Douglas Fairbanks Documentary Pt. 9 - Final Days

From the 2005 documentary film, "The Great Swashbuckler," produced by Delta Entertainment with the assistance of the Douglas Fairbanks Museum.

Pt. 9 explores the last days of Douglas Fairbanks: his constant jetsetting with new wife Lady Sylvia Ashley, his return to California and contemplation of a "comeback" in films; movie projects he was working on which remained unfinished due to his rapidly declining health. This segment also reports on Fairbanks' financial woes in his final days, and his 12-year legal battle with the IRS over back taxes that kept him fighting all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court...and until his very last breath in 1939.

Towards the end of his life, Fairbanks Sr. and Jr. finally found pleasure in each other's company after a lifetime of mutual avoidance -- this segment explores their troubled relationship and reconciliation. Historians discuss Fairbanks' many written works (newspaper columns, magazine articles, books, screenplays), remakes of Fairbanks films, his lasting legacy as the screen's first great swashbuckler, his influence on later action-adventure stars such as Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Tyrone Power, Gene Kelly, Mel Gibson, and Johnny Depp -- and why Douglas Fairbanks still matters today.

Featuring rare Fairbanks film clips, photographs and other materials from the museum's archives. Also includes interviews with museum curator and Fairbanks biographer Keri Leigh, film historian Sparrow Morgan, and Annette Lloyd of Hollywood Forever.

90 minutes, available in 9 parts on YouTube or on DVD through the museum's online gift shop at http://DouglasFairbanks.org

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Douglas Fairbanks
• Douglas Fairbanks Museum
• Keri Leigh
• Lady Sylvia Ashley
• Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
• silent film
• silent movies
• classic movies
• silent cinema
• action adventure films
• swashbuckling
• action heroes
• Zorro
• IRS
• Internal Revenue Service
• Errol Flynn
• Clark Gable
• Gene Kelly
• Tyrone Power
• Mel Gibson
• Johnny Depp

[musicalqueen101]

This is awesome! Thank you! I'm so glad to have learned more about this icon. I'm off now to bone up on his films! Any suggestions?

[FairbanksMuseum]

@musicalqueen101 -- Thank you, glad you're ready to explore more of Doug's amazing films. I would highly recommend "The Thief of Bagdad," both of his great Zorro films, "The Three Musketeers," and of course, "The Iron Mask" too...

Check out his early comedies too - they're ALL wonderful! You gotta see "Mystery of the Leaping Fish," one of the kookiest comedies of all time.:)

[FairbanksMuseum]

Thank you so much for supporting our museum and Mr. Fairbanks!

He was the greatest - the original King of Hollywood!

[MissyH316]

Very enjoyable documentary of the first King of Hollywood! I just wish I'd been alive back then to have known Mr. Fairbanks and some of his peers personally, but thank God for their wonderful film legacy and for those who work to preserve the priceless memories of the man and the actor. As the old cliche says - and so appropriately here - "they sure DON'T make 'em like they used to!"

[rhd1958]

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Doug Jr. when I was working on my book on him and his father in the 1970s. He was a very kind gentleman. He was born in December of 1909, so in 1980 he would have been at least 70. This is an excellent biography -- the people who put this together deserve a lot of praise. Doug Sr. is finally getting the recognition he deserves. And this is quite accurate.

[diablogirl59]

Wonderful documentary! I grew up having a love of silent movie stars from my parents(who were born in 1910 & 1920 respectively), and would always watch whenever they were broadcast on television in the 60's through the 1980's before cable brought us TCM. It's a shame we no longer have movie stars of that calipher.

[musicalqueen101]

@FairbanksMuseum I fell absolutely in LOVE with The Mark of Zorro! The kiss at the end is in my list of top screen kisses. So cute!

[iamusical]

What a wonderful man

[hugoestr]

Thanks! I have been showing D. Fairbanks movies to my 4-year-old son, and he loves them. Had I seen then growing up, I would have loved them too :)

[gmaureen]

Great documentary...thanks!

I rather accidently came upon Douglas Fairbanks Jr back in 1980. He was standing next to me, talking to a man and woman. He was VERY handsome (unbelievably so at nearly 70), but he also had such a presence about him. Very elegant in manner and dress and that voice was like music...just beautiful! All in all, I was stunned...literally...and stared at him way too long!