FAIRBANKS DOUGLAS

American actor, producer. One of the founders of film company United Artists. " Appeared in films: "The Sign of Zorro," "Robin Hood", "Thief of Baghdad", "Black buccaneer," "The Iron Mask, etc.

Douglas Elton Ullmann (Fairbanks) was born in Denver, Colorado, May 23, 1883. His father, Charles G. Ullmann, a well-known New York lawyer who invested all the money in the mining of silver, he moved to Denver. However, the case had not gone, he began to drink, and in 1889 left the family. Douglas′s mother, Ella, changed the names of three sons at Fairbanks (her first husband, John Fairbanks, planter of New Orleans, died of tuberculosis).

As a child, Douglas was riding, fencing, athletics, played in amateur productions, reading Shakespeare and Byron. After graduating from school, preparing to become the Fairbanks mining engineer, but later moved to Europe. In Paris, built underground, a dock in London. Changed a few jobs, he hired an engine on the freighter.

Upon returning to America Fairbanks is located in New York. And here he had not easy. He worked as an assistant stockbroker, secretary of the lawyer, salesman, but dreamed of becoming an actor. Douglas, with an enviable persistence besieging theatrical agency, while he has not smiled luck.

He married Sally Beth from a rich family. The childhood of the girl′s father was in the estate at Rhode Island and in the mansion in Manhattan. All this is attracted Fairbanks, climbing the social ladder. 9 Oct, 1909 the family was born the son of Douglas, Jr. .

Light and cheerful, Fairbanks appeared on Broadway and enjoyed success playing in the unpretentious performances of "Teatralnaya shops", "New Henrietta," "It comes with a smile," "Gentleman from Mississippi," etc. At the end of 1914 it began cajole Film "Triengl", which stood at the head D. U. Griffith, Thomas Ince and Mack Sennet.

Fairbanks first film "Lamb", delivered on the script Griffith went to the screens 7 November, 1915. Hero Douglas, weak, weak man, hitting a critical situation, gaining courage. He escapes from prison, jumps on a horse and fighting with the bandits. These characters have always liked the audience. But Fairbanks brought to the traditional type of so much vitality and optimism that the public fully acknowledged his sympathy hero.

Fairbanks immediately became a fashion star. "Triengl took one after the other to produce the picture with his participation:" Manhattan Madness, " Metis "," Double trouble "," Flirt with destiny "," Good scoundrel ".

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. . In total, twelve for the year and three months.

Sally Beth was happy in family life, despite the fact that Fairbanks little time devoted son. He often took a great interest in women. No one knows exactly when the novel starts with a famous actress, Mary Pikford. Clearly, Douglas was in need of its advice and links to cinematographic world.

Fairbanks rich quick. In 1916 he moved the family to Los Angeles, where every month out of his new film. Douglas bought a house on La Brea Avenue, made the brothers John and Robert and his business partners made a son of the prestigious school. He joined the group "Feymes Artists - Lasko, founded his own film company, entrusting their rent paintings prestigious firm Artkraft.

Films with the participation of staged griffitovskimi directors, but the Maître, anticipating a crisis of genre, is less interested in screen stories Fairbanks.

Directed by John Emerson and Anita Luz writer Douglas suggested to play not only a hero, but his attitude toward it: a little patronizing, ironic, especially since the reasons for conflicts have always been funny in everyday American life. The council was at an opportune moment.

Kinokarera Fairbanks again went up the hill. He ridiculed the desire of Americans to popularity (his portrait in the newspapers "), higher social mores (" Mr. yourself "), importunity reporters (" Tell me, young man "), passion spirits (" When the Clouds ").

This is a triumph for Douglas, was the last film for the studio Trayengl "-" American "in which actor edkomu comment on the French cinema of Georges Sadulya," with its inherent complacency suppressed an armed revolt in South America. " The film received a rapturous reception in the United States and in Europe, fought with Germany.

Working in the company "Paramount," the actor continued to develop the principles polupriklyuchencheskogo-polukomediynogo the genre, drawing quizzical intonation, not only in its satirical kinosketchah, but also in other subjects, in particular the western ( "The wild and shaggy," "Arizona", " , Man of Peynted Post "," Dandy in the pants ").

In 1918, along with Chaplin and Mary Fairbanks Pikford traveled to states by extending the military "Loan freedom. " Tour the most famous artistic troika then contributed to the success of the action.

