spent five years as a chairman for CARE, which sent food to war-torn countries. His activities during World War 2 took up virtually every moment of his time and he didn't make any films during that period, but began his career once again in 1947 when he starred in Sinbad the Sailor opposite Maureen O'Hara. He also starred in The Exile (1947), The Fighting O'Flynn (1949), State Secret (1950) and Mister Drake's Duck (1951). In 1949 He was made an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. His movie career began to slow down during the 1950's but Doug Jr. found success in television and hosted a high-quality television series called "Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents" which ran from 1952-1955. He also made numerous appearances on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town." His success continued through the 1960's where he appeared on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", "The United States Steel Hour", "Dr. Kildare" and on the game shows "Password" and "I've Got a Secret." During the final phase of his career, he appeared on "The Love Boat" and in the film Ghost Story (1981) where he co-starred with film veterans Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, and Patricia Neal. He published two autobiographies "The Salad Days" in 1988 and "A Hell of a War" in 1993. During his lifetime Douglas Fairbanks Jr. acquired numerous accolades and military and humanitarian awards and is still held in high esteem and considered one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. He held the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with V for valor in combat device from the U.S. government for his combat service in PT boats and gunboats. He was also awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross, the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm for his services during World War II. He was married three times. First to Joan Crawford from 1929-1933. Then to Mary Lee Eppling from 1939 until her death in 1988. He had three daughters from this marriage: Daphne, Victoria, and Melissa. His last marriage was to Vera Shelton. They wed in May 1991 and were married until his passing. In 2000, his death was reported on the front page of the Times in London and Buckingham Palace expressed its condolences on his passing. Bio by: r77ortiz Family Members Parents Douglas Fairbanks 1883–1939 Anna Beth Sully Whiting 1886–1967 Spouses Joan Crawford 1904–1977 (m. 1929) Mary Lee Epling Fairbanks 1912–1988 (m. 1939) Flowers • 1554
05/7

2000

Death

May 7, 2000

Death date

heart attack

Cause of death

New York, New York United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California 90038, United States
Burial location
Obituary

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Film Star, TV Producer, and Good-Will Ambassador, Dies at 90 May 8, 2000 Douglas Fairbanks Jr., a debonair actor, producer, administrator, bon vivant, and Anglo-American ambassador without portfolio, died on Sunday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. He was 90. Mr. Fairbanks, 6 feet tall with dashing good looks, struggled to carve a distinctive acting career in the shadow of his superstar father, who was the unrivaled swashbuckler of silent films. The son was not the gymnast that his father was, but he was a versatile actor who easily played a wide variety of roles. He was a young lover (only 15) in ''Stella Dallas'' (1925), a wastrel in ''A Woman of Affairs'' (1928), a heroic pilot in ''The Dawn Patrol'' (1930), a suicidal romantic in ''Outward Bound'' (1930), a gigolo in ''Little Caesar'' (1931), an actor in ''Morning Glory'' (1933) and a mad czar in ''Catherine the Great'' (1934). He refused most swashbuckling roles in his youth to avoid comparisons with his father, but he was superb as a caddish rogue, Rupert of Hentzau, in ''The Prisoner of Zenda.'' That 1937 performance led to a string of successes, including four 1938 comedies (''Joy of Living,'' ''The Rage of Paris,'' ''Having Wonderful Time'' and ''The Young in Heart''); the action-adventure classic ''Gunga Din'' (1939); an offbeat black comedy, ''Angels Over Broadway'' (1940); and ''The Corsican Brothers'' (1941), in which he played both title roles. As World War II approached, Mr. Fairbanks, an Anglophile, generated controversy as an outspoken opponent of the America First isolationists and as a fervent backer of a third term for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In early 1941, amid concern that the Axis powers were subverting governments in Latin America, the president sent him on an 11-week goodwill and intelligence mission to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru. Throughout the war he served in the United States Navy in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, rising from lieutenant (junior grade) to commander and, after the war, to captain. His decorations included the Silver Star, the British Distinguished Service Cross, and the French Legion of Honor. He became the first American officer to command a British flotilla of raiding craft during a commando operation in World War II. He served under Adm. Lord Louis Mountbatten, who later introduced him to his nephew, Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Fairbanks and his wife, Mary Lee, maintained a home in London, where they became close friends of the royal family and of government, social and cultural leaders. ''I prefer,'' he said in 1988, ''being a fly on the wall in the corridors of power.'' He repeatedly lent his prestige and administrative skills as a volunteer for the United Nations and many organizations and projects aiding refugees and other war victims. His contributions won him many honors, including Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Mr. Fairbanks appeared in only a half dozen movies after the war -- ''Sinbad the Sailor'' (1947), ''The Exile'' (1947), ''That Lady in Ermine'' (1948), ''The Fighting O'Flynn'' (1949), ''State Secret'' (1950), ''Mr. Drake's Duck'' (1951) and, after a three-decade hiatus, ''Ghost Story'' (1981). He produced and was a co-writer of several of those films and was also the executive producer and host of a popular 1950s television anthology show, ''Douglas Fairbanks Presents,'' filmed in Britain. He starred in about a quarter of the 117 half-hour episodes. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was born in Manhattan on Dec. 9, 1909, the only child of Douglas Fairbanks and the former Anna Beth Sully. His parents were divorced when he was 9, and he lived with his mother. During the next decade, he saw his father only occasionally, remarking in his 1988 autobiography, ''The Salad Days,'' that in his youth his father showed him ''no real affection.'' But in the early 1930's they became close friends. The young Fairbanks attended a string of expensive private schools, most of them Episcopal, many of them military, in Manhattan and the Los Angeles area, and he had private tutors for two years while living in Paris and London. He said his father had given his mother $500,000 in a divorce settlement, and she spent nearly all of it within five years. Jesse L. Lasky, seeking to exploit the Fairbanks name, sponsored the son's acting debut at the age of 13, in the movie ''Stephen Steps Out.'' The 1923 film failed, and young Douglas had to struggle to earn a living, partly by writing silent-film titles, partly by acting and doubling as a cameraman and prop mover, partly by appearing occasionally on the Los Angeles stage in plays like ''Young Woodley'' and ''Saturday's Children.'' While he was a teenager money was a continuous problem. From the ages of 13 to 20, he wrote in his memoir, he was the main breadwinner for 6 to 13 people, most of them in his mother's family. His maternal grandfather, Daniel J. Sully, had been a cotton financier but went bankrupt. Eventually, the young actor became a frequent guest at Pickfair, the Hollywood estate owned by his father and his wife Mary Pickford, where the young Fairbanks began to mingle with many prominent and soon-to-be prominent, cultural and political figures. He became a celebrity in his own right with his 1929 marriage to Joan Crawford. Their separation and 1933 divorce gained even more publicity than their courtship and marriage. In 1939 Mr. Fairbanks married Mary Lee Epling Hartford, a former wife of the sportsman Huntington Hartford. The couple had three daughters: Daphne, Victoria, and Melissa. They had homes in Palm Beach, Fla., and Manhattan as well as in London. Mary Fairbanks died in 1988, and Mr. Fairbanks married Vera Shelton in 1991. She, his three daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren survive. By the early 1950's Mr. Fairbanks decided he preferred producing to acting. ''Knight Errant,'' a 1955 biography by Brian Connell, quoted him on the frustrations of acting: ''I began to be embarrassed that the interpretation was really someone else's creation. Realizing my own limitations, I became aware that I could never be a creative actor. I would only be an interpretative one or an imitator.'' In later years he was also a chairman, director or consultant on the boards of a wide range of companies, and kept offices in New York and London. He also acted occasionally -- in tours of plays like ''My Fair Lady'' and ''The Pleasure of His Company'' -- but his proudest achievements were articles he wrote for magazines like Esquire, Vanity Fair and McCall's. ''It is more satisfying to be creative than to be a player,'' he said.

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17 Memories, Stories & Photos about Douglas

Kathy Pinna

31.2k+ favorites

12/15/2023

IMDb Mini Biography by Guy Bellinger

Spouse (3)
Vera Fairbanks
(30 May 1991 - 7 May 2000) ( his death)

Mary Lee Eppling (23 April 1939 - 14 September 1988) ( her death) ( 3 children)

Joan Crawford
(3 June 1929 - 15 May 1934) ( divorced)

Trivia (25)
Interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in same crypt with father, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
His death was reported on the front page of the Times in London and Buckingham Palace expressed its condolences on his demise
Created an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1949
Cousin of Lucile Fairbanks.
Nephew of Robert Fairbanks, John Fairbanks.
Cousin-in-law of Owen Crump.

He had a lifelong, cultivated interest in international affairs. In 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him a special envoy to South America.
He held the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with V for valor in combat device from the U.S. government for his combat service in PT boats and gunboats.

His father, Douglas Fairbanks, was his best man at his marriage to Mary Lee Eppling.

Had three daughters with Mary Lee Eppling; Daphne Nancy-Beth Fairbanks (born April 8, 1940), Victoria Susan Fairbanks (born 1942) and Melissa Louise Fairbanks (born October 25, 1947).

Was awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross, the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm for his services during World War II.

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 196-197. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Brother-in-law of Hal Le Sueur.

Host of an entertaining introductory film shown to visitors of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C.

Interviewed in "Talking to the Piano Player: Silent Film Stars, Writers and Directors Remember" by Stuart Oderman (BearManor Media).

He was awarded three Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6318 Hollywood Blvd., for Radio at 6710 Hollywood Blvd. and for Television at 6661 Hollywood Blvd.

A heavy drinker.

Had eight grandchildren from his three daughters with Mary Lee Eppling.

