Portrait of William Desmond

William Desmond

Bio: Starting out in dramatic parts, Desmond soon switched to westerns and action serials, and became a major western star. When the sound era began Desmond was almost 50 years old, and was soon relegated to supporting roles
Born: Wed, Jan 23 1878
Birthplace: Horseheads, New York, USA

Death: Thu, Nov 03 1949
William Desmond is 71 years old
External Links
IMDb logo
Sort by Popularity
Scroll to TV Credits
Acting Roles
Crew Roles

Movies (Acting Roles)

Sorted by Release Date
Poster of Savage Fury
Savage Fury
William Desmond would have been no older than
71 in Savage Fury
as 'Allen (archive footage)'.
Sun, Jan 01 1956
Poster of Thunder Mountain
Thunder Mountain
William Desmond was
69 in Thunder Mountain
as 'Townsman (uncredited)'.
Sun, Jun 01 1947
Poster of The Egg and I
The Egg and I
William Desmond was
69 in The Egg and I
as 'Spectator at Country Dance (Uncredited)'.
Thu, May 01 1947
Poster of Code of the West
Code of the West
William Desmond was
69 in Code of the West
as 'Settler (uncredited)'.
Thu, Feb 20 1947
Poster of Desert Command
Desert Command
William Desmond was
68 in Desert Command
as 'Capt. Boncour'.
Fri, May 31 1946
Poster of Strange Confession
Strange Confession
William Desmond was
67 in Strange Confession
as 'Peanut Vendor (uncredited)'.
Fri, Oct 05 1945
Poster of The Naughty Nineties
The Naughty Nineties
William Desmond was
67 in The Naughty Nineties
as 'Showboat Customer (uncredited)'.
Wed, Jun 20 1945
Poster of The Return of the Durango Kid
The Return of the Durango Kid
William Desmond was
67 in The Return of the Durango Kid
as 'Street Ambusher (uncredited)'.
Thu, Apr 19 1945
Poster of The Climax
The Climax
William Desmond was
66 in The Climax
as 'Backstage Technician (Uncredited)'.
Fri, Oct 20 1944
Poster of The Mummy's Ghost
The Mummy's Ghost
William Desmond was
66 in The Mummy's Ghost
as 'Museum Tourist (uncredited)'.
Fri, Jul 07 1944
Poster of Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady
William Desmond was
66 in Phantom Lady
as 'Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)'.
Fri, Jan 28 1944
Poster of Thank Your Lucky Stars
Thank Your Lucky Stars
William Desmond was
65 in Thank Your Lucky Stars
as 'Gower Gulch Cowboy (uncredited)'.
Sat, Sep 25 1943
Poster of Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera
William Desmond was
65 in Phantom of the Opera
as 'Stagehand (uncredited)'.
Thu, Aug 12 1943
Poster of The Lone Star Trail
The Lone Star Trail
William Desmond was
65 in The Lone Star Trail
as 'Bartender Mike'.
Fri, Aug 06 1943
Poster of Cheyenne Roundup
Cheyenne Roundup
William Desmond was
65 in Cheyenne Roundup
as 'Pete'.
Mon, Apr 12 1943
Poster of Overland Mail
Overland Mail
William Desmond was
64 in Overland Mail
as 'Williams - Banker'.
Tue, Sep 22 1942
Poster of The Silver Bullet
The Silver Bullet
William Desmond was
64 in The Silver Bullet
as 'Townsman'.
Wed, Aug 05 1942
Poster of Down Rio Grande Way
Down Rio Grande Way
William Desmond was
64 in Down Rio Grande Way
as 'Townsman'.
Thu, Apr 23 1942
Poster of Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
William Desmond was
63 in Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie
as 'Bartender'.
Fri, Mar 21 1941
Poster of Where Did You Get That Girl?
Where Did You Get That Girl?
William Desmond was
62 in Where Did You Get That Girl?
as 'Tourist'.
Fri, Jan 03 1941
Poster of Junior G-Men
Junior G-Men
William Desmond was
62 in Junior G-Men
as 'Irish Cop (uncredited)'.
Fri, Nov 01 1940
Poster of The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse
William Desmond was
62 in The Boys from Syracuse
as 'Citizen'.
Tue, Jul 30 1940
Poster of Winners of the West
Winners of the West
William Desmond was
62 in Winners of the West
as 'Bill Brine'.
Tue, Jul 02 1940
Poster of Tim Tyler's Luck
Tim Tyler's Luck
William Desmond was
59 in Tim Tyler's Luck
as 'Dock Official'.
Mon, Dec 27 1937
Poster of Song of the Gringo
Song of the Gringo
William Desmond was
58 in Song of the Gringo
as 'Bailiff'.
Sun, Nov 22 1936
Poster of The Vigilantes Are Coming
The Vigilantes Are Coming
William Desmond was
58 in The Vigilantes Are Coming
as 'Anderson, Vigilante Member'.
Fri, Aug 21 1936
Poster of Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
William Desmond was
58 in Hollywood Boulevard
as 'Pago Pago Patron (uncredited)'.
Thu, Aug 20 1936
Poster of Treachery Rides the Range
Treachery Rides the Range
William Desmond was
58 in Treachery Rides the Range
as 'Bill'.
Sat, May 02 1936
Poster of Song of the Saddle
Song of the Saddle
William Desmond was
58 in Song of the Saddle
as 'Tim'.
Fri, Feb 28 1936
Poster of The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
William Desmond was
57 in The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
as 'Captain of the 'Viking''.
Mon, Jan 13 1936
Poster of The Broken Coin
The Broken Coin
William Desmond was
57 in The Broken Coin
Fri, Jan 10 1936
Poster of Custer's Last Stand
Custer's Last Stand
William Desmond was
57 in Custer's Last Stand
as 'Wagon Master'.
Thu, Jan 02 1936
Poster of Headin' for the Rio Grande
Headin' for the Rio Grande
William Desmond was
57 in Headin' for the Rio Grande
as 'Mr. Mack (cattle buyer)'.
Wed, Jan 01 1936
Poster of Frisco Kid
Frisco Kid
William Desmond was
57 in Frisco Kid
as 'Vigilante Hangman (uncredited)'.
Sat, Nov 30 1935
Poster of Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery
Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery
William Desmond was
57 in Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery
as 'Foreman Burke'.
Sun, Oct 20 1935
Poster of Powdersmoke Range
Powdersmoke Range
William Desmond was
57 in Powdersmoke Range
as 'Happy - Bartender'.
Fri, Sep 27 1935
Poster of Courage of the North
Courage of the North
William Desmond was
57 in Courage of the North
as 'Gene Travis'.
Sun, Sep 01 1935
Poster of The Roaring West
The Roaring West
William Desmond was
57 in The Roaring West
as 'Jim Parker'.
Mon, Jul 08 1935
Poster of Social Error
Social Error
William Desmond was
57 in Social Error
as 'Policeman'.
Tue, Apr 30 1935
Poster of The Call of the Savage
The Call of the Savage
William Desmond was
57 in The Call of the Savage
as 'Allen'.
Sun, Apr 14 1935
Poster of The Ghost Rider
The Ghost Rider
William Desmond was
57 in The Ghost Rider
as 'Guard'.
Sun, Apr 07 1935
Poster of Cyclone of the Saddle
Cyclone of the Saddle
William Desmond was
57 in Cyclone of the Saddle
as 'Wagon Master'.
Wed, Apr 03 1935
Poster of The Cowboy and the Bandit
The Cowboy and the Bandit
William Desmond was
57 in The Cowboy and the Bandit
as 'Sheriff Pete'.
Tue, Apr 02 1935
Poster of Born to Battle
Born to Battle
William Desmond was
57 in Born to Battle
as 'John Brownell'.
Mon, Apr 01 1935
Poster of Naughty Marietta
Naughty Marietta
William Desmond was
57 in Naughty Marietta
as 'Gendarme Chief (uncredited)'.
