William Desmond (born William Mannion; January 23, 1878 – November 3, 1949) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1948. He was nicknamed “The King of the Silent Serials.”
Born William Mannion in Horseheads, New York, he was raised in New York City. He later changed his surname to a stage name. He started out in vaudeville and the legitimate stage before making his film debut. In 1919, he married his co-star Mary McIvor, with whom he had two daughters.
On November 3, 1949, Desmond died at age 71 of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California. He is interred at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory, Los Angeles.
Selected filmography
Kilmeny (1915) – Bob Meredith
The Majesty of the Law (1915) – Jackson Morgan Kent
Peer Gynt (1915) – The Parson
Peggy (1916) – Rev. Donald Bruce
Bullets and Brown Eyes (1916) – Prince Carl
The Waifs (1916) – Arthur Rayburn
Not My Sister (1916) – Michael Arnold
The Sorrows of Love (1916) – Guido Perli
The Captive God (1916)
The Payment (1916) – Dick
Lieutenant Danny, U.S.A. (1916) – Lt. Danny Ward
The Dawn Maker (1916) – Bruce Smithson
The Criminal (1916) – Donald White
A Gamble in Souls (1916) – Arthur Worden, Evangelist
The Iced Bullet (1917) – The Author / Horace Lee
The Last of the Ingrams (1917) – Jules Ingram
Blood Will Tell (1917) – Samson Oakley III
Paddy O’Hara (1917) – Paddy O’Hara
Paws of the Bear (1917) – Ray Bourke
Time Locks and Diamonds (1917) – Silver Jim Farrel
Master of His Home (1917) – Carson Stewart
Flying Colors (1917) – Brent Brewster
Married in Name Only (1917)
Fighting Back (1917) – The Weakling
The Sudden Gentleman (1917) – Garry Garrity
Captain of His Soul (1918) – Horace Boyce
The Sea Panther (1918) – Paul Le Marsan
Society for Sale (1918) – Honorable Billy
An Honest Man (1918) – Benny Boggs
Old Hartwell’s Cub (1918) – Bill Hartwell
Closin’ In (1918) – Jack Bradon
Hell’s End (1918) – Jack Donovan
Beyond the Shadows (1918) – Jean Du Bois
Wild Life (1918) – Chick Ward
The Pretender (1918) – Bob Baldwin
Deuce Duncan (1918) – Deuce Duncan
Life’s a Funny Proposition (1919) – Jimmie Pendleton
The Prodigal Liar (1919) – Percival Montgomery Edwards
Her Code of Honor (1919) – Eugene La Salle
Whitewashed Walls (1919) – Larry Donovan
The Mints of Hell (1919) – Dan Burke
Bare-Fisted Gallagher (1919) – ‘Bare-Fisted’ Gallagher
A Sagebrush Hamlet (1919) – Larry Lang
Dangerous Waters (1919) – Jimmie Moulton
The Blue Bandanna (1919) – Jerry Jerome
The Prince and Betty (1919) – John Maude
A Broadway Cowboy (1920) – Burke Randolph
Twin Beds (1920) – Harry Hawkins
The Parish Priest (1920) – Reverend John Whalen
Women Men Love (1921) – David Hunter
The Child Thou Gavest Me (1921) – Tom Marshall
Dangerous Toys (1921) – Jack Gray
Fightin’ Mad (1921) – Bud McGraw
Don’t Leave Your Husband (1921)
The Policeman and the Baby (1921) – Policeman
Perils of the Yukon (1922) – Jack Merrill Sr. / Jack Merrill Jr.