He was announced to star in the first film for Fairbanks-International, his father's new company, in 1939, entitled "The Californian," but plans were canceled following the death of his father, Douglas Fairbanks He received the news that his father was weakening while shooting night scenes for Safari (1939), but by the time he arrived his father had already passed away.

In addition to publishing two volumes of autobiography--"The Salad Days" (1988) and "A Hell of a War" (1993)--he collaborated with Richard Schickel on the illustrated survey of both he and father Douglas Fairbanks called "The Fairbanks Album" (1975) and Jeffrey Vance with a critical study/biography of Fairbanks Sr., ultimately published as "Douglas Fairbanks" (2008).

Westridge--his California Spanish-style estate--was sold to Steven Spielberg.
His knowledge of French was so good that he played in French-language films in the early talkie era made in Hollywood for French consumption.

He was offered the role of Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) but turned it down, as he did not want to be seen as aping his father Douglas Fairbanks' performance in Robin Hood (1922).

His second wife Mary Lee, to whom he was married for almost 50 years, had been the first wife of A&P heir Huntington Hartford.

Has never appeared in a Best Picture Oscar nominated film.

Personal Quotes (7)
-I was only saying to the Queen the other day how I hate name dropping . . .
-I never tried to emulate my father. Anyone trying to do that would be a second-rate carbon copy.
-[in 1990] I suppose many people don't even know if I'm still alive--well, perhaps I'm not.
-[on Edward G. Robinson] I will never forget the pleasure and instruction I derived from working with a true master of his art, such as Edward G. Robinson was--and is. Surely his record for versatility, studied characterization--ranging from modern colloquial to the classics--and artistic integrity is unsurpassed. Furthermore, everyone who has worked with him recalls with pleasure his considerable personal charm.
-[on Irene Dunne] Nothing is instinctive, everything she does is very carefully thought out, she knows her camera and lighting as well as any cameraman, she knows every movement, every intonation, every nuance. She's a first-class craftswoman. But instead of being dull and perfect, she's absolutely enchanting and perfect.
-[on Joan Crawford] She was always so arduous and working so hard at everything; at dancing, on her looks, on her speech and on her carriage. She was dedicated to self-improvement.
-Like many beautiful women, New York looks wonderful from a distance. From across the river. But the closer you come, the more you see the makeup. Sure, the Algonquin Hotel is still here. I roller-skated across the lobby as a boy. And the Netherland Hotel is now the Sherry Netherland. And there's bits and pieces of the Upper West Side I still know. But how dirty it all is now. And dangerous. But it's still exciting and it's still my home. So I'm loyal to it, in a way.

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Kathy Pinna

31.2k+ favorites

12/15/2023

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. dies at age 90

NEW YORK (AP) - Douglas Fairbanks Jr., the rakishly handsome actor, producer, author and businessman who was a real-life war hero and friend of rayalty, died Sunday. He was 90. A spokesman for Manhattan's Frank E. Campbell funeral home confirmed Fairbank's death. He did not disclose the cause of death.

The son of the swashbuckling superstar of silent films, Fairbanks made his own mark in some 75 movies, including "Catherine the Great," "The Prisoner of Zenda," "Gunga Din," "Little Caesar," "Sinbad the Sailor" and "State Secret." "I never tried to emulate my father. Anyone trying to do that would be a second-rate carbon cop," he once said. "I was determined to be my own man, although having the Fairbanks name did make it easier to get into an office to see someone."

His stepmother was America's sweetheart, Mary Pickford. His first wife was Joan Crawford. He said he had affairs with Marlene Dietrich and Gertrude Lawrence. King George VI of England gave him an honorary knighthood for "furthering Anglo-American amity."

Fairbanks became the first American officer to command a British flotilla of raiding craft during a commando operation in World War II. He served uner Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, who later introduced him to his nephew, Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth. Fairbanks became a favorite of the royal couple, entertaining them at his home, much to the chagrin of Mayfair society. The first time they visited, he asked Maurice Chevalier and Cag Calloway to entertain them, and when Fairbanks gave a coming out party for his daughter Daphne in 1957, the Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Margaret stayed until dawn. "The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will both be sorry to learn of his death," a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said Sunday.

"I've led an enormously lucky life," Fairbanks said in 1989. "I've done what I wanted to do. I worked hard and played hard, and it was all tremendously rewarding. I just wish it could go on and on."

Fairbanks was born in New York City on December 9, 1909 - the only son of Douglas Fairbanks and his first wife, Anna. His parents divorced when he was 9 and he lived with his mother. He attended private schools in New York and California and was tutored in London and Paris. later in life, he said he and his father had never been close. He made his stage debut in Los Angeles in 1927, earning good reviews. He began getting better movie roles, appearing with Greta Garbo in "A Woman of Affairs" and in a Frank Capra film, "The Power of the Press," both 1928.

- The Rock Island Argus (Moline, Illinois) Monday, May 8, 2000 page 3.

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