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Wikipedia

Paul Douglas (actor)

November 19, 2023

Paul Douglas Fleischer (April 11, 1907 − September 11, 1959), known professionally as Paul Douglas, was an American actor.

Paul Douglas
Douglas in A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
Born
Paul Douglas Fleischer

(1907-04-11)April 11, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedSeptember 11, 1959(1959-09-11) (aged 52)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1936−1959
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Farnum (m. 19??; div. 19??)
Susie Wells (m. 19??; div. 19??)
Gerri Higgins
​
​
(m. 1940; div. 1941)​

​
​
(m. 1942; div. 1946)​

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(m. 1950)​
Children4

Early years edit

Douglas was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Margaret (Douglas) and William Paul Fleischer. He attended Yale University and participated in dramatics as a student there.[1]

Career edit

He made his Broadway debut in 1936 as the Radio Announcer in Doty Hobart and Tom McKnight's Double Dummy at the John Golden Theatre. In 1946 he won both a Theatre World Award and a Clarence Derwent Award for his portrayal of Harry Brock in Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday.[2]

Douglas began appearing in films in 1949. He may be best remembered for two baseball comedy movies, It Happens Every Spring (1949) and Angels in the Outfield (1951). He also played Richard Widmark's police partner in the 1950 thriller Panic in the Streets, frustrated newlywed Porter Hollingsway in A Letter to Three Wives (1949), Sgt. Kowalski in The Big Lift (1950), a con man-turned-monk in When in Rome (1952), businessman Calvin B. Marshall in The Maggie (1954), and businessman Josiah Walter Dudley in Executive Suite (1954). He starred in Clash by Night in 1952 with Barbara Stanwyck.

Douglas was host of the 22nd annual Academy Awards in March 1950. Continuing in radio, he was the announcer for The Ed Wynn Show, and the first host of NBC Radio's The Horn & Hardart Children's Hour. In April 1959 Douglas appeared on The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show as Lucy Ricardo's television morning show co-host in the episode "Lucy Wants a Career".

In 1955 he appeared in the play The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, but his union placed him on probation for allegedly saying, "The South stinks. It's a land of sowbelly and segregation," which offended Southern audiences. Douglas claimed that he was misquoted.[3]

Douglas was originally cast in the 1960 episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Mighty Casey", a role written for him by Rod Serling based on his character in Angels in the Outfield. Douglas died the day after production of the episode had been completed. He had been in his last stages of illness during filming, and his severe physical state was apparent on film. (The crew incorrectly assumed that his condition was the result of heavy drinking.) The episode – which was a comedy – was deemed unairable. It was, however, resurrected some months later, and Douglas's scenes were re-shot with Jack Warden.

Billy Wilder, who had directed Douglas' wife Jan Sterling in Ace in the Hole (1951), had cast Douglas in the role of Mr. Sheldrake, the boss of the character played by Jack Lemmon and the lover of the character played by Shirley MacLaine, in The Apartment (1960). After his death, the role was recast with Fred MacMurray.[4]

Personal life edit

Douglas was married five times and went through four divorces.[5] He first wife was Susie Wells (dates unknown), while he married his second wife Elizabeth Farnum in 1931. His third marriage to Geraldine "Gerri" Higgins was short, lasting from 1940-41.[6]

In 1942, he married actress Virginia Field, with whom he had a daughter, Margaret.[7] The couple divorced in 1946.[6] Douglas subsequently married Jan Sterling on May 12, 1950, who became his widow.[8] They had a son, Adams, born October 20, 1955.[1]

Death edit

Douglas died of a heart attack (myocardial infarction) at his home in Hollywood, California, on September 11, 1959, at the age of 52.[1] Douglas had appeared in adverts for Chesterfield cigarettes, and tobacco smoking is well recognized to be a common association with coronary artery disease.[citation needed]

He died a day after he finished filming scenes for the Twilight Zone episode "The Mighty Casey". As with Angels in the Outfield, he played a manager frustrated by a losing team. Most of his scenes were re-shot with Jack Warden as the manager. Douglas appeared in the episode's final shot, in the distance with his back to the camera. [9]

