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Douglas Fairbanks

Douglas Fairbanks

Actor, producer and writer · Died December 12, 1939, aged 56 · Denver, Colorado, United States

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro. An astute businessman, Fairbanks was a founding member of United Artists. Fairbanks was also a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy and hosted the first Oscars Ceremony in 1929. With his marriage to Mary Pickford in 1920, the couple became Hollywood royalty with Fairbanks constantly referred to as "The King of Hollywood", a nickname later passed on to actor Clark Gable.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 22, 1883
Died
December 12, 1939 (aged 56)
From
Denver, Colorado, United States
Works as
Actor, producer and writer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 64 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 24% in 30 days

What are Douglas Fairbanks' films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Adventure9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
28%
Morality
27%
Self
13%
Ideas
13%
Society
8%
Power
8%
Survival
2%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 15 · Serious 2 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 10

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 9 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 14 of 16 analyzed roles.

Hero
14 of 16
Shapeshifter
1 of 16
Mentor
1 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
12
Joyful
11
Romantic
7
Contemplative
5
Triumphant
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Fun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Douglas Fairbanks' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Douglas Fairbanks' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

64 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 35 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Image Book(2018)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Worlds of Mei Lanfang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor(1989)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as Actor Arriving at MGM (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • 30 Years of Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Great Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Actor

  • The Thief of Baghdad(1961)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Bruce Forsyth Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Yesterday and Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Oscars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show Actor

  • Wilson(1944)

    as Douglas Fairbanks - at WWI Rally (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Private Life of Don Juan(1934)

    as Don Juan

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Mr. Robinson Crusoe(1932)

    Producer · Story · as Steve Drexel

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Around the World in 80 Minutes with Douglas Fairbanks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director · as Self

  • The House That Shadows Built (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as (archive footage)

  • Reaching for the Moon(1930)

    Producer · as Larry Day

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Terra Melophon Magazin Nr. 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Actor

  • The Taming of the Shrew(1929)

    as Petruccio

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Iron Mask(1929)

    Producer · Writer · as D'Artagnan

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Gaucho (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer · as The Gaucho

  • The Black Pirate(1926)

    Producer · Story · as The Duke of Arnoldo / The Black Pirate

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ(1925)

    as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Don Q Son of Zorro(1925)

    Producer · as Don Cesar de Vega / Zorro

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Thief of Bagdad(1924)

    Producer · Story · as The Thief of Bagdad

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Mary and Doug Visit Stockholm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Actor

  • Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Douglas Fairbanks

  • Robin Hood(1922)

    Producer · Story · as Robin Hood

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Three Musketeers(1921)

    Producer · Writer · as D'Artagnan

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Nut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer · Writer · as Charlie Jackson

  • The Mark of Zorro(1920)

    Producer · Scenario Writer · Writer · as Don Diego Vega / Señor Zorro

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Mollycoddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Richard Marshall III / Richard Marshall IV / Richard Marshal V

  • When the Clouds Roll By (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer · Story · as Daniel Boone Brown

  • Our Film Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Actor

  • His Majesty, the American (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Scenario Writer · as William Brooks

  • The Knickerbocker Buckaroo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer · Story · as Teddy Drake

  • Arizona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Writer · as Lt. Denton

  • He Comes Up Smiling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer · as Jerry Martin

  • Bound in Morocco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer · as George Travelwell

  • Cupid Angling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Actor

  • Say! Young Fellow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer · as The Young Fellow

  • Mr. Fix-It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer · as Dick Remington

  • Headin' South(1918)

    Producer · as Headin' South

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Modern Musketeer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Producer · as Ned Thacker / D'Artagnan

  • Reaching for the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Producer · as Alexis Caesar Napoleon Brown

  • All-Star Production of Patriotic Episodes for the Second Liberty Loan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Actor

  • The Man from Painted Post (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Scenario Writer · as 'Fancy Jim' Sherwood

  • Down to Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Story · as Billy Gaynor

  • Wild and Woolly(1917)

    Producer · as Jeff Hillington

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • In Again, Out Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Producer · as Teddy Rutherford

  • The Americano (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Blaze Derringer

  • The Matrimaniac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Jimmie Conroy

  • American Aristocracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Cassius Lee

  • Manhattan Madness(1916)

    as Steve O'Dare

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Intolerance(1916)

    as Man on White Horse (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Half-Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Lo Dorman

  • The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Coke Ennyday / Douglas Fairbanks

  • Reggie Mixes In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Reggie Van Deuzen

  • The Good Bad-Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Producer · Writer · as Passin' Through

  • The Habit of Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Sunny Wiggins

  • His Picture in the Papers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Pete Prindle

  • Flirting with Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Augy Holliday

  • Double Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Florian Amidon / Eugene Brassfield

  • Martyrs of the Alamo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Joe / Texas soldier

  • The Lamb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Gerald

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 64 titles from 1915 to 2018.

Biggest box office

The Image Book (2018)

$132K worldwide

Highest rated

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

The Image Book (2018)

Film career

Top draw in 6 MovieCove titles.

  • 1916Screen debut· The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
  • 1916First top-billed film· The Mystery of the Leaping Fish

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting62 of 64: 35 only acting, 27 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndDirecting2 of 64: 1 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting16 of 64: 1 only writing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thProducing21 of 64: 0 only producing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score72nd

64 titles, 27 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 21 of them.

By decade

1910s33 · 33 acting · 16 crew1920s14 · 14 acting · 9 crew1930s6 · 5 acting · 3 crew1940s1 · acting1950s3 · acting1960s4 · 3 acting · 1 crew1980s1 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 70% of 10 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Douglas Fairbanks' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor (1989)

86th percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer, producer

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Douglas Fairbanks work with?

People who share at least 2 of Douglas Fairbanks' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lotta Woods shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers