An American actor, born in Horseheads, New York State, USA, on January 23, 1878, as William Desmond Mannion. He was known as the King of the Silent Serials. He started his career in vaudeville, formed his own theater company, and appeared on the silent screen for the first time in the film Kilmeny (1915), then he became a major star in Western films. He was 50 when sound was introduced to films, and he switched to supporting roles until the late 1940s. He was married twice and had two children. Among his notable works are Around the World in Eighteen Days (1923), Closin' In (1918) and Society for Sale (1918). He died in Los Angeles, California, USA, on November 3, 1949, of a heart attack.