Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1971)

While Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.’s father has an even greater connection to the Historic Elitch Theatre, in the 1970s Douglas Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps and appeared at the theatre twice. In 1971 he starred in The Pleasure of His Company and in 1973 he returned in The Secretary Bird.

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1909-2000) was a leading man of Hollywood’s Golden Age, a decorated Naval officer, a film producer, and a fixture of transatlantic society. He was born in New York City, the only child of silent-film idol Douglas Fairbanks. His father was famous for swashbucklers like The Mark of Zorro and Robin Hood, and his stepmother was Mary Pickford. Douglas Jr. was signed by Paramount at age 13 largely on the strength of his famous name. He then spent the rest of the 1920s building a career of his own, and he made his stage debut in 1927 in Young Woodley. By the early 1930s he was a bankable star, with roles in The Dawn Patrol, Little Caesar, and Morning Glory. He later played the villainous Rupert of Hentzau in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), had his biggest hit in Gunga Din (1939), and paid tribute to his father’s legacy in The Corsican Brothers (1941).

During World War II, Fairbanks put his career on hold for the U.S. Navy. He served on Lord Mountbatten’s commando staff and aboard the cruiser USS Wichita. He then championed the creation of the Beach Jumpers, a special unit that used deception to simulate amphibious landings and draw enemy attention away from the real ones. For his service he received the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the French Légion d’honneur and Croix de Guerre, the Italian War Cross for Military Valor, and Britain’s Distinguished Service Cross. After the war he divided his time between film, television, and business ventures. He produced and hosted the anthology series Douglas Fairbanks Presents and wrote two volumes of memoirs, The Salad Days and A Hell of a War.

Elitch Theatre holds a special place in the Fairbanks story. Douglas Jr.’s father has an even deeper connection to Denver’s historic theatre, and in the 1970s the son followed in his footsteps and appeared on the Elitch stage.

His Elitch appearances fit his busy stage work of the period. He toured the U.S. in The Pleasure of His Company from 1970 to 1972. Audiences at Elitch had the chance to see a genuine film legend, a war hero, and the son of one of Elitch’s most famous alumni in their own intimate theatre. His two summers here continue a father-and-son connection that helps tie the Historic Elitch Theatre to the story of American film.

Seasons at the Theatre

1971
1973

Productions/Roles:

1971: The Pleasure of His Company (starring role)
1973: The Secretary Bird (starring role)

Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:

Early Film Success: Breakthrough in Stella Dallas (1925), followed by starring roles in The Power of the Press (1928, directed by Frank Capra) and The Dawn Patrol (1930).
1930s Stardom: Supporting roles in Little Caesar (1931) and Morning Glory (1933), and a star turn as Grand Duke Peter in The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934).
Swashbuckling Hits: Rupert of Hentzau in The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), his biggest hit in Gunga Din (1939), and The Corsican Brothers (1941), made as a tribute to his father.
Stage Work: Stage debut in Young Woodley (1927), later stage appearances in The Man in Possession (1931, which he also produced), and tours of My Fair Lady (1968) and The Pleasure of His Company.
Producer and Television Host: Founded Criterion Films in London, produced The Exile (1947), and produced and hosted the syndicated series Douglas Fairbanks Presents (1954-56).
Naval Service: Served in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1954, retiring as a captain, and championed the creation of the Beach Jumpers, which saw action in Operation Husky and the invasion of Southern France.
Military Decorations: Silver Star, Legion of Merit with bronze “V,” British Distinguished Service Cross, French Légion d’honneur and Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Italian War Cross for Military Valor.
Other Honors: Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1949), Brazil’s Order of the Southern Cross, and West Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit.
Hollywood Recognition: Three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (motion pictures, television, and radio) and induction into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame (1969).
Author: Wrote the memoirs The Salad Days (1988) and A Hell of a War (1993) and co-authored The Fairbanks Album (1975) with Richard Schickel.

Elitch Theatre Connections:

The Barker (film, 1928): with Milton Sills. Both are listed stars; Sills plays the carnival barker and Fairbanks his son.
A Woman of Affairs (film, 1928): Lewis Stone. Both are billed stars alongside Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.
The Show of Shows (film revue, 1929): Myrna Loy. Both are in the all-star cast but performed in different numbers.
Little Caesar (film, 1931): Edward G. Robinson. Fairbanks had a role supporting Robinson.
Chances (film, 1931): Rose Hobart. Co-stars; Hobart plays the woman both Ingleside brothers love.
The Life of Jimmy Dolan (film, 1933): Mickey Rooney. Rooney plays a boy named “Freckles” in an uncredited role.
Having Wonderful Time (film, 1938): Ginger Rogers and Eve Arden. Rogers and Fairbanks are the leads, and Arden is a starred co-lead.
Gunga Din (film, 1939): Joan Fontaine. Fontaine plays the fiancée of Fairbanks’s character.
Green Hell (film, 1940): Vincent Price. Price is billed as a star opposite Fairbanks.
That Lady in Ermine (film, 1948): Cesar Romero and Walter Abel. Both are credited supporting players alongside Fairbanks and Betty Grable.
Your Show of Shows (TV, Nov 11, 1950): Sid Caesar. Fairbanks hosted the episode, with Caesar among the regular performers.
What’s My Line? (TV, Mar 25, 1951): Arlene Francis. Fairbanks was mystery guest, and Francis was a regular panelist.
What’s My Line? (TV, Sep 25, 1955): Arlene Francis. Fairbanks was mystery guest again, with Francis on the panel.
The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (TV, 1956 episode): Steve Allen. Fairbanks played several characters in a sketch with host Allen.
What’s My Line? (TV, Oct 28, 1956): Arlene Francis. Fairbanks was a guest panelist alongside Francis.
Password (TV, Nov 7, 1963): Vivian Vance. Vance and Fairbanks were the celebrity guests that week, in the same episode but not a shared scene.
Password (TV, Mar 20, 1967): Joan Fontaine. Fontaine and Fairbanks were the celebrity guests that week, in the same episode but not a shared scene.
The Crooked Hearts (TV movie, 1972): Maureen O’Sullivan, Kent Smith, and Dick Van Patten. All three are in the cast alongside Fairbanks as Rex Willoughby.
The Love Boat (TV, Nov 10, 1979, two-hour episode): Ginger Rogers and Gavin MacLeod. Rogers plays a movie star and Fairbanks a hostile critic in the same charity-cruise episode.
The Hostage Tower (TV movie, 1980): Keir Dullea. Dullea plays the criminal mastermind pursued by Fairbanks’s character.
Ghost Story (film, 1981): Patricia Neal. Both are billed stars; Neal plays Stella Hawthorne.