Paul Douglas
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 |
---|---|
Most Rating | 2.022 |
Birthday | 1907-04-11 |
Place of Birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
Also Known As | Paul Douglas Fleischer, |
1952
We're Not Married!
5.9/20
A Justice of the Peace performed weddings a few days before his license was valid. A few years later five couples learn they have never been legally m...
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We're Not Married!
1952
Clash by Night
6.6/115
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend.
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Clash by Night
1950
Panic in the Streets
6.854/140
A medical examiner discovers that an innocent shooting victim in a robbery died of bubonic plague. With only 48 hours to find the killer, who is now a...
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Panic in the Streets
1938
Saturday Night Swing Club
0/0
Leith Stevens leads his orchestra in a nice assortment of standards in a variety of musical styles, including Dixieland and swing. Mr. Stevens was a p...
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Saturday Night Swing Club
1956
The Gamma People
5.1/19
An American reporter smells a story when he is stranded in an Iron Curtain country where the local dictator is using gamma rays to transform children...
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The Gamma People
1954
Executive Suite
7/51
When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice-presidents vie to see who will replace him.
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Executive Suite
1959
The Mating Game
5.8/11
Tax collector Lorenzo Charlton comes to the Larkins' farm to ask why Pop Larkins hasn't paid his back taxes. Charlton has to stay for a day to try to...
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The Mating Game
1950
The Big Lift
6.7/23
The Berlin Air Lift from the point of view of two Air Force NCOs who navigate romance in a bombed out post WW2 Germany.
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The Big Lift
1949
A Letter to Three Wives
7.198/154
A letter is addressed to three wives from their "best friend" Addie Ross, announcing that she is running away with one of their husbands - but she doe...
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A Letter to Three Wives
1951
Angels in the Outfield
6.6/25
The short-tempered manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates mends his ways in return for a little divine assistance.
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Angels in the Outfield
1954
The 'Maggie'
6.1/33
The poor, elderly—and the wily, when it comes to parting those who can afford it from their money—Scottish skipper of a broken-down old 'puffer' boat...
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The 'Maggie'
1954
Green Fire
6.2/24
In Colombia, mining engineer Rian Mitchell discovers Carrero, the lost emerald mine of the Conquistadors, but has to contend with notorious local band...
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Green Fire
1951
Fourteen Hours
7.1/41
A young man, morally destroyed by his parents not loving him and by the fear of being not capable to make his girlfriend happy, rises on the ledge of...
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Fourteen Hours
1955
Joe Macbeth
7.2/6
A gangster's wife drives him to kill as she pushes him to the top.
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Joe Macbeth
1956
The Solid Gold Cadillac
6.3/32
Laura Partridge is a very enthusiastic small stockholder of 10 shares in International Projects, a large corporation based in New York. She attends he...
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The Solid Gold Cadillac
1957
This Could Be the Night
5.5/10
To earn extra money, a prim schoolteacher takes a second job as secretary to the uncouth owner of a boisterous nightclub.
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This Could Be the Night
1949
It Happens Every Spring
6.5/19
A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.
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It Happens Every Spring
1957
Beau James
5.7/3
The story of Jimmy Walker who became mayor of New York in the '20s.
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Beau James
1953
Never Wave at a WAC
4.9/13
A divorced socialite decides to join the Army because she hopes it will enable her to see more of her boyfriend, a Colonel. She soon encounters many d...
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Never Wave at a WAC
1950
Love That Brute
5.3/3
The story of a crude gangster hopelessly falling for a sweet young city government employee.
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Love That Brute
1953
Forever Female
6.7/15
An aging actress has a hard time admitting she is too old to play the ingenue role anymore.
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Forever Female
1956
The Leather Saint
0/0
Episcopalian minister Gil Allen keeps up his college days interest in boxing by working out at a gym run by his friend, Tom Kelley but declines offers...
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The Leather Saint
1952
When in Rome
0/0
An American fugitive flees to Rome and tries to elude capture by masquerading as a priest.
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When in Rome
1958
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
0/0
When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardizes the ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial...
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The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
1949
Everybody Does It
7.8/3
Leonard Borland loves his monied wife, but with his wrecking business looking shaky he treasures her all the more. So when she decides to try again to...
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Everybody Does It
1951
The Guy Who Came Back
3/1
Former football star Harry Joplin is down on his luck, both in his career and in his married life. He seems convinced of his own unworthiness, but a c...
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The Guy Who Came Back
1997
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
7/1
Born Ruby Stevens, she was orphaned when she was four. A chance audition led to a chorus job. By 17 she was a Ziegfeld Girl. At 20 she earned excellen...
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Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
1958
Fortunella
5.8/7
A poor girl is convinced she is the daughter of a prince.
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Fortunella
1950
You Can Change The World
5.8/4
Comedian Jack Benny has his butler, Rochester, call several of his celebrity friends over to the house. Benny introduces them to a Catholic priest, wh...
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You Can Change The World
1951
The Screen Director
6/1
A documentary short film depicting the work of the motion picture director. An anonymous director is shown preparing the various aspects of a film for...
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The Screen Director
1943
Margin for Error
5.7/6
When police officer Moe Finkelstein and his colleague Officer Salomon are ordered to serve as bodyguards to German consul Karl Baumer by the mayor of...
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Margin for Error
1951
Rhubarb
5.5/7
Rich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet he names Rhubarb. Then T.J. dies, leaving to Rhubarb most of his money...
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Rhubarb
1954
Calling Scotland Yard: Falstaff's Fur Coat
0/0
Because of his luxurious fur coat, a hammy actor becomes involved with crooks. His coat resembles the one that a gang's fence wears, and he is continu...
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