Fri, Mar 29 1935
Poster of Wild Waters
Wild Waters
William Desmond was
57 in Wild Waters
as 'Sheriff Manning'.
Sun, Mar 03 1935
Poster of Timber Terrors
Timber Terrors
William Desmond was
56 in Timber Terrors
as 'Royce Horter'.
Tue, Jan 01 1935
Poster of Rustlers of Red Dog
Rustlers of Red Dog
William Desmond was
56 in Rustlers of Red Dog
as 'Ira Dale [Chs. 1-4, 6, 10-12]'.
Tue, Jan 01 1935
Poster of When Lightning Strikes
When Lightning Strikes
William Desmond was
56 in When Lightning Strikes
as 'Marshal Jack Stevens'.
Tue, Dec 18 1934
Poster of Frontier Days
Frontier Days
William Desmond was
56 in Frontier Days
as 'Sheriff Barnes'.
Wed, Nov 14 1934
Poster of The Way of the West
The Way of the West
William Desmond was
56 in The Way of the West
as ''Cash' Horton (as Wm. Desmond)'.
Sun, Oct 14 1934
Poster of The Red Rider
The Red Rider
William Desmond was
56 in The Red Rider
as 'Sheriff Campbell'.
Mon, Jul 16 1934
Poster of I Can't Escape
I Can't Escape
William Desmond was
56 in I Can't Escape
as 'Parole Officer Donovan'.
Wed, Jul 04 1934
Poster of Crack-Up
Crack-Up
William Desmond was
56 in Crack-Up
as 'Police Chief'.
Sat, Jun 02 1934
Poster of The Vanishing Shadow
The Vanishing Shadow
William Desmond was
56 in The Vanishing Shadow
as 'MacDonald'.
Sun, Apr 22 1934
Poster of The Rawhide Terror
The Rawhide Terror
William Desmond was
56 in The Rawhide Terror
as 'Tom Blake'.
Mon, Mar 19 1934
Poster of Border Guns
Border Guns
William Desmond was
56 in Border Guns
as 'Dr. Jim Wilson'.
Thu, Feb 01 1934
Poster of Pirate Treasure
Pirate Treasure
William Desmond was
56 in Pirate Treasure
as 'Capt. Jim Carson'.
Mon, Jan 29 1934
Poster of Fargo Express
Fargo Express
William Desmond was
55 in Fargo Express
as 'Sheriff Joe Thompson'.
Mon, Nov 20 1933
Poster of Perils of Pauline
Perils of Pauline
William Desmond was
55 in Perils of Pauline
as 'Prof. Thompson'.
Sun, Nov 05 1933
Poster of Strawberry Roan
Strawberry Roan
William Desmond was
55 in Strawberry Roan
as 'Colonel Brownlee'.
Thu, Oct 26 1933
Poster of Mr. Broadway
Mr. Broadway
William Desmond was
55 in Mr. Broadway
as '1st Suitor (archive footage)'.
Tue, Sep 12 1933
Poster of Gordon of Ghost City
Gordon of Ghost City
William Desmond was
55 in Gordon of Ghost City
as 'John Mulford'.
Sun, Aug 13 1933
Poster of Laughing at Life
Laughing at Life
William Desmond was
55 in Laughing at Life
as 'Military Cabinet Officer'.
Wed, Jul 12 1933
Poster of The Phantom of the Air
The Phantom of the Air
William Desmond was
55 in The Phantom of the Air
as 'Thomas Edmonds'.
Sun, May 21 1933
Poster of The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
William Desmond was
55 in The Three Musketeers
as 'Capt. Boncour'.
Fri, Apr 07 1933
Poster of The Rustler's Roundup
The Rustler's Roundup
William Desmond was
55 in The Rustler's Roundup
as 'San Dimas Sheriff Holden'.
