Melvyn Douglas

Melvyn Douglas (April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was a United States actor.

Related Topics:
April 5 - 1901 - August 4 - 1981 - United States - Actor

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Born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg in Macon, Georgia to a Jewish father and a Scottish mother, he had a long film career, stretching from 1931 until just before his death. He was the hero in the 1932 horror film The Vampire Bat and the sophisticated leading man in 1935's She Married Her Boss. His first major role was opposite Greta Garbo in Ninotchka in 1939, and he starred with her again in 1941's Two-Faced Woman (they had also appeared together in 1932 in As You Desire Me).

Related Topics:
Macon, Georgia - Jewish - Scottish - Film - 1931 - 1932 - The Vampire Bat - 1935 - She Married Her Boss - Greta Garbo - Ninotchka - 1939 - 1941 - Two-Faced Woman - As You Desire Me

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He was educated at the tony Upper Canada College in Toronto.

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Upper Canada College - Toronto

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During World War II, Douglas worked first as a director of the Office of Civilian Defense, before he left to serve in the United States Army. He returned to such comedy roles as in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, a role that was made for him. As Douglas grew older, he took on the older-man and father roles, in such movies as The Americanization of Emily, Hud, The Candidate and I Never Sang for My Father, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1959 he made his musical debut playing Captain Boyle in the ill-fated Marc Blitzstein musical Juno, based on Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock.

Related Topics:
World War II - Office of Civilian Defense - United States Army - Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House - The Americanization of Emily - Hud - The Candidate - I Never Sang for My Father - Academy Award for Best Actor - Marc Blitzstein - Musical - Juno - Sean O'Casey - Juno and the Paycock

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Douglas was married for fifty years to actress-turned-politician Helen Gahagan Douglas. As a three-term Congresswoman, she was Richard Nixon's opponent for the United States Senate seat from California in 1950. Nixon accused Gahagan of being a Communist because of her opposition to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Nixon went so far as to call her "pink right down to her underwear". It was Gahagan who gave Nixon his epithet "Tricky Dick."

Related Topics:
Helen Gahagan - Congresswoman - Richard Nixon - United States Senate - California - 1950 - Communist - House Un-American Activities Committee

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