King of the Movies: Francis X. Bushman,Used

Francis X. Bushman had a life like no other. Most people remember him today as the villain, Messala, in the first fulllength version of BenHur (1925), but he had been in hundreds of silent movies before. He was the screen's first great romantic idol in more than 300 silent films made at Essanay in Chicago, Illinois. He went from being a bodybuilder and an artist's model to a Broadway and stock company actor. He was a husband (four times), a father (six times), and a dog breeder. He signed with Metro Pictures, the forerunner of MGM, and embarked on a lucrative career as one of Hollywoods Alist stars in an era characterized by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Lon Chaney, but then his affair with actress Beverly Bayne became known by the public, and his carrier toppled. He was allegedly blacklisted by Louis B. Mayer at MGM. He transitioned to talkies, but an equally prominent career in sound films eluded him. He found work during the Great Depression as a businessman, a songwriter, a Vaudeville headliner, and an Old Time Radio performer on the CBS Radio network's longrunning dramatic soap opera serial entitled Those We Love with Robert Cummings. In later years, he made guest appearances on television, playing roles on Peter Gunn, Make Room for Daddy, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, and Dr. Kildare. In 1956, Bushman appeared in a Burns and Allen episode where he played himself. He made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, and he appeared in two science fiction films, 12 to the Moon (1960) released by Columbia Pictures and The Phantom Planet (1961) released by American International Pictures. He also appeared as a villain in two episodes of the Batman television series (1966). He lived an exaggerated life, both as a freespending multimillionaire star and a bankrupt hasbeen. After all the accolades and criticisms, he was that rare kind of man who had no regrets. Lon Davis and Debra Davis richly researched book features many photographs and illustrations that capture the glamour and excitement of Hollywood s Golden Years. 368 pages, including a Filmography.About the Authors: Lon & Debra Davis have been collaborating on writing projects since they first met in college in 1978. Their first major endeavor was penning King of the Movies, the authorized biography of silent screen legend Francis X. Bushman, which was published to critical acclaim in 2009. Their other book collaborations include Silent Lives: 100 Biographies of the Silent Film Era (2008), Stooges Among Us (2008), CHASE! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops (2020), and Ma and Pa Kettle on Film (2021). In 2021, their documentary film This is Francis X. Bushman was released on Bluray by Flicker Alley. Mr. and Mrs. Davis reside in the Pacific Northwest.