Acting
William Desmond
EN cinema · 152 credits
Born
23 January 1878
Died
3 November 1949 (aged 71)
Birthplace
Horseheads, New York, USA
Also known as William Mannion · The King of the Silent Serials · Bill Desmond
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
Filmography
Magnetic
Thanks
Savage Fury
as Allen
Code of the West
as Settler (uncredited)
The Egg and I
as Spectator at Country Dance (Uncredited)
Thunder Mountain
as Townsman (uncredited)
Trail Street
as Townsman (uncredited)
Desert Command
as Capt. Boncour
The Return of the Durango Kid
as Street Ambusher (uncredited)
The Naughty Nineties
as Showboat Customer (uncredited)
Strange Confession
as Peanut Vendor (uncredited)
The Mummy's Ghost
as Museum Tourist (uncredited)
Phantom Lady
as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
The Climax
as Backstage Technician (Uncredited)
Hi, Beautiful
as Passenger (uncredited)
Tall in the Saddle
as Townsman (uncredited)
Phantom of the Opera
as Stagehand (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars
as Gower Gulch Cowboy (uncredited)
The Lone Star Trail
as Bartender Mike
Cheyenne Roundup
as Pete
Down Rio Grande Way
as Townsman
The Silver Bullet
as Townsman
Overland Mail
as Williams - Banker
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
as Bartender
Where Did You Get That Girl?
as Tourist
Winners of the West
as Bill Brine
The Boys from Syracuse
as Citizen
Junior G-Men
as Irish Cop (uncredited)
Tim Tyler's Luck
as Dock Official
Song of the Gringo
as Bailiff
The Vigilantes Are Coming
as Anderson, Vigilante Member
Custer's Last Stand
as Wagon Master
Headin' for the Rio Grande
as Mr. Mack (cattle buyer)
Hollywood Boulevard
as Pago Pago Patron (uncredited)
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
as Captain of the 'Viking'
Flash Gordon
as Hawkman Lookout Captain
Wild Waters
1935
Wild Waters
as Sheriff Manning
Frisco Kid
as Vigilante Hangman (uncredited)
Born to Battle
as John Brownell
Courage of the North
as Gene Travis
The Cowboy and the Bandit
as Sheriff Pete
Cyclone of the Saddle
as Wagon Master
The Ghost Rider
as Guard
Social Error
as Policeman
Timber Terrors
1935
Timber Terrors
as Royce Horter
Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery
as Foreman Burke
Rustlers of Red Dog
as Ira Dale [Chs. 1-4, 6, 10-12]
Powdersmoke Range
as Happy - Bartender
Naughty Marietta
as Gendarme Chief (uncredited)
The Roaring West
as Jim Parker
When Lightning Strikes
as Marshal Jack Stevens
Crack-Up
1934
Crack-Up
as Police Chief
The Vanishing Shadow
as MacDonald
I Can't Escape
as Parole Officer Donovan
Pirate Treasure
as Capt. Jim Carson
Frontier Days
as Sheriff Barnes
The Rawhide Terror
as Tom Blake
Border Guns
as Dr. Jim Wilson
The Red Rider
as Sheriff Campbell
The Way of the West
as 'Cash' Horton (as Wm. Desmond)
The Rustler's Roundup
as San Dimas Sheriff Holden
Mr. Broadway
as 1st Suitor (archive footage)
The Three Musketeers
as Capt. Boncour
Laughing at Life
as Military Cabinet Officer
Strawberry Roan
as Colonel Brownlee
Fargo Express
as Sheriff Joe Thompson
Gordon of Ghost City
as John Mulford
The Phantom of the Air
as Thomas Edmonds
Perils of Pauline
as Prof. Thompson
Clancy of the Mounted
as Dave Moran
The Last Frontier
as General Custer
Heroes of the West
as John Blaine
Jungle Mystery
as John Morgan
The Lightning Warrior
as Townsman (uncredited)
The Vanishing Legion
as Milesburg Sheriff
Battling with Buffalo Bill
as John Mills
Oklahoma Jim
as Lacy
Hell-Bent for Frisco
as The Editor
First Aid
1931
First Aid
as Chief of Police
The Phantom of the West
as Martin Blair
No Defense
as John Harper
The Vanishing Rider
as Jim Davis / The Vanishing Rider
The Mystery Rider
as Winthrop Lane / The Mystery Rider
The Devil's Trademark
as Morgan Gray
The Return of the Riddle Rider
1927
The Return of the Riddle Rider
as Randolph Parker / The Riddle Rider
The Strings of Steel
as Ned Brown
The Burning Trail
as Smiling Bill Flannigan
Straight Through
as Good Deed O'Day
The Meddler
as Richard Gilmore
Outwitted
as Jack Blaisdel
Ridin' Pretty
as Sky Parker
Barriers of the Law
as Rex Brandon
The Ace of Spades
as Dan Harvey
Red Clay
1925
Red Clay
as Chief John Nisheto
Duped
as John Morgan
Hello, 'Frisco
1924
Hello, 'Frisco
as William Desmond
The Sunset Trail
as Happy Hobo
The Breathless Moment
as Billy Carson
The Measure of a Man
as John Fairmeadow
Big Timber
as Walter Sandry
The Riddle Rider
1924
The Riddle Rider
as Randolph Parker / The Riddle Rider
The Extra Girl
as Himself, as Himself - Actor
Shadows of the North
as Ben 'Wolf' Darby
McGuire of the Mounted
as Bob McGuire
The Phantom Fortune
as Larry Barclay
Around the World in 18 Days
as Phineas Fogg III
Beasts of Paradise
as Phil Grant
Perils of the Yukon
as Jack Merrill Sr. / Jack Merrill Jr.
The Policeman and the Baby
as The Policeman
Fightin' Mad
as Bud McGraw
The Child Thou Gavest Me
as Tom Marshall
Women Men Love
as David Hunter
The Parish Priest
1921
The Parish Priest
as Reverend John Whalen
Twin Beds
as Harry Hawkins
A Broadway Cowboy
as Burke Randolph
The Prince and Betty
as John Maude
Her Code of Honor
as Eugene La Salle
A Sage Brush Hamlet
as Larry Lang
Bare-Fisted Gallagher
as 'Bare-Fisted' Gallagher
The Mints of Hell
as Dan Burke
Life's a Funny Proposition
as Jimmie Pendleton
The Blue Bandanna
as Jerry Jerome
Whitewashed Walls
as Larry Donovan
Captain of His Soul
as Horace
Society for Sale
as Honorable Billy
The Marriage Bubble
as The Actor
An Honest Man
1918
An Honest Man
as Benny Boggs
The Pretender
as Bob Baldwin
Master of His Home
as Carson Stewart
The Iced Bullet
as The Author / Horace Lee
Flying Colors
as Brent Brewster
The Sudden Gentleman
as Garry Garrity
Paddy O'Hara
as Paddy O'Hara
Time Locks and Diamonds
1917
Time Locks and Diamonds
as Silver Jim Farrel
Peggy
as Rev. Donald Bruce
The Dawn Maker
as Bruce Smithson
The Criminal
as Donald White
Peer Gynt
as The Parson
Kilmeny
as Bob Meredith
The Majesty of the Law
as Jackson Morgan Kent