Douglas Wood (actor)
Douglas Wood was an American actor of stage and screen during the first six decades of the 20th century. During the course of his career, Wood appeared in dozens of Broadway productions, and well over 100 films. Towards the end of his career, he also made several guest appearances on television. Wood died in 1966.
Early years
His mother, Ida Jeffreys, was a stage actress.
Career
Wood made his Broadway acting debut in the revival of a pair of plays being produced at the Garden Theatre: Cyrano de Bergerac and Beau Brummell. Over the next thirty years he appeared in dozens of plays on The Great White Way. He was in the original production of Du Barry, written, directed, and produced by David Belasco, which had a successful run in 1901–02. After appearing in several plays with short runs, he was in another successful play from 1904 to 1905, The College Widow, written by George Ade and directed by George Marion again at the Garden Theatre. In 1910 he appeared in the role of Marc Antony in a repertory production of Julius Caesar at the Garden. In 1913 he began a successful run of The Family Cupboard, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Owen Davis, which ran until 1915. He starred in the musical Maytime, produced by Lee and J.J. Shubert, and written by Rida Johnson Young, who also wrote the words to music composed by Sigmund Romberg. The show ran for almost 500 performances at five theaters from 1917 to 1918. He followed this with another Young hit, Little Old New York, which ran during 1920 and 1921 at Plymouth Theatre. Other hits Wood appeared in included: Give and Take, written by Aaron Hoffman; the 1924 John Henry Mears' production, Sweet Seventeen; the 1927 musical, Bye, Bye, Bonnie, which was also notable as the first Broadway role for Ruby Keeler; and The Good Fairy, produced and directed by Gilbert Miller, and performed in the theater named after Miller's father, which also starred Helen Hayes. After another successful run in the musical-comedy Take a Chance at the Apollo Theatre which ran from 1932 to 1933, and starred Ethel Merman, Wood took a 25-year hiatus from the Broadway stage, and devoted his creative talents to Hollywood.
Broadway performances
Beau Brummell Cyrano de Bergerac Twelve Months Later Du Barry Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall The Triumph of Love Love's Pilgrimage The College Widow Brown of Harvard The Village Lawyer A Woman of Impulse The Bridge Julius Caesar Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh The Greyhound The Family Cupboard Poor Little Thing The Rented Earl Maytime Little Old New York Marie Antoinette Wild Oats Lane Give and Take The Wild Westcotts Sweet Seventeen Milgrim's Progress Trelawny of the "Wells" The Half Naked Truth Sandalwood Bye, Bye, Bonnie Madame X Gods of the Lightning The Old Rascal Marseilles She Means Business The Good Fairy Take a Chance
Film and television
At the end of 1933, Wood began work on his first film, with a supporting role in David Butler's comedy, Bottom's Up, starring Spencer Tracy. The following year he originated the role in talking pictures of Wopsle in Stuart Walker's 1934 production of Great Expectations. Over the next 20 years he appeared in over 125 films, mostly in smaller and supporting roles. In 1937 he appeared in a small role in Maytime, the sound version of the 1910s play in which he had starred. Other notable films in which he appeared include: Two Against the World, starring Humphrey Bogart; the Abbott and Costello vehicle, Buck Privates ; Here Comes Mr. Jordan, starring Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes, and Claude Rains; Howard Hawk's 1941 classic, Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper; and The Adventures of Mark Twain, starring Fredric March.
Late career and death
During the 1950s, Wood appeared in a handful of pictures, mostly B-films. During the early and mid-1950s Wood made guest appearances on several television series, including The Lone Ranger, Fireside Theater, and Topper. His final screen performance was in a small role in That Certain Feeling, starring Bob Hope, Eva Marie Saint, and George Sanders. In 1958 Wood returned to the Broadway stage with a supporting role in Jane Eyre, it was his final acting performance. Wood died on January 13, 1966, in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, California.