Complete filmography edit

Radio appearances edit

Year Program Episode/source
1951 Suspense Fragile-Content Death[10]
1952 Suspense Mann Alive[11]
1952 Hollywood Star Playhouse Hospital Zone, Quiet[12]
1953 Theatre Guild on the Air The Show-Off[13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Paul Douglas, Actor, Dies". Idaho State Journal. Idaho State Journal. September 11, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved May 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Internet Broadway Database entry
  3. ^ Toledo Blade - Apr 17, 1955
  4. ^ Silver, Charles. "Billy Wilder's The Apartment". moma.org. Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  5. ^ "Paul Douglas". ibdb.com. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "About Douglas and New Wife". The Spokesman-Review. June 4, 1950. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  7. ^ Katz, Ephraim (1979). The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume. Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-50601-2. pp. 355–356.
  8. ^ "Actor Paul Douglas Takes Fifth Bride in L.A. Court". The San Bernardino County Sun. The San Bernardino County Sun. May 13, 1950. p. 1. Retrieved May 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  9. ^ Cronin, Brian (October 14, 2018). "TV Legends: The Twilight Zone Episode That Featured an Actual Dying Man". CBR. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  10. ^ OTRR_Suspense_Singles Listings Directory, retrieved February 20, 2018 – via archive.org  
  11. ^ Kirby, Walter (November 23, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. March 9, 1952. p. 42. Retrieved May 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  
  13. ^ Kirby, Walter (February 22, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.  

Further reading edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Douglas.

