William Farnum

William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American stage and film actor. He was a star of American silent film cinema and became one of the highest-paid actors during that time.

William Farnum
Farnum in 1917
Born(1876-07-04)July 4, 1876
Boston, Massachusetts, US
DiedJune 5, 1953(1953-06-05) (aged 76)
Los Angeles, California, US
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Years active1900–1952
Spouse(s)Mabel Eaton
(m. ??; div. ??)
Olive White
​
​
(m. 1906; div. 1931)​

Isabelle Major
​
​
(m. 1932)​
Children5, including Dorothy Farnum
FamilyDustin Farnum
(brother)
Marshall Farnum
(brother)

Biography

Farnum was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but he grew up in Bucksport, Maine.[1]

One of three brothers, Farnum grew up in a family of actors. He made his acting debut at the age of ten in Richmond, Virginia, in a production of Julius Caesar, with Edwin Booth playing the title character.

He portrayed the title character of Ben-Hur (1900) on Broadway. Later plays Farnum appeared in there included The Prince of India (1906), The White Sister (1909), The Littlest Rebel (1911) co-starring his brother Dustin, and Arizona (1913), also with Dustin.[2]

In The Spoilers in 1914, Farnum and Tom Santschi staged a classic film fight which lasted for a full reel. In 1930, Farnum and Santschi coached Gary Cooper and William Boyd in the fight scene for the 1930 version of The Spoilers. Other actors influenced by the Farnum/Santschi scene were Milton Sills and Noah Beery in 1923 and Randolph Scott and John Wayne in 1942.[3]

From 1915 to 1952, Farnum devoted his life to motion pictures. While becoming one of the biggest sensations in Hollywood, he also became one of the highest-paid actors, earning $10,000 a week. Farnum's silent pictures: the western Drag Harlan (1920) and the drama-adventure If I Were King (1921) survive from his years contracted to Fox Films.

Personal life

Married three times, Farnum was the father of screenwriter Dorothy Farnum with Mabel Eaton.[4] He had a daughter, Sara Adele, with his second wife, Olive White. He had three children with his third wife, Isabelle, named Isabelle, Elizabeth, and William Farnum Jr.[5]

Farnum died from uremia and cancer on June 5, 1953 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital.[6][7] He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[8]

On February 8, 1960, Farnum received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion pictures industry at 6322 Hollywood Boulevard.[9][10]

He was the younger brother of major film actor Dustin Farnum. He had another brother, Marshall Farnum, who was a silent film director who died in 1917.

Filmography
William Farnum at a piano in 1915
The Man Hunter (1919)

Silent

Sound

References
  1. Lowrey, Carolyn (1920). The First One Hundred Noted Men and Women of the Screen. Moffat, Yard. p. 56. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  2. "William Farnum". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  3. Griffith, Richard, &Arthur Mayer, The Movies (Bonanza Books, 1957), pp. 98-99
  4. The Los Angeles Times; October 17, 1927
  5. "The Times-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  6. "The Evening Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  7. "The Times-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  8. Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries
  9. "William Farnum | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  10. "William Farnum". latimes.com. Retrieved 2016-06-26.
  11. Wenzell, Nicolette (April 3, 2016). "1919 movie 'The Lone Star Ranger' shot in Palm Springs". The Desert Sun. Gannett.
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