[1][2] He acted in stage, and in cinema during the silent film era.
He is known for his work on the films When Shadows Fall (1916), Mothers of Men (1917), and The Three Musketeers (1921).
Robards worked for the St. Louis Motion Picture Company in Santa Paula in Ventura County, California.
[3][2] He served as the producer for the animated series, Mutt and Jeff.
[5] He married Grace Rosetta Maud Blake, and together they had three children,[3] including actor Willis Robards Jr. (also known as Willis Robards III; 1912–1984).