A year later, shortly before the war ended, Chaplin, Fairbanks, Pikford together with David Griffith founded his own independent film company United Artists.

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" The first film created for the Fairbanks, called "His Majesty - the American" and told about the adventures of a young Yankee in Europe.

American film historian L. Jacobs said: ". . . Fairbanks created the image of ambitious, direct, a young American democracy . . . invincible and fearless man, "made himself" . . .

On Sunday, March 28, 1920 Fairbanks and Pikford married (Mary Douglas assured that this date is especially beneficial, according to astrological calendar). He gave his wife Pikfer, spacious house in Beverly Hills.

A new round of popularity associated with the Fairbanks kostyumnymi films. To begin with, he well-mask and cloak and made a bid for the painting "The Sign of Zorro. " Mysterious noble robber intercede for the weak and the offended, always leaving the sword to the sign - the letter "Z". In "The Sign of Zorro" Doug played two totally opposite character: in the finale, it appears that twiddler and noble robber - the same person. Of course, both have been made conditional "ferbenksovskoy" style, but done perfectly.

"The Sign of Zorro" was such a success that the actor for a decade has become a major romantic hero of your screen. In his new guise as though he recovered the lost man′s ideal of the nation. "Mushketerskaya the bright side, but the line" languor and satiety "delights" - wrote in those years a young ideologue French "garde" cinema Dellyuk Louis.

The film was masterfully delivered by Fred Niblo. He was director of "Three Musketeers" (1921), where Fairbanks fehtuet virtuoso on sword as d′Artanyana. The film was shot in good pace, with the use of carefully constructed, beautiful scenery. Thanks to daily training, flexibility, ease artistry over the years did not leave the Arc.

In the following, in 1922 Allan duenna puts "Robin Hood", a screen arrangement of English folk legends of Freestyle Hollywood interpretation. The storyline canvas generously rastsvechena scenes joust, grand battles and other entertainment attractions. Fairbanks bought jointly with my wife huge studio Hampton (Santa Monica Boulevard), and soon there is already tremendous scenery vysilis medieval castle and the city of Nottingham. Robin Hood - Fairbanks, with a short Barodka and a hat with a feather, merrily transferred to a rope with one end of the lock on the other hand, always struck by the objective arrow from a bow, one stroke skidyvaet downstairs fifty people .

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. . But Douglas is not turned into a Superman, because the raw, laugh over their character.

"first lover" was forty. He has all kinds of sports and loved to show visitors acrobatic exercises. Tens of thousands of copies in many languages to sell books "laugh and live, where Fairbanks in aphorisms revealed the secret of their success. Among them, for example, that: "Happiness is the state of mind. It comes to those who seek to be happy, but happy he who laughs. "

The popularity of the actor reaches worldwide. Fairbanks, along with his wife travels a lot. In 1921, they visited Italy, France, Switzerland, Middle East and Africa. In the 1924-meters - just three months, visited London, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Brussels. Two years later, they enthusiastically welcomed in Russia.

The peak of fame Fairbanks became magical "Thief of Baghdad" (1924). This film is distinguished by great elegance and exotic ( "This is poetry in motion - proudly commented about it, Mary Pikford and adds: - This film cost the studio of one million seven hundred thousand dollars"). Fairbanks after the picture he wrote: "Who among us has not building castles in the air, but no one can never come to mind that castles in the air may become a reality. I want to breathe in this picture is unrealistic, unrealizable, fantastic that so charming us in fairy tales "Thousand and One Nights. " My film - this is a fairy tale for adults, and its main idea is the motto: "Create your very happy. "

Fairbanks has made a brilliant success in the movie "Don Koo, son of Zorro" (directed by Crisp, 1925), which played the old hidalgo and his son. Douglas then resorted to the color of the "Black Pirates" (directed by Parker, 1926), which remove the magnificent underwater scene . . . In one of the episodes of "Pirates" made almost no way "tehnokolor, Fairbanks moved on a rope from one ship to another.

Russian cinema A. Razumovsky rightly observes: ". . . Fairbanks does not aim to disclose the deep psychological way, and indeed the entire structure, the whole tendency of his paintings rule out this possibility. But the actor perfectly possessed one′s body, was extremely easy, lovok, plastichen, his spirits are not in doubt in his sincerity and charm . . . It was this quality can not be "perfect" or "play"! And they have an actor in full! In addition, Fairbanks possessed a sense of artistic sensitivity and .