Night Life in Hollywood (1922) – Himself
Around the World in Eighteen Days (1923) – Phineas Fogg III
The Phantom Fortune (1923) – Larry Barclay
McGuire of the Mounted (1923) – Bob McGuire
Shadows of the North (1923) – Ben ‘Wolf’ Darby
Beasts of Paradise (1923) – Phil Grant
The Extra Girl (1923) – William Desmond – Actor
The Eagle’s Talons (1923)
The Breathless Moment (1924) – Billy Carson
Big Timber (1924) – Walter Sandry
The Measure of a Man (1924) – John Fairmeadow
The Sunset Trail (1924) – Happy Hobo
The Riddle Rider (1924) – Randolph Parker / The Riddle Rider
Hello, ‘Frisco (1924 short) – Himself – William Desmond
Outwitted (1925) – Jack Blaisdel
Ridin’ Pretty (1925) – Sky Parker
Barriers of the Law (1925) – Rex Brandon
Duped (1925) – John Morgan
Straight Through (1925) – Good Deed O’Day
The Burning Trail (1925) – Smiling Bill Flannigan
Blood and Steel (1925) – Gordon Steele
The Meddler (1925) – Richard Gilmore
Ace of Spades (1925 serial) – Dan Harvey
Ace of Spies (1925)
The Winking Idol (1926) – Dave Ledbetter
Strings of Steel (1926) – Ned Brown
Tongues of Scandal (1927) – Gov. John Rhodes
The Return of the Riddle Rider (1927) – Randolph Parker / The Riddle Rider
Red Clay (1927) – Chief John Nisheto
The Vanishing Rider (1928) – Jim Davis / The Vanishing Rider
The Devil’s Trademark (1928) – Morgan Gray
The Mystery Rider (1928) – Winthrop Lane / The Mystery Rider
No Defense (1929) – John Harper
The Phantom of the West (1931) – Martin Blair
The Vanishing Legion (1931) – Milesburg Sheriff
First Aid (1931) – Chief of Police
Hell-Bent for Frisco (1931) – The Editor
Oklahoma Jim (1931) – Lacy
The Lightning Warrior (1931 serial) – Townsman (uncredited)
Battling with Buffalo Bill (1931) – John Mills
Heroes of the West (1932) – John Blaine
The Last Frontier (1932 serial) – General Custer (Ch. 1)
Jungle Mystery (1932) – John Morgan
A Scarlet Week-End (1932)
Clancy of the Mounted (1933) – Dave Moran
Rustlers’ Roundup (1933) – San Dimas Sheriff Holden
The Three Musketeers (1933 serial) – Captain Boncour
The Whispering Shadow (1933 serial) – Empire Transport Co. driver (uncredited)
The Phantom of the Air (1933 serial) – Thomas Edmonds
Laughing at Life (1933) – Military Cabinet Officer
Gordon of Ghost City (1933 serial) – John Mulford
Strawberry Roan (1933) – Colonel Brownlee
The Perils of Pauline (1933 serial) – Prof. Thompson [Chs. 9-12]
Fargo Express (1933) – Sheriff Joe Thompson
Pirate Treasure (1934) – Capt. Jim Carson
Border Guns (1934) – Dr. Jim Wilson
The Vanishing Shadow (1934 serial) – Newspaper Editor MacDonald
I Can’t Escape (1934) – Parole Officer Donovan
The Red Rider (1934 serial) – Sheriff Campbell
The Way of the West (1934) – ‘Cash’ Horton
Tailspin Tommy (1934 serial) – Sloane – Taggart’s Office Henchman, Chs. 4, 7, 10-11
Frontier Days (1934) – Sheriff Barnes
Gunfire (1934) – Townsman (uncredited)
The Rawhide Terror (1934) – Tom Blake – Betty’s Older Brother
When Lightning Strikes (1934) – Marshall Jack Stevens
Rustlers of Red Dog (1935 serial) – Ira Dale (Wagonmaster)
Five Bad Men (1935) – Colonel Matoon
Defying the Law (1935) – Jim Kenmore
Naughty Marietta (1935) – Gendarme Chief (uncredited)
Born to Battle (1935) – John Brownell
Devil’s Canyon (1935)
The Cowboy and the Bandit (1935) – Sheriff Pete
Cyclone of the Saddle (1935) – Wagon Master
The Call of the Savage (1935) – Allen
The Tia Juana Kid (1935) – Cantina Owner
The Phantom Cowboy (1935) – Barfly (uncredited)
The Ghost Rider (1935) – Guard
Social Error (1935) – Policeman (uncredited)
The Roaring West (1935) – Jim Parker
Powdersmoke Range (1935) – Happy – Bartender
Rough Riding Ranger (1935) – Major Wright
Courage of the North (1935) – Gene Travis
Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery (1935 serial) – Foreman Burke [Chs. 7-9,11-12] (uncredited)
Nevada (1935) – Wilson
Frisco Kid (1935) – Vigilante Hangman (uncredited)
Timber Terrors (1935) – Royce Horter
Custer’s Last Stand (1936 serial) – Wagon Master [Ch. 1] (as Bill Desmond)
