Although his famous father did not want him in the business, the son of swashbuckling actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. started acting at an early age and eventually went on to become the first second-generation movie star. When he was barely a teenager, the studios sought to trade in on the Fairbanks name by casting Douglas Jr. in swashbuckling films, but ultimately he managed to carve his own niche as a debonair actor in supporting and leading roles. Although often overshadowed by other actors of the same type, he was always enjoyable to watch. When his career began to fade, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. gracefully turned to producing and writing, although he occasionally returned to acting.

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (far left), in a scene from the film Gunga Din.

Born to one of the world's first movie stars, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and his first...