Donald Crisp was born George William Crisp at the family home in Bow, London. Donald's parents were James Crisp and Elizabeth Crisp, his birth was registered by his mother on 4th September 1882. Donald's sisters were Elizabeth, Ann, Alice (known as Louisa) and Eliza and his brothers were James, John and Mark. Family memories state that Donald's brother-in-law James Needham (Louisa's husband) lent/gave Donald the fare to USA. The family have a photo of Donald which he sent to 'Jimmy' and signed. On 16th February 1937 Donald applied for a US Social Security account number giving his address as N Vista Street Hollywood California, and his employers Warner Brothers Pictures, Burbank California. On his application Donald did not know his mother's maiden name.
Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor
Known For
Red Dust
(1932)
Guidon
Wuthering Heights
(1939)
Dr. Kenneth
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
(1916)
Extra (uncredited)
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1935)
Thomas Burkitt
Prince Valiant
(1954)
King Aguar
Jezebel
(1938)
Dr. Livingstone
How Green Was My Valley
(1941)
Gwilym Morgan
Pollyanna
(1960)
Mayor Karl Warren
The Life of Emile Zola
(1937)
Maitre Labori
The Birth of a Nation
(1915)
Gen. U.S. Grant
The Man from Laramie
(1955)
Alec Waggoman
Lassie Come Home
(1943)
Sam Carraclough
Drango
(1957)
Judge Allen
Bright Leaf
(1950)
Major Singleton
The Long Gray Line
(1955)
Old Martin
The Sea Hawk
(1940)
Admiral Sir John Burleson
Full Filmography
Acting
Through the Breakers
(1909)
At the Club
Winning Back His Love
(1910)
At Stage Door
Sunshine Sue
(1910)
Head of the Sweatshop
The Golden Supper
(1910)
Courtier/Monk
Fate's Turning
(1911)
The Valet
The Primal Call
(1911)
At Club
The Making of a Man
(1911)
Actor / Backstage
Heart Beats of Long Ago
(1911)
Courtier
What Shall We Do with Our Old?
(1911)
Night Court Bailiff
The Miser's Heart
(1911)
Policeman
Her Awakening
(1911)
Accident Witness
The Italian Barber
(1911)
At Ball
The Long Road
(1911)
A Servant / The Landlord
The Adventures of Billy
(1911)
First Tramp
The Failure
(1911)
Bank Employee
The Battle
(1911)
A Union soldier (uncredited)
The Musketeers of Pig Alley
(1912)
Rival Gang Member (uncredited)
Pirate Gold
(1913)
Near To Earth
(1913)
Olaf—An Atom
(1913)
The Beggar
By Man's Law
(1913)
Lee Calvert - Brother Owner
Black and White
(1913)
The Blue or the Gray
(1913)
Southern Rival
Their First Acquaintance
(1914)
Over the Ledge
(1914)
The Mountain Rat
(1914)
Steve
The Tavern of Tragedy
(1914)
Bob Jameson - the Spy
The Escape
(1914)
'Bull' McGee
Down the Hill to Creditville
(1914)
The Avenging Conscience
(1914)
A Lesson in Mechanics
(1914)
The Warning
(1914)
Mr. Edwards
The Sisters
(1914)
Home, Sweet Home
(1914)
The Mother's Son
Another Chance
(1914)
The Tramp
The Newer Woman
(1914)
Her Mother's Necklace
(1914)
The Burglar
The Mysterious Shot
(1914)
Buck
The Battle of the Sexes
(1914)
Frank Andrews
The Different Man
(1914)
The Ranch Foreman
An Old-Fashioned Girl
(1915)
May Blossom
(1915)
Steve Harland
A Girl of Yesterday
(1915)
A.H. Monroe
The Birth of a Nation
(1915)
Gen. U.S. Grant
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
(1916)
Extra (uncredited)
Broken Blossoms
(1919)
Battling Burrows
The Bonnie Brier Bush
(1921)
Lachlan Campbell
Don Q Son of Zorro
(1925)
Don Sebastian
The Black Pirate
(1926)
MacTavish
Stand and Deliver
(1928)
London Club Member (uncredited)
The Viking
(1928)
Leif Ericsson
The River Pirate
(1928)
Caxton
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
(1929)
Colonel Moran
Trent's Last Case
(1929)
Sigsbee Manderson
The Pagan
(1929)
Roger Slater
Scotland Yard
(1930)
Charles Fox
Svengali
(1931)
The Laird
Kick In
(1931)
Garvey
Red Dust
(1932)
Guidon
A Passport to Hell
(1932)
Sgt. Snyder
Hamlet, Act I: Scenes IV and V
(1933)
Marcellus
Broadway Bad
(1933)
Darrall
The Key
(1934)
Peadar Conlan
The Little Minister
(1934)
Docteur McQueen
The Life of Vergie Winters
(1934)
Mike Davey
The Crime Doctor
(1934)
Mr. Anthony, District Attorney
What Every Woman Knows
(1934)
David Wylie
Vanessa: Her Love Story
(1935)
George
Laddie
(1935)
Mr. Pryor
Oil for the Lamps of China
(1935)
Mr. McCarger
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1935)
Thomas Burkitt
A Woman Rebels
(1936)
Judge Byron Thistlewaite
The White Angel
(1936)
Dr. Hunt
Beloved Enemy
(1936)
Liam Burke
The Charge of the Light Brigade
(1936)
Colonel Campbell
Mary of Scotland
(1936)
Huntly
The Great O'Malley
(1937)
Police Captain Cromwell
That Certain Woman
(1937)
Jack V. Merrick Sr.
