Don Douglas (actor)
Donald Douglas was a Scottish-American actor who performed in films, on the stage and in radio.
Early life
Douglas was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 24 August 1905, and was christened at a church in Twickenham, England. He was the son of William Young Kinleyside, a businessman and lawyer. Business brought his father to New York City on several occasions, and eventually, five-year old Douglas, with his sister Hazel, was brought to America as second cabin class passengers, on board the British steamer Mauritania, which sailed from the Port of Liverpool on 29 October 1910, and arrived at the Port of New York, 4 November. He became an American citizen in 1939.
Career
Stage
Adopting the stage name "Don Douglas", he became a singer and actor in musical shows such as Footlites. In 1928, his big break came when he won glowing revues for his performance in The Desert Song in the Orpheum Theatre in Chicago. This would eventually lead to his career in talking pictures.
Film
Douglas appeared in over 100 films from the late 1920s to the 1940s including The Great Gabbo, Life Begins, Men in White, Madame X, Cheers for Miss Bishop, Now, Voyager, Little Tokyo, U.S.A., Tall in the Saddle, Murder, My Sweet and Show Business. One of his more prominent roles was also one of his last: In Gilda, he plays the man who pretends to marry Rita Hayworth but is really a henchman of Glenn Ford's character.
Radio
Douglas was a one-man cast on The Black Castle. He played all roles in each episode and was the announcer. A review of The Black Castle in the trade publication Billboard complimented Douglas's handling of multiple roles in the drama. Bob Francis wrote: "Except for the fact that he is inclined to ham the wizard, making the role often seem more silly than awesome, Douglas puts on a good 15 minutes. His vocal changes are sharp and clear, and his characterizations come over effectively."
He also had the title role in John Steele, Adventurer and played Chief Jake Workley in Scattergood Baines. He was also a member of the cast of Kelly's Courthouse.
Death
Douglas died on 31 December 1945 in Los Angeles, California, aged 40, after emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Partial filmography
The Great Gabbo - FrankTonight at Twelve - Tom StoddardLife Begins - Medical Student in a Business Suit He Couldn't Take It - OakleyYou Can't Buy Everything - Intern at Clinic A Woman's Man - Walter Payson - Horseback RiderLazy River - Officer Men in White - MacOperator 13 - Confederate Officer Tomorrow's Children - Dr. BrooksTransatlantic Merry-Go-Round - Purser Sequoia - Night Life of the Gods - Mr. Martin Bad Guy - Electrical Instructor The Women Men Marry - Auctioneer Mc Vey Madame X - Mr. Edison - Yacht Officer Navy Blue and Gold - Lt. North Headin' East - Eric WardManhattan Shakedown - Hadley BrownSpecial Inspector - WilliamsJudge Hardy's Children - J.J. Harper Test Pilot - Pilot in Cafe Alexander's Ragtime Band - Singer Fast Company - Lt. James FlannerThe Crowd Roars - MurraySmashing the Rackets - Harry SpauldingThe Gladiator - Coach RobbinsConvicted - District AttorneyThe Night Hawk - Tom Niles The Spider's Web - Jenkins Law of the Texan - Chet HackettOrphans of the Street - Colonel DanielsPacific Liner - Ship's Officer The Mysterious Miss X - Clarence FredericksJesse James - Infantry Captain Wings of the Navy - Officer of the DayFast and Loose - ForbesWithin the Law - Inspector BurkeSergeant Madden - Al Boylan, Sr. The Man Who Dared - Mr. Miller Mr. Moto in Danger Island - Ship's Officer - Fight Referee The Zero Hour - BrewsterSecond Fiddle - Film Director Stronger Than Desire - Mack Clark - Flagg's Investigator The House of Fear - John WoodfordFugitive at Large - StevensSabotage - Joe GraysonSmashing the Money Ring - Gordon On Dress Parade - Col. Wm. DuncanCalling Philo Vance - Philip WredeCharlie Chan in Panama - Captain LewisDr. Kildare's Strange Case - Mr. Grayson, Patient losing Eye Sight Edison, the Man - Jordan Island of Doomed Men - Department of Justice Official A Fugitive from Justice - Lee LeslieQueen of the Mob - Second FBI Director Deadwood Dick - Dick Stanley - aka Deadwood DickI Love You Again - HerbertGallant Sons - HackberryFlight Command - 1st Duty OfficerCheers for Miss Bishop - Delbert ThompsonAndy Hardy's Private Secretary - Mr. J.O. Harper Murder Among Friends - Joe EllisSleepers West - Tom LinscottDead Men Tell - Jed ThomassonA Shot in the Dark - Roger ArmstrongThe Great Swindle - Bill FarrowThe Get-Away - Jim DuffSergeant York - Captain Tillman Whistling in the Dark - Gordon ThomasThe Pittsburgh Kid - Hold Back the Dawn - Joe Mercy Island - Clay FosterThe Night of January 16th - Attorney PolkMelody Lane - J. Roy ThomasThe Bugle Sounds - Mr. Clyde - FBI Agent On the Sunny Side - Mr. George AndrewsJuke Box Jenny - Roger WadsworthLittle Tokyo, U.S.A. - HendricksTales of Manhattan - 'Hen 'Henderson Daring Young Man - Carl RankinNow, Voyager - George Weston The Crystal Ball - Mr. Bowman The Meanest Man in the World - Husband He's My Guy - KirkThe More the Merrier - FBI Agent HardingAction in the North Atlantic - Lieutenant Commander Appointment in Berlin - Bill Banning Behind the Rising Sun - Clancy O'HaraWintertime - Jay Rogers The Falcon Out West - Attorney Steven HaydenShow Business - Charlie LucasTall in the Saddle - HaroldayHeavenly Days - Dr. George GallupMurder, My Sweet - Police Lieutenant RandallGrissly's Millions - Ellison HayesA Royal Scandal - Variatinsky Tarzan and the Amazons - AndresMama Loves Papa - Secretary Club Havana - Johnny NortonThe Strange Mr. Gregory - John RandallTokyo Rose - Timothy O'BrienGilda - Thomas LangfordThe Truth About Murder - Paul Marvin