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. . ironically to the screen actor - "a sense of audience. " In short, Fairbanks perfectly meet the challenges posed to it by its genre, its scenarios, its directors and himself. "

His short break of all, who first met him in life. Typically, he chose for his films of people below the average height and superior to the head. But he is to soften the impression of a courtesy, and acrobatic tricks, where the guests at his home in Hollywood. Ferri Pisani, who complained Douglas, cursed "Douglas liked to boast of their talents in front of guests. It portrays how a child, when the cut lashes cigarette near the lips or assistant demonstrates the public its flexibility. In fact - all advertising production. During his fugitive boyishness calculating and practical mind. Woe to the daredevil, who, having taken at face value call Douglas, wants to prove its superiority. "

In 1927 the Academy of Art was founded cinema. Douglas Fairbanks became its first president (he held the post for three years).

Meanwhile, "the great silent" conspiracy. At first, Fairbanks enthusiastically took talkie. "Iron Mask" (1929) was a silent picture, but in the prologue, he read a poem so heartfelt that peregorela sound tube. Douglas plays an aging d′Artanyana well. He cries, the father belongs to the young King, and dies.

Alas, in Fairbanks is too late to learn to play the role of the father. "I reluctantly admitted to him his father," - wrote Fairbanks, Jr. . Douglas is rarely seen with her son, and even on the day of his birthday to remind friends of the actor. For months he had for him as if did not exist. But with Chaplin Fairbanks little back. In the book "My biography" Chaplin, and a lot of heat about his friend. Recalls his romantic nature and the unexpected with practicality, paid tribute to the great actor . . . At the end of life Chaplin called Fairbanks the only person who is a close friend.

Douglas Fairbanks for the first time decided to pull the film together with his wife. But a free screen plays of Shakespeare "The Taming of the Shrew" (1929) elicited only a curiosity.

Recent films as Douglas tolerate failure. Already "Flight to the Moon" ( "Get the moon in the sky") (1931) shows that the creative fuse Fairbanks giving. He plays valyazhnogo baron from Wall Street, which has Bibe Daniels on sparkling ship. For a smile, the actor felt despair. In the scene when he loses the girl to him, a shadow appears genuine solitude.

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"For the foreign observer - he wrote later Fairbanks, Jr. - he remained the same energetic leader, but his actions have only been automatic. "

Douglas went to England to play golf, then traveled in a purely male company Chakom Lewis and directed by Victor Fleming. In Japan, Fairbanks passion for fencing and jujitsu. In Shanghai, he visited opium brothels. In Bangkok, met with the local king. During a safari in India, Douglas, sitting on the elephant had killed the three leopards, tigers and a panther.

He took off in two scenes - "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1931) and "Robinson Crusoe" (1932), which is produced. Success of films did not have.

Fairbanks again went on the tour. He researched the Philippines, the Suez Canal, Siberia, Manchuria, Mongolia and Morocco. He played golf with the Prince of Wales. In England and Europe Fairbanks satisfy its weakness to communicate with the aristocracy. In spring 1932, in London at a reception on the arrival of the King of Spain, he was carried away by Lady Sylvia Ashley, beauty with scandalous reputation.

Mary Pikford all less seen with her husband: "Just can not keep up with the man who embodies the very essence of the movement, though no effect. " 8 December, 1933 she filed for divorce. The reason was called the "psychological incompatibility".

Fairbanks has issued on the screens the film "Private life of Don Juan" (1934). In the role of Don Juan, he bid farewell to the youth. In the final of the great lover, tired of the endless pursuit of pleasure, passes the torch to his opponent and lost . . .

10 January 1936, Mary finally got permission to divorce. The court retained Fairbanks for his ranch in Santa Monica, and Mary left Pikfer. In March, Douglas was married to Lady Ashley. A few years later the wife settled in a house on the coast. Fairbanks to play the game, told the guests funny stories and is still loved golf. But the case today, when he threw everything to spend an evening in Pikfere. Doug sat at the edge of the basin near the Pikford. "What kind of error, Mary," - he confessed to her one day. Pikford looked toward the horizon and said: "I am very sorry . . .

Fairbanks died of a heart attack on Dec. 12, 1939.

The best of his films have stood the test of time. They exist as living works of cinema. Not many old tape of world cinema was able to withstand such a rigorous test.