Confession
(1937)
Presiding Judge
The Life of Emile Zola
(1937)
Maitre Labori
Parnell
(1937)
Michael Davitt
Sergeant Murphy
(1938)
Col. Todd Carruthers
Valley of the Giants
(1938)
Andy Stone
The Sisters
(1938)
Tim Hazelton
The Beloved Brat
(1938)
Mr. Morgan
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
(1938)
Police Inspector Lewis Lane
The Dawn Patrol
(1938)
Phipps
Jezebel
(1938)
Dr. Livingstone
Comet Over Broadway
(1938)
Grant
Daughters Courageous
(1939)
Samuel 'Sam' Sloane
Juarez
(1939)
Maréchal Bazaine
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
(1939)
Francis Bacon
The Oklahoma Kid
(1939)
Judge Hardwick
The Old Maid
(1939)
Doctor Lanskell
Wuthering Heights
(1939)
Dr. Kenneth
Sons of Liberty
(1939)
Alexander McDougall
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
(1940)
Minister Althoff
Knute Rockne All American
(1940)
Father John Callahan, C.S.C
Brother Orchid
(1940)
Brother Superior
The Sea Hawk
(1940)
Admiral Sir John Burleson
City for Conquest
(1940)
Scotty MacPherson
Shining Victory
(1941)
Dr. Drewett
How Green Was My Valley
(1941)
Gwilym Morgan
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(1941)
Sir Charles Emery
The Gay Sisters
(1942)
Ralph Pedloch
The Battle of Midway
(1942)
Main Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Lassie Come Home
(1943)
Sam Carraclough
Forever and a Day
(1943)
Captain Martin
The Adventures of Mark Twain
(1944)
J.B. Pond
The Uninvited
(1944)
Commander Beech
National Velvet
(1945)
Mr. Herbert Brown
The Valley of Decision
(1945)
William Scott
Son of Lassie
(1945)
Sam Carraclough
Ramrod
(1947)
Jim Crew
Whispering Smith
(1948)
Barney Rebstock
Hills of Home
(1948)
Drumsheugh
Challenge to Lassie
(1949)
'Jock' Gray
Bright Leaf
(1950)
Major Singleton
Home Town Story
(1951)
John MacFarland
A Star Is Born World Premiere
(1954)
Self
Prince Valiant
(1954)
King Aguar
The Red, White and Blue Line
(1955)
Self
The Man from Laramie
(1955)
Alec Waggoman
The Long Gray Line
(1955)
Old Martin
Drango
(1957)
Judge Allen
The Last Hurrah
(1958)
The Cardinal
Saddle the Wind
(1958)
Dennis Deneen
A Dog of Flanders
(1959)
Jehan Daas
Pollyanna
(1960)
Mayor Karl Warren
Greyfriars Bobby
(1961)
James Brown
Spencer's Mountain
(1963)
Grandpa Spencer
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
(1983)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Directing
Their First Acquaintance
(1914)
Director
The Availing Prayer
(1914)
Director
Down the Hill to Creditville
(1914)
Director
At Dawn
(1914)
Director
Sands of Fate
(1914)
Director
The Warning
(1914)
Director
The Mysterious Shot
(1914)
Director
Another Chance
(1914)
Director
Her Father's Silent Partner
(1914)
Director
Her Mother's Necklace
(1914)
Director
The Tavern of Tragedy
(1914)
Director
The Newer Woman
(1914)
Director
The Niggard
(1914)
Director
The Little Country Mouse
(1914)
Director
An Old-Fashioned Girl
(1915)
Director
The Birth of a Nation
(1915)
Assistant Director
How Hazel Got Even
(1915)
Director
Ramona
(1916)
Director
The Countess Charming
(1917)
Director
The Eyes of the World
(1917)
Director
The Bond Between
(1917)
Director
The Marcellini Millions
(1917)
Director
The Clever Mrs. Carfax
(1917)
Director
The House of Silence
(1918)
Director
The Firefly of France
(1918)
Director
Less Than Kin
(1918)
Director
Believe Me, Xantippe
(1918)
Director
Rimrock Jones
(1918)
Director
Too Much Johnson
(1919)
Director
Venus in the East
(1919)
Director
Johnny Get Your Gun
(1919)
Director
Under the Top
(1919)
Director
Held by the Enemy
(1920)
Director
Miss Hobbs
(1920)
Director
The Six Best Cellars
(1920)
Director
The Bonnie Brier Bush
(1921)
Director
The Barbarian
(1921)
Director
The Princess of New York
(1921)
Director
Tell Your Children
(1922)
Director
Ponjola
(1923)
Director
The Navigator
(1924)
Director
Don Q Son of Zorro
(1925)
Director
Sunny Side Up
(1926)
Director
Young April
(1926)
Director
Man Bait
(1927)
Director
Vanity
(1927)
Director
Dress Parade
(1927)
Director
The Fighting Eagle
(1927)
Director
The Cop
(1928)
Director
Stand and Deliver
(1928)
Director
The Runaway Bride
(1930)
Director
Production