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William Duncan (actor)

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For other people with the same name, see William Duncan (disambiguation).

William Duncan
Duncan in 1920
BornDecember 16, 1879
Dundee, Scotland
DiedFebruary 7, 1961(1961-02-07) (aged 81)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting placeInglewood Park Cemetery
Occupation(s)Actor
Film director
Years active1911 - 1940
Spouse(s)Edith Johnson
(married 1921–1961)

William Duncan (December 16, 1879 – February 7, 1961), born in Dundee, Scotland, was known as a major actor, producer, writer, and director of film serials and features in Hollywood. After immigrating to the United States as a child with his family, he became a leading star in the new film industry. Promoted as a Scottish star, he became one of the highest paid actors when under contract to Vitagraph.[1]

Duncan worked with major studios of the day, including the Selig Polyscope Company and Vitagraph. As was typical of many early films, especially the silents, most of his films have not survived to the present day.[1]

Early life and education

Born in the Lochee area of Dundee in 1879,[1] Duncan immigrated as a child to the United States with his family in 1890. They settled in Philadelphia. He attended public school, where he started to play American football. He enrolled at University of Pennsylvania, where he played football and participated in track, but left after two years of study.[citation needed]

Career

Duncan worked as physical director at the McFadden Physical Culture Health Home, and wrote for a magazine about physical culture. He also operated a gymnasium in Philadelphia and was a professional wrestler.[citation needed]

Duncan debuted in vaudeville in 1906 as part of a strongman act.[1] Next he acted in stock theater companies in Philadelphia;, Memphis, Tennessee; and Rochester, New York.[2]

He began to act in silent films, and had roles in hundreds of serial episodes, many of them Westerns. His career spanned the change to "talkies", and he acted from 1911 to 1940. When William Duncan joined Vitagraph, his contract was worth $1,000,000 a year. He was better paid than Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. He appeared in films with Olympic swimmer Buster Crabbe (who played Flash Gordon in the 1930s).[1] He was also a prolific writer and director of films.

Duncan followed the film industry to California and lived and worked there for most of his life. At his death, he was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California, USA. [1]

Family

Duncan married twice. His second wife was silent film actress Edith Johnson, with whom he had often costarred. They had two sons and one daughter together. The couple were married until Duncan's death in 1961.[3]

Legacy and honors

Duncan is featured as a character in A-Z of Dundee (2019), a musical play written by John and Gerry Kielty. Produced by Dundee Rep, it features notable people associated with Dundee. In addition to playing at venues in that city, it was planned to tour other cities in Scotland.[1]

Selected filmography

The Man of Might (1919)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Ferguson, Brian (9 March 2019). "Dundee honours William Duncan, Hollywood's first Scottish star". The Scotsman. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ^ Katchmer, George A. (2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  3. ^ King, Brian (21 April 2011). Understanding Dundee. Black and White Publishing. ISBN 9781845028466. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
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