Trivia

He held the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with V for valor in combat device from the U.S. government for his combat service in PT boats and gunboats.

Was awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross, the French Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre with Palm for his services during World War II.

His death was reported on the front page of the Times in London and Buckingham Palace expressed its condolences on his demise.

Interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in same crypt with father, Douglas Fairbanks.

His knowledge of French was so good that he played in French-language films in the early talkie era made in Hollywood for French consumption.

Westridge--his California Spanish-style estate--was sold to Steven Spielberg.

Had three daughters with Mary Lee Eppling; Daphne Nancy-Beth Fairbanks (born April 8, 1940), Victoria Susan Fairbanks (born 1942) and Melissa Louise Fairbanks (born October 25, 1947).

He was announced to star in the first film for Fairbanks-International, his father's new company, in 1939, entitled "The Californian," but plans were canceled following the death of his father, Douglas Fairbanks. He received the news that his father was weakening while shooting night scenes for Safari (1939), but by the time he arrived his father had already passed away.

He was awarded three Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6318 Hollywood Blvd., for Radio at 6710 Hollywood Blvd. and for Television at 6661 Hollywood Blvd.

Created an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1949.

He was offered the role of Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) but turned it down, as he did not want to be seen as aping his father Douglas Fairbanks' performance in Robin Hood (1922).

A heavy drinker.

Although he was born and raised in New York City, he became an Anglophile, and from the 1950s to the 1970s, he lived in the South Kensington area of London, England, UK where he regularly entertained Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. He moved back to the USA in 1976, but often returned to England on visits.

His father, Douglas Fairbanks, was his best man at his marriage to Mary Lee Eppling.

Host of an entertaining introductory film shown to visitors of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C.

He had a lifelong, cultivated interest in international affairs. In 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him a special envoy to South America.

In addition to publishing two volumes of autobiography--"The Salad Days" (1988) and "A Hell of a War" (1993)--he collaborated with Richard Schickel on the illustrated survey of both he and father Douglas Fairbanks called "The Fairbanks Album" (1975) and Jeffrey Vance with a critical study/biography of Fairbanks Sr., ultimately published as "Douglas Fairbanks" (2008).

Had eight grandchildren from his three daughters with Mary Lee Eppling.

His second wife Mary Lee, to whom he was married for almost 50 years, had been the first wife of A&P heir Huntington Hartford.

A scandal surfaced in 1963 when he was named as one of several wealthy and famous persons in the notorious Profumo Affair during the trial of Dr. Stephen Ward as having been introduced to the call girls Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, and was sexually involved with both young women. But this failed to dent his reputation and he went on to make a triumphant return to the stage as Professor Higgins in 'My Fair Lady'.

During WWII he commanded a British landing party and served under Louis Mountbatten.

Interviewed in "Talking to the Piano Player: Silent Film Stars, Writers and Directors Remember" by Stuart Oderman (BearManor Media).

In 1951 King George VI awarded him an honorary knighthood for furthering Anglo - American unity.

Nephew of Robert Fairbanks, John Fairbanks.

Cousin of Lucile Fairbanks.

During the 1950s he produced and often starred in 160 episodes of the television series 'Douglas Fairbanks Jr Presents in England'. and branched out into other ventures including hotels.

He has appeared in four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Power of the Press (1928), Little Caesar (1931), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and Gunga Din (1939).

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 196-197. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Brother-in-law of Hal Le Sueur.

During the war he was seconded from the US Navy to the Royal Navy and served on convoys to Russia and Malta and was decorated 6 times and he continued serving after the war.

Spent a week in 1934 in a play at the Theatre Royal Newcastle Upon Tyne.

He paints, writes and scuplts.

Very fond of Northumberland which he first visited when he was looking for castle locations for a film to be called 'The Last Minstrel'. One of the castles he looked at was Dilston Castle near Hexham.

Cousin-in-law of Owen Crump.

His father wasn't happy at first when he entered films.

At the age of 13, he was signed to a three-year, $1,000-a-week ($17,616 in 2022 dollars) contract by the Lasky-Famous Players Studio.

The moving image collection of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is held at the Academy Film Archive and includes over 90 reels of home movies.

He lived at The Boltons in London, England from the early 1950s to 1976.

He was on the board of six companies.

In 1969 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Best Dressed List.

When his parents divorced the courts awarded custody to his mother.

Fairbanks's personal belongings were auctioned September 13, 2011, by Doyle New York, surpassing estimated proceeds by netting over a half-million dollars.