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Paul Douglas Fleischer (April 11, 1907 − September 11, 1959), known professionally as Paul Douglas, was an American actor.
Early years
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
Before becoming an actor, Douglas spent 20 years in the 20th Century-Foxnewsreel department as a narrator and writer of captions. He had also been a narrator for several Vitaphoneshort films.[2]
Douglas was the 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 cohost in the episode "Lucy Wants a Career."
In 1955, Douglas 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.[4]
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 Douglas's character in Angels in the Outfield. Douglas died the day after production of the episode had been completed. He had been in the 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 comedic episode was deemed unfit for broadcast, but it was resurrected some months later with Douglas's scenes reshot with Jack Warden.
Douglas was married five times and divorced four times.[6] His first wife was Susie Wells and he married his second wife Elizabeth Farnum in 1931. His third marriage to Geraldine "Gerri" Higgins was short, lasting from 1940-1941.[7]
In 1942, Douglas married actress Virginia Field, with whom he had a daughter, Margaret.[8] The couple divorced in 1946.[7] On May 12, 1950, Douglas married Jan Sterling, who became his widow.[9] They had a son, Adams, born October 20, 1955.[1]
Death
Douglas died of a heart attack at his home in Hollywood, California on September 11, 1959 at the age of 52.[1]
Filmography
P's and Cues (1935, Short) - Narrator
Calling All Tars (1936, Short) - Semaphore Signalman (uncredited)
^Katz, Ephraim (1979). The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume. Perigee Books. ISBN0-399-50601-2. pp. 355–356.