November 19, 2023
paul, douglas, actor, paul, douglas, fleischer, april, 1907, september, 1959, known, professionally, paul, douglas, american, actor, paul, douglasdouglas, letter, three, wives, 1949, bornpaul, douglas, fleischer, 1907, april, 1907philadelphia, pennsylvania, di. Paul Douglas Fleischer April 11 1907 September 11 1959 known professionally as Paul Douglas was an American actor Paul DouglasDouglas in A Letter to Three Wives 1949 BornPaul Douglas Fleischer 1907 04 11 April 11 1907Philadelphia Pennsylvania U S DiedSeptember 11 1959 1959 09 11 aged 52 Hollywood California U S OccupationActorYears active1936 1959Spouse s Elizabeth Farnum m 19 div 19 Susie Wells m 19 div 19 Gerri Higgins m 1940 div 1941 wbr Virginia Field m 1942 div 1946 wbr Jan Sterling m 1950 wbr Children4This article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article February 2022 Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Death 5 Complete filmography 6 Radio appearances 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksEarly years editDouglas was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania the son of Margaret Douglas and William Paul Fleischer He attended Yale University and participated in dramatics as a student there 1 Career editHe made his Broadway debut in 1936 as the Radio Announcer in Doty Hobart and Tom McKnight s Double Dummy at the John Golden Theatre In 1946 he won both a Theatre World Award and a Clarence Derwent Award for his portrayal of Harry Brock in Garson Kanin s Born Yesterday 2 Douglas began appearing in films in 1949 He may be best remembered for two baseball comedy movies It Happens Every Spring 1949 and Angels in the Outfield 1951 He also played Richard Widmark s police partner in the 1950 thriller Panic in the Streets frustrated newlywed Porter Hollingsway in A Letter to Three Wives 1949 Sgt Kowalski in The Big Lift 1950 a con man turned monk in When in Rome 1952 businessman Calvin B Marshall in The Maggie 1954 and businessman Josiah Walter Dudley in Executive Suite 1954 He starred in Clash by Night in 1952 with Barbara Stanwyck Douglas was host of the 22nd annual Academy Awards in March 1950 Continuing in radio he was the announcer for The Ed Wynn Show and the first host of NBC Radio s The Horn amp Hardart Children s Hour In April 1959 Douglas appeared on The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Show as Lucy Ricardo s television morning show co host in the episode Lucy Wants a Career In 1955 he appeared in the play The Caine Mutiny Court Martial but his union placed him on probation for allegedly saying The South stinks It s a land of sowbelly and segregation which offended Southern audiences Douglas claimed that he was misquoted 3 Douglas was originally cast in the 1960 episode of The Twilight Zone called The Mighty Casey a role written for him by Rod Serling based on his character in Angels in the Outfield Douglas died the day after production of the episode had been completed He had been in his last stages of illness during filming and his severe physical state was apparent on film The crew incorrectly assumed that his condition was the result of heavy drinking The episode which was a comedy was deemed unairable It was however resurrected some months later and Douglas s scenes were re shot with Jack Warden Billy Wilder who had directed Douglas wife Jan Sterling in Ace in the Hole 1951 had cast Douglas in the role of Mr Sheldrake the boss of the character played by Jack Lemmon and the lover of the character played by Shirley MacLaine in The Apartment 1960 After his death the role was recast with Fred MacMurray 4 Personal life editDouglas was married five times and went through four divorces 5 He first wife was Susie Wells dates unknown while he married his second wife Elizabeth Farnum in 1931 His third marriage to Geraldine Gerri Higgins was short lasting from 1940 41 6 In 1942 he married actress Virginia Field with whom he had a daughter Margaret 7 The couple divorced in 1946 6 Douglas subsequently married Jan Sterling on May 12 1950 who became his widow 8 They had a son Adams born October 20 1955 1 Death editDouglas died of a heart attack myocardial infarction at his home in Hollywood California on September 11 1959 at the age of 52 1 Douglas had appeared in adverts for Chesterfield cigarettes and tobacco smoking is well recognized to be a common association with coronary artery disease citation needed He died a day after he finished filming scenes for the Twilight Zone episode The Mighty Casey As with Angels in the Outfield he played a manager frustrated by a losing team Most of his scenes were re shot with Jack Warden as the manager Douglas appeared in the episode s final shot in the distance with his back to the camera 9 Complete filmography editP s and Cues 1935 Short Narrator Calling All Tars 1936 Short Semaphore Signalman uncredited Margin for Error 1943 Policeman at Front Desk uncredited A Letter to Three Wives 1949 Porter Hollingsway It Happens Every Spring 1949 Monk Lanigan Everybody Does It 1949 Leonard Borland aka Logan Bennett The Big Lift 1950 Hank Kowalski Love That Brute 1950 E L Big Ed Hanley Panic in the Streets 1950 Capt Tom Warren Fourteen Hours 1951 Police Officer Charlie Dunnigan The Guy Who Came Back 1951 Harry Joplin Rhubarb 1951 Man on Park Bench uncredited Angels in the Outfield 1951 Aloysius X Guffy McGovern When in Rome 1952 Joe Brewster Clash by Night 1952 Jerry D Amato We re Not Married 1952 Hector C Woodruff Never Wave at a WAC 1953 Andrew McBain Forever Female 1953 E Harry Phillips Calling Scotland Yard Falstaff s Fur Coat 1954 Short Commentator Calling Scotland Yard The Missing Passenger 1954 Short Commentator Calling Scotland Yard The Final Twist 1954 Short Commentator Calling Scotland Yard Present for a Bride 1954 Short Commentator Executive Suite 1954 Josiah Walter Dudley The Maggie 1954 Calvin B Marshall the American Calling Scotland Yard The Javanese Dagger 1954 Short Commentator Calling Scotland Yard The Sable Scarf 1954 Short Commentator Green Fire 1954 Vic Leonard Joe MacBeth 1955 Joe MacBeth The Gamma People 1956 Mike Wilson The Leather Saint 1956 Gus MacAuliffe The Solid Gold Cadillac 1956 Edward L McKeever Born Yesterday 1956 TV Movie Harry Brock This Could Be the Night 1957 Rocco Beau James 1957 Chris Nolan Fortunella 1958 Professor Golfiero Paganica Suspicion TV series 1958 Comfort for the Grave Vincente Polito The Mating Game 1959 Pop Larkin Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1959 Season 4 Episode 35 Touche Bill Fleming The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour 1959 as himselfRadio appearances editYear Program Episode source1951 Suspense Fragile Content Death 10 1952 Suspense Mann Alive 11 1952 Hollywood Star Playhouse Hospital Zone Quiet 12 1953 Theatre Guild on the Air The Show Off 13 References edit a b c Paul Douglas Actor Dies Idaho State Journal Idaho State Journal September 11 1959 p 1 Retrieved May 23 2015 via Newspapers com nbsp Internet Broadway Database entry Toledo Blade Apr 17 1955 Silver Charles Billy Wilder s The Apartment moma org Museum of Modern Art Retrieved October 15 2023 Paul Douglas ibdb com Internet Broadway Database Retrieved October 15 2023 a b About Douglas and New Wife The Spokesman Review June 4 1950 Retrieved May 26 2015 Katz Ephraim 1979 The Film Encyclopedia The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume Perigee Books ISBN 0 399 50601 2 pp 355 356 Actor Paul Douglas Takes Fifth Bride in L A Court The San Bernardino County Sun The San Bernardino County Sun May 13 1950 p 1 Retrieved May 23 2015 via Newspapers com nbsp Cronin Brian October 14 2018 TV Legends The Twilight Zone Episode That Featured an Actual Dying Man CBR Retrieved October 28 2023 OTRR Suspense Singles Listings Directory retrieved February 20 2018 via archive org nbsp Kirby Walter November 23 1952 Better Radio Programs for the Week The Decatur Daily Review The Decatur Daily Review p 48 Retrieved June 16 2015 via Newspapers com nbsp Better Radio Programs for the Week The Decatur Daily Review The Decatur Daily Review March 9 1952 p 42 Retrieved May 23 2015 via Newspapers com nbsp Kirby Walter February 22 1953 Better Radio Programs for the Week The Decatur Daily Review The Decatur Daily Review p 40 Retrieved June 23 2015 via Newspapers com nbsp Further reading editMcArthur Colin 1983 The Maggie in Hearn Sheila G ed Cencrastus No 12 Spring 1983 pp 10 14 ISSN 0264 0856 McArthur Colin 2001 Whisky Galore and The Maggie I B Tauris ISBN 9781860646331External links edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Douglas Paul Douglas at IMDb Paul Douglas at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Douglas actor amp oldid 1185203222, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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