Thu, Mar 16 1933
Poster of A Scarlet Week-End
A Scarlet Week-End
William Desmond was
54 in A Scarlet Week-End
Wed, Nov 30 1932
Poster of The Last Frontier
The Last Frontier
William Desmond was
54 in The Last Frontier
as 'General Custer'.
Sun, Sep 04 1932
Poster of Heroes of the West
Heroes of the West
William Desmond was
54 in Heroes of the West
as 'John Blaine'.
Sun, Jun 19 1932
Poster of Battling with Buffalo Bill
Battling with Buffalo Bill
William Desmond was
53 in Battling with Buffalo Bill
as 'John Mills'.
Sun, Nov 22 1931
Poster of The Lightning Warrior
The Lightning Warrior
William Desmond was
53 in The Lightning Warrior
as 'Townsman (uncredited)'.
Sun, Nov 01 1931
Poster of Oklahoma Jim
Oklahoma Jim
William Desmond was
53 in Oklahoma Jim
as 'Lacy'.
Sat, Oct 10 1931
Poster of The Vanishing Legion
The Vanishing Legion
William Desmond was
53 in The Vanishing Legion
as 'Milesburg Sheriff'.
Mon, Jun 01 1931
Poster of The Phantom of the West
The Phantom of the West
William Desmond was
52 in The Phantom of the West
as 'Martin Blair'.
Mon, Nov 10 1930
Poster of No Defense
No Defense
William Desmond was
51 in No Defense
as 'John Harper'.
Fri, Apr 05 1929
Poster of No Children
No Children
William Desmond was
51 in No Children
as 'Self'.
Sun, Mar 10 1929
Poster of The Mystery Rider
The Mystery Rider
William Desmond was
50 in The Mystery Rider
as 'Winthrop Lane / The Mystery Rider'.
Sun, Nov 25 1928
Poster of The Vanishing Rider
The Vanishing Rider
William Desmond was
49 in The Vanishing Rider
as 'Jim Davis / The Vanishing Rider'.
Mon, Jan 16 1928
Poster of The Strings of Steel
The Strings of Steel
William Desmond was
48 in The Strings of Steel
as 'Ned Brown'.
Mon, Jun 28 1926
Poster of The Meddler
The Meddler
William Desmond was
47 in The Meddler
as 'Richard Gilmore'.
Sun, Jun 28 1925
Poster of The Burning Trail
The Burning Trail
William Desmond was
47 in The Burning Trail
as 'Smiling Bill Flannigan'.
Sun, May 10 1925
Poster of Straight Through
Straight Through
William Desmond was
47 in Straight Through
as 'Good Deed O'Day'.
Sun, Apr 05 1925
Poster of Barriers of the Law
Barriers of the Law
William Desmond was
47 in Barriers of the Law
as 'Rex Brandon'.
Thu, Mar 26 1925
Poster of Ridin' Pretty
Ridin' Pretty
William Desmond was
47 in Ridin' Pretty
as 'Sky Parker'.
Sun, Feb 22 1925
Poster of Outwitted
Outwitted
William Desmond was
46 in Outwitted
as 'Jack Blaisdel'.
Thu, Jan 01 1925
Poster of The Sunset Trail
The Sunset Trail
William Desmond was
46 in The Sunset Trail
as 'Happy Hobo'.
Sun, Nov 02 1924
Poster of Hello, 'Frisco
Hello, 'Frisco
William Desmond was
46 in Hello, 'Frisco
as 'William Desmond'.
Sun, Sep 28 1924
Poster of The Breathless Moment
The Breathless Moment
William Desmond was
46 in The Breathless Moment
as 'Billy Carson'.
Sun, Feb 03 1924
Poster of The Extra Girl
The Extra Girl
William Desmond was
45 in The Extra Girl
as 'Himself, Himself - Actor'.
Sun, Oct 28 1923
Poster of Shadows of the North
Shadows of the North
William Desmond was
45 in Shadows of the North
as 'Ben 'Wolf' Darby'.
Mon, Aug 27 1923
Poster of McGuire of the Mounted
McGuire of the Mounted
William Desmond was
45 in McGuire of the Mounted
as 'Bob McGuire'.
