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Paul Douglas

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
61

Gender
Male

Birthday
April 11, 1907 (119 years old)

Place of Birth
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Paul Douglas

Biography

Paul Douglas (April 11, 1907 – September 11, 1959) was an American actor.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Paul Douglas Fleischer, Douglas began his career as a stage actor. 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 Herry Brock in Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday.

Douglas began appearing in films in 1949. He may be best-remembered for two baseball comedy movies, Angels in the Outfield (1951) and It Happens Every Spring (1949). He also played Richard Widmark's police partner in the thriller Panic in the Streets, frustrated newlywed Porter Hollingsway in A Letter to Three Wives, Sgt. Kowalski in The Big Lift, businessman Josiah Walter Dudley in Executive Suite and a con man turned monk in When in Rome. In 1950, Douglas was host of the 22nd annual Academy Awards. Douglas also worked on radio as the announcer for The Ed Wynn Show and he was the first host of NBC Radio's "Horn & Hardart Children's Hour!". In April 1959 Douglas appeared as Lucy Ricardo's television morning show boss in the "Lucy Wants a Career" episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.

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, but Douglas died the same week after production of the episode had been completed. His role was taken over by Jack Warden, and most of the episode was refilmed several months later.

He was married five times, last to actress Jan Sterling from 1950 until his death. They had a son, Adams Douglas (1955–2003).

Paul Douglas died on September 11, 1959 of a heart attack in Hollywood, California at the age of 52. Film director Billy Wilder and co-writer I.A.L. ('Izzy') Diamond had just offered him the role of Jeff Sheldrake in the movie The Apartment that went to Fred MacMurray instead. Wilder later said: "I saw him and his wife, Jan Sterling, at a restaurant, and I realized he was perfect, and I asked him right there in the parking lot. About two days before we were to start, he had a heart attack and died. Iz and I were shattered."

Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Douglas,  licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

1997Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Lineas Self (archive footage)
1959The Mating Gameas Pop Larkin
1958The Caine Mutiny Court-Martialas
1958Westinghouse Desilu Playhouseas
1958Fortunellaas Professore Golfiero Paganica
1957The Lucy–Desi Comedy Houras Paul Douglas
1957Suspicionas Vince Polito
1957Beau Jamesas Chris Nolan
1957This Could Be the Nightas Rocco
1956The Gamma Peopleas Mike Wilson
1956Born Yesterdayas Harry Brock
1956Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatreas Sheriff Jonas Sutton
1956The Dinah Shore Chevy Showas Self
1956The Solid Gold Cadillacas Edward L. McKeever
1956Adventure Theateras Host
1956The Leather Saintas Gus MacAuliffe
1955Joe Macbethas Joe MacBeth
1955The 20th Century Fox Houras
1955Playwrights '56as
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Bill Fleming
1954Green Fireas Vic Leonard
1954Climax!as Dr. Merle Gardner
1954Climax!as Lieutenant Todd Thoman
1954Calling Scotland Yard: The Man Who Stayed Aliveas Host
1954The Man Who Stayed Aliveas Self - Host
1954Executive Suiteas Josiah Walter Dudley
1954The 'Maggie'as Calvin B. Marshall, the American
1954Calling Scotland Yard: Falstaff's Fur Coatas Commentator
1953Forever Femaleas Harry Phillips
1953The Oscarsas Self
1953Never Wave at a WACas Andrew McBain
1952We're Not Married!as Hector Woodruff
1952Clash by Nightas Jerry D'Amato
1952When in Romeas Joe Brewster
1951Hallmark Hall of Fameas Harry Brock
1951Angels in the Outfieldas Guffy McGovern
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Frank Parisi
1951Rhubarbas Man on Park Bench (uncredited)
1951The Guy Who Came Backas Harry Joplin
1951Fourteen Hoursas Police Ofcr. Charlie Dunnigan
1951The Screen Directoras Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1950Lux Video Theatreas Rick Blaine
1950The Colgate Comedy Houras Self
1950Panic in the Streetsas Capt. Tom Warren
1950Love That Bruteas E.L. 'Big Ed' Hanley
1950The Big Liftas MSgt. Henry "Hank" Kowalski
1950You Can Change The Worldas Self
1950Your Show of Showsas
1950What's My Line?as Self
1949Everybody Does Itas Leonard Borland aka Logan Bennett
1949It Happens Every Springas Monk Lanigan
1949A Letter to Three Wivesas Porter Hollingsway
1948Studio Oneas Captain McCaffrey
1948Studio Oneas Paul Kadsoe
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self
1946Magic of Youthas Narrator
1946Hour Glassas
1943Margin for Erroras Policeman at Front Desk (uncredited)
1939Filming the Fleetas Self, Narrator
1939Conquering the Coloradoas Narrator
1938Saturday Night Swing Clubas Master of Ceremonies

Production