Don Marion Davis

Don Marion Davis
Born (1917-10-09) October 9, 1917
Hollywood, California[1]
Occupation Child actor
Years active 1919–1925

Don Marion Davis (born October 9, 1917), professionally known as Don Marion and also credited as John Henry, Jr. is an American former child actor who appeared in several feature films and shorts during the silent era. He was best known for appearances in comedy shorts.

He is one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood's Silent era.

Early life and career

He was born in Hollywood, California on October 9, 1917, to parents Henry G. Davis and Helen Davis.[2] He was discovered by Mack Sennett while he and his mother were visiting his comedian uncle Billy Armstrong in around 1919.[3][4]

In a 1920 article, he was described as one of the most famous child actors in the world.[3] While he mostly appeared in comedy shorts, his feature length films include Down on the Farm and A Small Town Idol.

Later life

After retiring from show business in 1925, he attended the University of Oregon and joined the U.S. Army in 1940, shortly prior to United States entering World War II. After the war, he remained with the American military and held various positions in different countries, such as South Africa and South Korea.[5]

As of May 2017, he resides in Tucson, Arizona.[6]

He was falsely reported as having died on March 2, 2012, in the 2013 book Obituaries in the Performing Arts, published by McFarland & Company and authored by Harris M. Lentz.[7]

Filmography

Year Title Role
1919 Back to the Kitchen The Baby
His Last False Step Minor role
1920 The Star Boarder The boarding house owner's son
Down on the Farm The Baby
Let 'er Go The country girl's little brother
By Golly! Minor role
Married Life Child
The Quack Doctor The rich father's son
It's a Boy The child
Bungalow Troubles The son
1921 A Small Town Idol Baby
The Unhappy Finish
Made in the Kitchen The Son
Officer Cupid The cook's son
Astray from the Steerage The immigrant child
The Love Egg
Wanted, a Girl
A Rural Cinderella
1922 Bow Wow The country girl's baby brother
1923 Jealous Husbands Little boy
1925 Percy Percival Rogeen, as a boy
The Golden Princess Tennessee Hunter (age 10)
The Golden Bed [5]

References

  1. ↑ "Amusements". Kansas City Kansan. December 27, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Two Sennett Comedies". Los Angeles Times. November 9, 1919. p. 43. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "World Famous Youngsters in the Public Eye". The Ithaca Journal. September 9, 1920. p. 6. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Among the Movie Stars". The Salina Evening Journal. January 1, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Walker, Brent E. (2013). Mack Sennett's Fun Factory: A History and Filmography of His Studio and His Keystone and Mack Sennett Comedies, with Biographies of Players and Personnel. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786477111.
  6. ↑ "Tucson's centenarians are an optimistic, active and growing group". Tucson.com. May 5, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  7. ↑ Lentz, Harris M. (2013). Obituaries in the performing arts, 2012. McFarland (April 24, 2013). p. 183. ISBN 978-0786470631.

Bibliography

  • John Holmstrom, The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 81.


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