On May 23, 1883, Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman was born in Denver, Colorado. When he was five-years old his father left the family and his mother returned to using the last name of her deceased first husband, John Fairbanks, and Douglas took the Fairbanks name as well.
Mary Elitch recounted Douglas Fairbanks’ first time at the theatre: “The little boy, I think he was about twelve…on hearing that Shakespeare was to be given at our theatre, and not having sufficient funds to purchase a ticket, Douglas appeared at the theatre one morning and asked the janitor if there was any work he could do to earn one. On being told that there was not, the future star walked onto the stage…and suggested that a good scrubbing might help its appearance, and stated that he was perfectly willing to undertake the scrubbing if his price — a ticket to the next performance — would be forthcoming. The rough boards received their scrubbing and the enterprising little boy his ticket.”
A decade later Fairbanks joined the summer stock cast and appeared at the Historic Elitch Theatre for the 1906 season.
Eventually Fairbanks became one of Hollywood’s greatest leading men and he was one of the founders, and the original president, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (Of the original 36 founders of the Academy, four were Elitch Theatre alumni. In addition to Fairbanks, the founders included Cecil B. DeMille, Harold Lloyd, and Milton Sills.)
Seasons at the Theatre
Productions/Roles:
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
Elitch Theatre Connections:
- After appearing at the Elitch theatre, Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille, Harold Lloyd, and Milton Sills, would all help found the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Wikipedia Link:
Left To Right, Al Jolson, Mary Pickford, Ronald Colman, Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks, Joseph Schenck, Charlie Chaplin, Samuel Goldwyn And Eddie Cantor.