Filmography
The Fountain as de Greve Bottoms Up as John BaldwinCollege Rhythm as George Collins, Second Tramp The Trumpet Blows as Senor RamirezGreat Expectations as WopsleThe President Vanishes as Roger GrantA Night at the Ritz as Board of Directors' Chairman The Wedding Night as Leland Heywood Dangerous as ElmontSpecial Agent as Federal Judge Love in Bloom as Rector Spring Tonic as Mr. IngallsCollege Scandal as Dean TraynorThe Great Impersonation as Lord Allison The Prisoner of Shark Island as Gen. Thomas EwingGreat Guy as MayorHearts in Bondage as Commodore David G. FarragutPigskin Parade as Prof. Dutton Mariners of the Sky/Navy Born as Mr. StricklandTwo in a Crowd as Banker RalstonDracula's Daughter as Dr. Townsend Wedding Present as WillettParole! as Parole Board Chairman Two Against the World as Malcolm Sims This Is My Affair as Henry MaxwellOn the Avenue as Mr. TrivetGuns of the Pecos as Texas GovernorWest of Shanghai as Myron Galt Born Reckless as Mayor Dangerously Yours as Walter ChandlerAli Baba Goes to Town as SelimSubmarine D-1 as Admiral on Battleship Maytime as Massilon Over the Goal as Dr. Marshall - Carlton PresidentMannequin as Rogers Married Before Breakfast The Beloved Brat as Mr. Butler Gold Is Where You Find It as Judge H.B. Clayburn Kentucky as Race Track Patron Three Loves Has Nancy as Mr. Hanson Sergeant Murphy as Major General Truson I Am the Law as District Attorney Bert BerryEternally Yours Juarez as Mr. Hartman They All Come Out as First Doctor 20,000 Men a Year as CrandallOff the Record as J.W.It Could Happen to You as Alumni Member East Side of Heaven as Fisher Waterloo Bridge as Vicar at Estate Dance Babies for Sale as Dr. AleshireThe Man Who Talked Too Much as Judge D.R. Rowan Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as SpeidlerTeddy the Rough Rider as President William McKinley Private Affairs as Mr. StanleyThe Man Who Wouldn't Talk as WalkerBoom Town as Oil Man at New York Meeting Blossoms in the Dust as President of Texas Senate Buck Privates as Randolph Parker II Glamour Boy as Psychiatrist H. M. Pulham, Esq. as Mr. BullardHere Comes Mr. Jordan as Board Member Honky Tonk as Gov. WilsonIn the Navy as Admiral Million Dollar Baby as Mr. Barlow, Attorney She Knew All the Answers as Minor Role Love Crazy as Sanity Hearing Doctor Sergeant York as Major Hylan Small Town Deb as Eustace R. RichardsBlondie's Blessed Event Murder in the Big House as Bill BurgenParachute Nurse as Maj. DevonThey All Kissed the Bride as Hoover We Were Dancing as Colonel Sandys Stand by for Action as Sen. Masterman Crazy House as Studio Bidder The Good Fellows as John DraytonHers to Hold as Peter CartwrightIt's a Great Life as Insurance Physician The More the Merrier as Senator in Taxi Never a Dull Moment as Commodore BarclayShe's for Me as MilbourneWhat a Woman! as Dean Alfred B. ShaefferThe Amazing Mrs. Holliday as Chairman I'm from Arkansas as Governor of ArkansasMeet Miss Bobby Socks as Principal Whitaker They Live in Fear as John Elwood Phantom Lady as Show Backer The Adventures of Mark Twain as William Dean Howells The Big Show-Off as Dr. DinwiddleBoston Blackie Booked on Suspicion as Alexander Harmon Eadie Was a Lady as Dean Flint Patrick the Great as Sir Orville Armstrong The Stork Club as Dr. Marston One Way to Love as Dignified Man Because of Him as Samual HapgoodCinderella Jones as Professor Seabright Do You Love Me as Dr. Dunfee Dragonwyck as Mayor Curtis The Missing Lady as Alfred Kester Night Editor as Bank Manager Tomorrow Is Forever as Charles Hamilton Blondie's Big Moment as Theodore Payson The Fabulous Texan as Hamilton Fun on a Weekend as John Durand - Hotel Manager Her Husband's Affairs as Tappel It Had to Be You as Mr. Kimberly Little Miss Broadway as Richard Nichols Sr.My Wild Irish Rose as Rawson - Three TycoonsTwo Blondes and a Redhead as Judge AbbottWelcome Stranger as Principal Tilson The Senator Was Indiscreet as University PresidentI Surrender Dear as R.H. CollinsThe Judge Steps Out as Cabot Royce Winthrop An Old-Fashioned Girl as Mr. ShawAdventure in Baltimore as Coates - Art Contest Director Shamrock Hill as Judge MayerStreets of San Francisco as Mayor Bollen Border Outlaws as Rancher KimballHarriet Craig as Mr. Norwood The Long Ranger as Ed Simpson/Cyrus Wilson The Petty Girl as Prof. Stratton Rhubarb as Mr. Carroll - Board Member Cattle Queen as Judge Whipple, Bartender Francis Covers the Big Town as Dr. Glosser Topper as Sudbury/Judge No Man's Land as Philip Grant That Certain Feeling as Senator