Sun, Jul 08 1923
Poster of Night Life in Hollywood
Night Life in Hollywood
William Desmond was
44 in Night Life in Hollywood
as 'Self'.
Wed, Nov 15 1922
Poster of Perils of the Yukon
Perils of the Yukon
William Desmond was
44 in Perils of the Yukon
as 'Jack Merrill Sr. / Jack Merrill Jr.'.
Mon, Jul 24 1922
Poster of Fightin' Mad
Fightin' Mad
William Desmond was
43 in Fightin' Mad
as 'Bud McGraw'.
Sun, Nov 20 1921
Poster of The Policeman and the Baby
The Policeman and the Baby
William Desmond was
43 in The Policeman and the Baby
as 'The Policeman'.
Sun, Sep 04 1921
Poster of The Child Thou Gavest Me
The Child Thou Gavest Me
William Desmond was
43 in The Child Thou Gavest Me
as 'Tom Marshall'.
Sat, Aug 20 1921
Poster of Women Men Love
Women Men Love
William Desmond was
42 in Women Men Love
as 'David Hunter'.
Sun, Jan 09 1921
Poster of The Prince and Betty
The Prince and Betty
William Desmond was
41 in The Prince and Betty
as 'John Maude'.
Sun, Dec 21 1919
Poster of A Sage Brush Hamlet
A Sage Brush Hamlet
William Desmond was
41 in A Sage Brush Hamlet
as 'Larry Lang'.
Sun, Aug 03 1919
Poster of Her Code of Honor
Her Code of Honor
William Desmond was
41 in Her Code of Honor
as 'Eugene La Salle'.
Sun, Apr 06 1919
Poster of Society for Sale
Society for Sale
William Desmond was
40 in Society for Sale
as 'Honorable Billy'.
Sun, Apr 21 1918
Poster of The Marriage Bubble
The Marriage Bubble
William Desmond was
40 in The Marriage Bubble
as 'The Actor'.
Sun, Mar 31 1918
Poster of Captain of His Soul
Captain of His Soul
William Desmond was
40 in Captain of His Soul
as 'Horace'.
Sun, Feb 10 1918
Poster of Master of His Home
Master of His Home
William Desmond was
39 in Master of His Home
as 'Carson Stewart'.
Sun, Aug 12 1917
Poster of Paws of the Bear
Paws of the Bear
William Desmond was
39 in Paws of the Bear
as 'Ray Bourke'.
Sun, Jun 17 1917
Poster of The Last of the Ingrams
The Last of the Ingrams
William Desmond was
39 in The Last of the Ingrams
as 'Jules Ingram'.
Sun, Feb 25 1917
Poster of The Iced Bullet
The Iced Bullet
William Desmond was
38 in The Iced Bullet
as 'The Author / Horace Lee'.
Sun, Jan 21 1917
Poster of A Gamble in Souls
A Gamble in Souls
William Desmond was
38 in A Gamble in Souls
Sat, Dec 09 1916
Poster of The Dawn Maker
The Dawn Maker
William Desmond was
38 in The Dawn Maker
as 'Bruce Smithson'.
Sat, Sep 23 1916
Poster of Peggy
Peggy
William Desmond was
37 in Peggy
as 'Rev. Donald Bruce'.
Sun, Jan 02 1916
Poster of Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
William Desmond was
37 in Peer Gynt
as 'The Parson'.
Wed, Sep 15 1915
Poster of The Majesty of the Law
The Majesty of the Law
William Desmond was
37 in The Majesty of the Law
as 'Jackson Morgan Kent'.
Thu, Aug 26 1915
Poster of Kilmeny
Kilmeny
William Desmond was
37 in Kilmeny
as 'Bob Meredith'.
Thu, Jul 22 1915

TV Shows (Acting Roles)

Sorted by Release Date
Ages in TV shows are based off the first air date and may not be accurate. View individual episode details for accurate ages