Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor (whose height was in the 1920s and 1930s) and later Mayor of Palm Springs, serving from 1947 to 1955. Farrell was known for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor in more than a dozen films, including 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Lucky Star. Later in life, he starred on TV in the 1950s sitcoms My Little Margie and played himself in The Charles Farrell Show. He was also among the early developers of Palm Springs.
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Early life
Farrell was born on August 9, 1900, in South Walpole, Massachusetts, the younger of two. The family moved to East Walpole when Farrell was 4 and he later attended Walpole High School, where he played football and graduated in 1918. He attended Boston University's business administration program but dropped out. Following this, he traveled to California to pursue a career in the business end of the motion-picture industry.
Farrell's father variously owned restaurants, a drug store, and several movie theaters, including one in Onset and at Revere Beach. The family moved to Onset around 1920 and, by 1927, the Farrells owned three theaters.