Early career Douglas Fairbanks began acting at an early age, in amateur theatre on the Denver stage, performing in
summer stock at the
Elitch Theatre, and other productions sponsored by Margaret Fealy, who ran an acting school for young people in Denver. He attended
Denver East High School, and was expelled for cutting the strings on the school piano. His Broadway appearances included the popular
A Gentleman from Mississippi in 1908–09. On July 11, 1907, Fairbanks married Anna Bethany Sully, the daughter of wealthy industrialist
Daniel J. Sully, in
Watch Hill, Rhode Island. They had one son,
Douglas Fairbanks Jr., also a noted actor. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1915.
Hollywood ,
Mary Pickford,
Charlie Chaplin (
seated) and Fairbanks at the signing of the contract establishing
United Artists in 1919 After moving to Los Angeles, Fairbanks signed a contract with
Triangle Pictures in 1915 and began working under the supervision of
D. W. Griffith. His first film was titled
The Lamb, in which he debuted the athletic abilities that would gain him wide attention among theatre audiences. His athleticism was not appreciated by Griffith, however, and he was brought to the attention of
Anita Loos and
John Emerson, who wrote and directed many of his early romantic comedies. In 1916, Fairbanks established his own company, the Douglas Fairbanks Film Corporation, and would soon get a job at
Paramount. and within three years of his arrival, his popularity and business acumen raised him to the third-highest paid. In 1917, Fairbanks capitalized on his rising popularity by publishing a self-help book,
Laugh and Live, which extolled the power of positive thinking and self-confidence in raising one's health, business and social prospects. To avoid being controlled by the studios and to protect their independence, Fairbanks, Pickford, Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith formed
United Artists in 1919, which created their own distributorships and gave them complete artistic control over their films and the profits generated. '' Sully was granted a divorce from Fairbanks in late 1918, the judgment being finalized early the following year. After the divorce, the actor was determined to have Pickford become his wife, but she was still married to actor
Owen Moore. Fairbanks finally gave her an ultimatum. She then obtained a rapid divorce in the small
Nevada town of
Minden on March 2, 1920. Fairbanks leased the
Beverly Hills mansion Grayhall and was rumored to have used it during his courtship of Pickford. The couple married on March 28, 1920. Pickford's divorce from Moore was contested by Nevada legislators, however, and the dispute was not settled until 1922. Even though the lawmakers objected to the marriage, the public widely supported the idea of "Everybody's Hero" marrying "America's Sweetheart". That enthusiasm, in fact, extended far beyond the borders of the United States. Later, while honeymooning in Europe, Fairbanks and Pickford were warmly greeted by large crowds in London and Paris. Both internationally and at home, the celebrated couple were regarded as "Hollywood Royalty" and became famous for entertaining at "
Pickfair", their Beverly Hills estate. in
The Mark of Zorro (1920) in
Robin Hood (1922) By 1920, Fairbanks had completed 29 films (28 features and one two-reel short), which showcased his ebullient screen persona and athletic ability. By 1920, he had the inspiration of staging a new type of adventure-costume picture, a genre that was then out of favor with the public; Fairbanks had been a comic in his previous films. On March 29, 1928, at Pickford's bungalow, United Artists brought together Pickford, Fairbanks,
Charlie Chaplin,
Norma Talmadge,
Gloria Swanson,
John Barrymore,
D. W. Griffith and
Dolores del Río to speak on the radio show
The Dodge Brothers Hour to prove Fairbanks could meet the challenge of talking movies. Fairbanks's last silent film was the lavish
The Iron Mask (1929), a sequel to the 1921 release
The Three Musketeers.
The Iron Mask included an introductory prologue spoken by Fairbanks. He and Pickford chose to make their first
talkie as a joint venture, playing
Petruchio and
Kate in
Shakespeare's
The Taming of the Shrew (1929). This film, and his subsequent sound films, were poorly received by
Depression-era audiences. The last film in which he acted was the British production
The Private Life of Don Juan (1934), after which he retired from acting. Fairbanks and Pickford separated in 1933, after he began an affair with
Sylvia, Lady Ashley. Pickford had also been seen in the company of a high-profile industrialist. They divorced in 1936, with Pickford keeping the Pickfair estate. Fairbanks and Ashley were married in Paris in March 1936. He continued to be marginally involved in the film industry and United Artists, but his later years lacked the intense focus of his film years. His health continued to decline. During his final years, he lived at 705 Ocean Front (now Palisades Beach Road) in Santa Monica, California, although much of his time was spent traveling abroad with his third wife, Lady Ashley. == Death ==