History Creator / DouglasFairbanks

As with many other stars of the era, the advent of talking films spelled the end of Fairbanks's career. He made one more silent swashbuckler, ''The Iron Mask'', then gave up on both silent films and action movies. His first talkie, a 1929 adaptation of ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'', was also the only film in which he co-starred with Pickford. They divorced soon after. Fairbanks made five talkies before declining popularity and rapidly decling health led him to retire in 1934.

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8a1f28d69dfd2bbe5760034cfcc38ffb.jpg]]

Douglas Fairbanks, born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood, half of the first Hollywood power couple, one of the founders of Creator/UnitedArtists, and the first ActionHero.

Fairbanks was born in UsefulNotes/{{Denver}}, CO, the son of a miner and lawyer who left the family when Douglas was five. He was performing on the stage while still in his teens, and he left for New York as soon as he reached adulthood. He signed a contract with Creator/DWGriffith and made his film debut in 1915. Despite not being conventionally handsome, he was athletic and charming, and very soon he became a big star, featuring in many romances and comedies. Fairbanks might have continued in this vein for many more years, but he got the idea to remake himself into an action film star. ''The Mark of Zorro'', released in 1920, was a huge hit and took Fairbanks's career into a whole new direction. He spent the rest of the decade making one lavish, epic action film after another--''Robin Hood'', ''The Three Musketeers'', ''The Thief of Baghdad'', and ''The Black Pirate''. His films were famous for their big sets and big budgets, as well as the intricate stunt work always performed by Fairbanks himself.

While he was remaking his career he was also romancing and marrying one of the few people who was a bigger star than him, Creator/MaryPickford. Pickford and Fairbanks divorced their spouses and married each other in 1920. They became the UrExample of the PortmanteauCoupleName--or rather, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickfair their house did]]. Fairbanks, Pickford, Griffith, and their good friend Creator/CharlieChaplin founded United Artists in 1919 as an independent studio for themselves and for anyone else who wanted to work for themselves outside of the studio system.

* ''Film/TheMarkOfZorro'' (1920)

Douglas Fairbanks, born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was one of the biggest stars in UsefulNotes/{{Hollywood}} during the UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood, half of the first Hollywood power couple, one of the founders of Creator/UnitedArtists, and the first ActionHero.

* ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfDonJuan'' (1934)

* ''Theature/TheTamingOfTheShrew'' (1929)

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8a1f28d69dfd2bbe5760034cfcc38ffb.jpg]]

'''Douglas Fairbanks''', born as Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was one of the biggest stars in UsefulNotes/{{Hollywood}} during the UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood, half of the first Hollywood power couple, one of the founders of Creator/UnitedArtists, and the first ActionHero.

* ''Film/{{The Three Musketeers|1921}}''

'''Douglas Fairbanks''' (1883-1939) was one of the biggest stars in UsefulNotes/{{Hollywood}} during the UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood, half of the first Hollywood power couple, one of the founders of Creator/UnitedArtists, and the first ActionHero.

His son by his first marriage, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., went on to his own very successful career as a Hollywood leading man.

'''Douglas Fairbanks''' (1883-1939) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood during the SilentAgeOfHollywood, half of the first Hollywood power couple, one of the founders of Creator/UnitedArtists, and the first ActionHero.

Fairbanks was born in Denver, CO, the son of a miner and lawyer who left the family when Douglas was five. He was performing on the stage while still in his teens, and he left for New York as soon as he reached adulthood. He signed a contract with Creator/DWGriffith and made his film debut in 1915. Despite not being conventionally handsome, he was athletic and charming, and very soon he became a big star, featuring in many romances and comedies. Fairbanks might have continued in this vein for many more years, but he got the idea to remake himself into an action film star. ''The Mark of Zorro'', released in 1920, was a huge hit and took Fairbanks's career into a whole new direction. He spent the rest of the decade making one lavish, epic action film after another--''Robin Hood'', ''The Three Musketeers'', ''The Thief of Baghdad'', and ''The Black Pirate''. His films were famous for their big sets and big budgets, as well as the intricate stunt work always performed by Fairbanks himself.

* ''Theature/TheTamingOfTheShrew'' (1929)

* ''[[Film/TheThiefOfBagdad1924 The Thief of Baghdad]]'' (1924)

* ''Film/TheIronMask'' (1929)

While he was remaking his career he was also romancing and marrying one of the few people who was a bigger star than him, Creator/MaryPickford. Pickford and Fairbanks divorced their spouses and married each other in 1920. They became the UrExample of the [[{{Shipmanteau}} Portmanteau Couple Name]]--or rather, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickfair their house did]]. Fairbanks, Pickford, Griffith, and their good friend Creator/CharlieChaplin founded United Artists in 1919 as an independent studio for themselves and for anyone else who wanted to work for themselves outside of the studio system.