The Broken Coin (1936)
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (1936 serial) – Captain of the ‘Viking’ (uncredited)
Song of the Saddle (1936) – Stage Driver Tim
Flash Gordon (1936 serial) – Hawkman Lookout Captain (uncredited)
The Clutching Hand (1936 serial) – Bartender Steve [Chs.5,8,10-12,14] (uncredited)
Treachery Rides the Range (1936) – Bill – Stage Driver (uncredited)
Hollywood Boulevard (1936) – Pago Pago Patron (uncredited)
The Vigilantes Are Coming (1936) – Anderson
The Black Coin (1936) – Cantina Bartender
Cavalry (1936) – Cavalry Major (uncredited)
Song of the Gringo (1936) – Bailiff
Headin’ for the Rio Grande (1936) – Mr. Mack
Arizona Days (1937) – Stranger (uncredited)
The Mysterious Pilot (1937 serial) – Lumberjack / Townsman (uncredited)
Tim Tyler’s Luck (1937 serial) – Dock Official [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Man of Conquest (1939) – Tennessee Man (uncredited)
Winners of the West (1940 serial) – Bill Brine – Foreman
The Boys from Syracuse (1940) – Citizen (uncredited)
Junior G-Men (1940 serial) – Irish Cop [Ch. 6] (uncredited)
A Little Bit of Heaven (1940) – Uncle Francis
Where Did You Get That Girl? (1941) – Tourist (uncredited)
Nice Girl? (1941) – Postman (uncredited)
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie (1941) – Bartender
Sky Raiders (1941 serial) – Murphy – Police Officer [Ch. 9] (uncredited)
Don Winslow of the Navy (1942 serial) – Pat – Smelter Foreman [Ch. 5] (uncredited)
Stagecoach Buckaroo (1942) – Barfly (uncredited)
Raiders of the West (1942) – Townsman (uncredited)
Gang Busters (1942 serial) – Rogan’s Death Witness [Ch. 4] (uncredited)
Junior G-Men of the Air (1942 serial) – Parts Customer [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Down Rio Grande Way (1942) – Townsman (uncredited)
The Silver Bullet (1942) – Townsman (uncredited)
Overland Mail (1942 serial) – Williams – Banker [Chs. 5, 12] (uncredited)
Sin Town (1942) – Town Leader (uncredited)
Prairie Chickens (1943) – Cache Lake Townsman (uncredited)
Cheyenne Roundup (1943) – Pete (uncredited)
Frontier Fury (1943) – Townsman (uncredited)
The Lone Star Trail (1943) – Bartender Mike (uncredited)
Frontier Badmen (1943) – Townsman (uncredited)
Phantom of the Opera (1943) – Stagehand (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) – Westerner in Dennis Morgan Number (uncredited)
Marshal of Gunsmoke (1944) – Barfly (uncredited)
Oklahoma Raiders (1944) – Townsman Grinning at Banjo’s Fall (uncredited)
The Scarlet Claw (1944) – Member of Royal Canadian Occult Society (uncredited)
The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944) – Townsman (uncredited)
The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – Museum Tourist (uncredited)
National Barn Dance (1944) – Farmer at Barn Dance (uncredited)
Tall in the Saddle (1944) – Town Citizen (uncredited)
The Climax (1944) – Backstage Technician (uncredited)
Bowery to Broadway (1944) – Man at Bar (uncredited)
The Old Texas Trail (1944) – Townsman (uncredited)
Firebrands of Arizona (1944) – Townsman (uncredited)
Hi, Beautiful (1944) – Passenger (uncredited)
See My Lawyer (1945) – Bystander (uncredited)
Song of the Sarong (1945) – Councillor (uncredited)
The Return of the Durango Kid (1945) – Street Ambusher (uncredited)
Beyond the Pecos (1945) – Bill – Barfly (uncredited)
The Naughty Nineties (1945) – (uncredited)
That Night with You (1945) – Man in Market (uncredited)
Strange Confession (1945) – Peanut Vendor (uncredited)
The Royal Mounted Rides Again (1945) – Miner at Meeting (uncredited)
Frontier Gal (1945) – Barfly (uncredited)
The Scarlet Horseman (1946 serial) – Barfly (uncredited)
Code of the West (1947) – Settler (uncredited)
The Michigan Kid (1947) – Townsman (uncredited)
The Egg and I (1947) – Spectator at County Fair (uncredited)
Relentless (1948) – Townsman on Porch (uncredited)
Are You with It? (1948) – Spectator (uncredited)
External Links
Actor William Desmond – Wikipedia
