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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

122

Gender

Male

Birthday

1878-01-23

Day of Death

1949-11-03 (71 years old)

Place of Birth

Horseheads, New York, USA

Also Known As

William Mannion

The King of the Silent Serials

Bill Desmond

William Desmond

Biography

Starting out in dramatic parts, Desmond soon switched to westerns and action serials, and became a major western star. When the sound era began Desmond was almost 50 years old, and was soon relegated to supporting roles.

Known For

The Prince and Betty

The Prince and Betty

The Return of the Durango Kid

The Return of the Durango Kid

Phantom Lady

Phantom Lady

The Vanishing Legion

The Vanishing Legion

Rustlers of Red Dog

Rustlers of Red Dog

Acting

The Prince and Betty

1919

The Prince and Betty

as

John Maude

The Vanishing Rider

1928

The Vanishing Rider

as

Jim Davis / The Vanishing Rider

Peer Gynt

1915

Peer Gynt

as

The Parson

Captain of His Soul

1918

Captain of His Soul

as

Horace

The Rustler's Roundup

1933

The Rustler's Roundup

as

San Dimas Sheriff Holden

When Lightning Strikes

1934

When Lightning Strikes

as

Marshal Jack Stevens

Phantom of the Opera

1943

Phantom of the Opera

as

Stagehand (uncredited)

The Mummy's Ghost

1944

The Mummy's Ghost

as

Museum Tourist (uncredited)

The Policeman and the Baby

1921

The Policeman and the Baby

as

The Policeman

Master of His Home

1917

Master of His Home

as

Carson Stewart

The Return of the Durango Kid

1945

The Return of the Durango Kid

as

Street Ambusher (uncredited)

Mr. Broadway

1933

Mr. Broadway

as

1st Suitor (archive footage)

The Lightning Warrior

1931

The Lightning Warrior

as

Townsman (uncredited)

Song of the Gringo

1936

Song of the Gringo

as

Bailiff

Phantom Lady

1944

Phantom Lady

as

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Wild Waters

1935

Wild Waters

as

Sheriff Manning

The Extra Girl

1923

The Extra Girl

as

Himself

The Last Frontier

1932

The Last Frontier

as

General Custer

Crack-Up

1934

Crack-Up

as

Police Chief

The Broken Coin

1936

The Broken Coin

as

Frisco Kid

1935

Frisco Kid

as

Vigilante Hangman (uncredited)

The Vanishing Legion

1931

The Vanishing Legion

as

Milesburg Sheriff

The Vanishing Shadow

1934

The Vanishing Shadow

as

MacDonald

Desert Command

1946

Desert Command

as

Capt. Boncour

The Burning Trail

1925

The Burning Trail

as

Smiling Bill Flannigan

Straight Through

1925

Straight Through

as

Good Deed O'Day

The Meddler

1925

The Meddler

as

Richard Gilmore

Born to Battle

1935

Born to Battle

as

John Brownell

I Can't Escape

1934

I Can't Escape

as

Parole Officer Donovan

The Vigilantes Are Coming

1936

The Vigilantes Are Coming

as

Anderson, Vigilante Member

Pirate Treasure

1934

Pirate Treasure

as

Capt. Jim Carson

The Strings of Steel

1926

The Strings of Steel

as

Ned Brown

Courage of the North

1935

Courage of the North

as

Gene Travis

The Three Musketeers

1933

The Three Musketeers

as

Capt. Boncour

Winners of the West

1940

Winners of the West

as

Bill Brine

Her Code of Honor

1919

Her Code of Honor

as

Eugene La Salle

Frontier Days

1934

Frontier Days

as

Sheriff Barnes

The Rawhide Terror

1934

The Rawhide Terror

as

Tom Blake

Laughing at Life

1933

Laughing at Life

as

Military Cabinet Officer

Perils of the Yukon

1922

Perils of the Yukon

as

Jack Merrill Sr. / Jack Merrill Jr.

Strawberry Roan

1933

Strawberry Roan

as

Colonel Brownlee

Fargo Express

1933

Fargo Express

as

Sheriff Joe Thompson

Paws of the Bear

1917

Paws of the Bear

as

Ray Bourke

Border Guns

1934

Border Guns

as

Dr. Jim Wilson

No Children

1929

No Children

as

Self

Shadows of the North

1923

Shadows of the North

as

Ben 'Wolf' Darby

Battling with Buffalo Bill

1931

Battling with Buffalo Bill

as

John Mills

The Extra Girl

1923

The Extra Girl

as

Himself - Actor

The Cowboy and the Bandit

1935

The Cowboy and the Bandit

as

Sheriff Pete

Custer's Last Stand

1936

Custer's Last Stand

as

Wagon Master

Cyclone of the Saddle

1935

Cyclone of the Saddle

as

Wagon Master

Treachery Rides the Range

1936

Treachery Rides the Range

as

Bill

Heroes of the West

1932

Heroes of the West

as

John Blaine

Gordon of Ghost City

1933

Gordon of Ghost City

as

John Mulford

The Call of the Savage

1935

The Call of the Savage

as

Allen

Headin' for the Rio Grande

1936

Headin' for the Rio Grande

as

Mr. Mack (cattle buyer)

A Scarlet Week-End

1932

A Scarlet Week-End

as

The Ghost Rider

1935

The Ghost Rider

as

Guard

Social Error

1935

Social Error

as

Policeman

Hollywood Boulevard

1936

Hollywood Boulevard

as

Pago Pago Patron (uncredited)

Code of the West

1947

Code of the West

as

Settler (uncredited)

The Red Rider

1934

The Red Rider

as

Sheriff Campbell

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell

1936

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell

as

Captain of the 'Viking'

Timber Terrors

1935

Timber Terrors

as

Royce Horter

Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

1941

Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie

as

Bartender

Song of the Saddle

1936

Song of the Saddle

as

Tim

The Boys from Syracuse

1940

The Boys from Syracuse

as

Citizen

Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery

1935

Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery

as

Foreman Burke

Junior G-Men

1940

Junior G-Men

as

Irish Cop (uncredited)

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars

as

Gower Gulch Cowboy (uncredited)

Tim Tyler's Luck

1937

Tim Tyler's Luck

as

Dock Official

The Phantom of the Air

1933

The Phantom of the Air

as

Thomas Edmonds

The Phantom of the West

1930

The Phantom of the West

as

Martin Blair

Fightin' Mad

1921

Fightin' Mad

as

Bud McGraw

Society for Sale

1918

Society for Sale

as

Honorable Billy

The Last of the Ingrams

1917

The Last of the Ingrams

as

Jules Ingram

Down Rio Grande Way

1942

Down Rio Grande Way

as

Townsman

The Silver Bullet

1942

The Silver Bullet

as

Townsman

Overland Mail

1942

Overland Mail

as

Williams - Banker

Rustlers of Red Dog

1935

Rustlers of Red Dog

as

Ira Dale [Chs. 1-4, 6, 10-12]

The Lone Star Trail

1943

The Lone Star Trail

as

Bartender Mike

Cheyenne Roundup

1943

Cheyenne Roundup

as

Pete

No Defense

1929

No Defense

as

John Harper

McGuire of the Mounted

1923

McGuire of the Mounted

as

Bob McGuire

The Iced Bullet

1917

The Iced Bullet

as

The Author / Horace Lee

The Child Thou Gavest Me

1921

The Child Thou Gavest Me

as

Tom Marshall

Hello, 'Frisco

1924

Hello, 'Frisco

as

William Desmond

Savage Fury

1956

Savage Fury

as

Allen (archive footage)

Powdersmoke Range

1935

Powdersmoke Range

as

Happy - Bartender

Where Did You Get That Girl?

1941

Where Did You Get That Girl?

as

Tourist

Outwitted

1925

Outwitted

as

Jack Blaisdel

Ridin' Pretty

1925

Ridin' Pretty

as

Sky Parker

Barriers of the Law

1925

Barriers of the Law

as

Rex Brandon

A Sage Brush Hamlet

1919

A Sage Brush Hamlet

as

Larry Lang

A Gamble in Souls

1916

A Gamble in Souls

as

The Naughty Nineties

1945

The Naughty Nineties

as

Showboat Customer (uncredited)

The Mystery Rider

1928

The Mystery Rider

as

Winthrop Lane / The Mystery Rider

Peggy

1916

Peggy

as

Rev. Donald Bruce

The Way of the West

1934

The Way of the West

as

'Cash' Horton (as Wm. Desmond)

Kilmeny

1915

Kilmeny

as

Bob Meredith

The Dawn Maker

1916

The Dawn Maker

as

Bruce Smithson

Naughty Marietta

1935

Naughty Marietta

as

Gendarme Chief (uncredited)

The Sunset Trail

1924

The Sunset Trail

as

Happy Hobo

The Majesty of the Law

1915

The Majesty of the Law

as

Jackson Morgan Kent

The Climax

1944

The Climax

as

Backstage Technician (Uncredited)

The Roaring West

1935

The Roaring West

as

Jim Parker

Night Life in Hollywood

1922

Night Life in Hollywood

as

Self

Strange Confession

1945

Strange Confession

as

Peanut Vendor (uncredited)

Perils of Pauline

1933

Perils of Pauline

as

Prof. Thompson

The Egg and I

1947

The Egg and I

as

Spectator at Country Dance (Uncredited)

Oklahoma Jim

1931

Oklahoma Jim

as

Lacy

Thunder Mountain

1947

Thunder Mountain

as

Townsman (uncredited)

The Marriage Bubble

1918

The Marriage Bubble

as

The Actor

The Breathless Moment

1924

The Breathless Moment

as

Billy Carson

Women Men Love

1921

Women Men Love

as

David Hunter

Clancy of the Mounted

1933

Clancy of the Mounted

as

Dave Moran

Flying Colors

1917

Flying Colors

as

Brent Brewster

Married in Name Only

1917

Married in Name Only

as

The Ace of Spades

1925

The Ace of Spades

as

Dan Harvey

The Measure of a Man

1924

The Measure of a Man

as

John Fairmeadow

Bare-Fisted Gallagher

1919

Bare-Fisted Gallagher

as

'Bare-Fisted' Gallagher

Bullets and Brown Eyes

1916

Bullets and Brown Eyes

as

Prince Carl

Production

Crew

Directing