William Fairbanks

Filmed back-to-back with Spoilers of the West (1928) at Lander, WY, this MGM production was the eighth in a series of 14 superior Tim McCoy Westerns produced between 1926 and 1929. McCoy played Jack Colton, who as a boy grows up alongside Big Cloud, the son of Chief Chapulti (Goes in the Lodge). As the boys reach maturity, their roads separate and they become enemies. Violating a treaty, Big Cloud (Charles Bell) and his warriors raid a wagon train led by Colton, now a lieutenant in the cavalry. The latter has his hands full with Samantha Farrell (Dorothy Sebastian), a headstrong woman who is traveling west to stake her claim and has no patience with "trivialities" such as Indian raids. Colton manages to both tame the girl and repel the attack. In the end, the renegade Indians are defeated when Chief Chapulti, to prevent a massacre, shoots his own son. The production supervisor on both Wyoming and Spoilers of the West was studio chief Louis B. Mayer's ambitious future son-in-law, David O. Selznick. It was Selznick's idea to produce the two films simultaneously, thus saving the company around 30,000 dollars. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

An average Tim McCoy Western, this film benefitted from the sumptuous production values that only MGM would lavish on what essentially was a series oater. McCoy, a former real-life Native American language translator, played Lieutenant Lang, charged with keeping the peace with the Indians by ridding the territory of white squatters and trappers. Only trading-post operator Marjorie Daw, refuses to leave, necessitating the inevitable rescue from the stalwart Lieutenant Lang. Charles Thurston appeared as real-life General Sherman and an unidentified actor portrayed General Custer. Although profitable, the MGM McCoy Western melodramas were discontinued at the changeover to sound and the studio never again produced series Westerns. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The silent Catch as Catch Can starts out as a baseball picture before wildly riding off in all directions at once. William Fairbanks (definitely no relation to Douglas) plays the manager of a small-town ballclub. When team member Larry Shannon is coerced into throwing a game by political boss Walter Shumway, Fairbanks, who is in love with Shannon's sister Rose Blossom allows himself to be accused of cheating. Thrown out of baseball, Fairbanks gets a job at a newspaper for the express purpose of exposing Shumway and his plugugly henchman George Kotsonaros. He not only accomplishes this, but saves the reputation of mayor Jack Blossom--who happens to be the father of his girl friend Rose. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Fairbanks may not have been the best "B"-picture actor in Hollywood, but he was certainly one of the busiest. In One Chance in a Million, Fairbanks plays Secret Service agent Jerry Blaine. Hot on the trail of a gang of jewel thieves, Jerry briefly poses as a crook himself to gain the gang's confidence. Before the final reel has expended itself, our hero has prevented a big-time heist and has prevented millionaire's daughter Ruth Torrence (Viora Daniels) from marrying one of the criminals. Cadaverous comedian Eddie Borden provides laughs as the wimpish Horace Featherby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The "mile-a-minute man" in this action quickie is one "Speedy" Rockett, played by William Fairbanks. Speedy's dad O. I. Rocket (George Periolat) is a car manufacturer, so it stands to reason that Rocket's top racecar driver is his own son. The plot thickens when Speedy falls in love with Paula Greydon (Virginia Brown Faire), the daughter of Rocket's chief rival. This modern-dress Romeo and Juliet dilemma is resolved to everyone's satisfaction during the climactic Big Race. Curiously, Mile a Minute Man was released sans production credits for it initial New York showing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Reckless driver Bill Sanford (William Fairbanks) is finally thrown out of his wealthy father's home when his mania for speed proves impossible to curb. Undaunted, Bill becomes a race-car driver, hoping to prove his worth to his dad by winning a $5000 prize. This he does, just in time to save his father from being victimized in a fraudulent land deal. Having learned to temper his "speed madness" with responsibility, Bill also wins the love of heroine Betty Hampton (Edith Roberts). Speed Mad was scripted by Dorothy Howell, a popular comedienne of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In spite of sharing the same last name, William Fairbanks and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. were not related. William, however, was sort of a low-rent version of Douglas -- he starred in bargain basement thrillers where he got to show off his talent for stunts. This one comes out of Columbia, at the time, a Poverty Row studio. Dick Covington (William Fairbanks) is a society athlete who is quick with his fists. His fiancée, Jean Manley (Pauline Garon), hates his fighting and convinces him to stop. But then his rival tricks him into accepting an offer to fight Murdering Mooney (Frank Hagney) at a charity show. At first Jean is chagrined, but when the rival insults her, she is anxious for Covington to beat his opponent. It turns out that the fight is fixed, and Covington is kidnapped and taken far out into the country. Somehow he manages to make an escape in his guard's car, then hitch a ride from an aviator, and then swim a lake. Finally, he gets to the fight and he still has enough energy to knock out Mooney. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Athletic star William Fairbanks stars in this cheaply made Columbia drama. Jim Davis (Fairbanks) likes having a good time, and his extravagance is a strain on his father (Tom Ricketts). To discourage him, the elder Davis claims to be bankrupt, which means that Jim has to fend for himself. When Jim sees a man on the street insulting pretty Mary Corbett (Phyllis Haver), he angrily pummels him. It turns out the man was Battling Wilson (Leon Beauman), who is the state boxing champ. With Mary's encouragement, Jim decides to challenge Wilson in the ring. Before the fight, however, Jim is doped, and as a result, Wilson easily knocks him out. Jim still gets his revenge when he trails the boxer to his dressing room and beats him to a pulp. Jim's heroics win Mary's love, and he and his father are eventually reconciled. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Fearless Lover was produced by a company called Perfection Films. It's not quite perfection, but it isn't bad. William Fairbanks (no relation to Douglas) plays a policeman from a family of policemen who is dedicated to upholding the law at all costs. When he is forced to arrest his girlfriend's brother, however, he relaxes a bit and tries to prove the boy's innocence. Our Hero eventually collars the big-time crook who forced the brother into a life of crime. Lifting Fearless Lover from the norm was the action-filled screenplay by western veteran Scott R. Dunlap. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Fairbanks and Eva Novak star in this implausible melodrama about a cub reporter eager to cover a society scandal. Jack Darwin convinces his editor he can secure a photo of the elusive socialite Helen Van Dyke. He snaps the photo of a woman -- who turns out to be Helen's maid -- in one of her employer's expensive gowns. Jack is fired from the paper but discovers the maid is his long-lost sweetheart. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Westerner William Fairbanks finds himself disinherited after marrying an artist (Dorothy Revier. To support his new wife, Fairbanks turns pugilist and enters a three-round bout with pro-fighter Jack Dugan (real-life boxer Al Kaufman). Fairbanks emerges the winner and returns to the homestead with both wife and a $1000 prize. More a boxing melodrama than a western, Marry in Haste was but one of a series of potboilers teaming Fairbanks (no relation to Doug) with Dorothy Revier, a titian-haired WAMPAS Baby Star of 1925. A former dancer, Revier later played Mylady de Winter opposite Douglas Fairbanks' man in the Iron Mask (1929), one of the last of the great silent epics. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Prolific action adventure director Alvin J. Neitz (AKA Alan James) helmed this minor western released by the poverty row company Truart. In a case of title tells all, Cowboy and the Flapper is the tale of a cowboy (William Fairbanks) who saves a flapper (Dorothy Revier) from a gang of kidnappers. Revier later enjoyed some prominence as Mylady de Winter in The Iron Mask (1929) but her long stay with parsimonious Columbia earned her the lasting soubriquet of the "Caviar of Poverty Row." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide