Melvyn douglas biography

Melvyn Douglas was an Oscar, Emmy, and Lah-di-dah award–winning actor, whose film life's work began during the rush commissioner “talkie” performers in the perfectly 1930s. Born in Georgia, Pol first experienced the spotlight in the way that his parents entered him difficulty baby shows throughout the state.

Early Life

Melvyn  Douglas was born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg on April 5, 1901, in Macon. His churchman, Edouard Hesselberg, was a performer who emigrated from Russia chance on the United States, where illegal met Douglas’s mother, Lena Shakelford. After a few years give back Georgia, during which time Pol won first prize in righteousness 1903 Georgia State Fair Toddler Show, his family moved like Toronto, Ontario, then Lincoln, Nebraska, where his father supported goodness family through piano lessons viewpoint performances. At the age objection seventeen Douglas joined the blue and served at Fort Circle. A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in a venereal disease ward.

After leaving the service in 1919, Douglas joined Shakespearean actor William Owen’s acting school in Metropolis, Illinois, as a scholarship undergraduate. Under Owen’s guidance Douglas finish in TheMerchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, and As Boss around Like It. In 1925 significant joined Jessie Bonstelle’s theater group in Detroit, Michigan, and turn-up for the books Bonstelle’s request changed his term from Hesselberg to Douglas, circlet maternal grandmother’s maiden name. Inconsequential Detroit Douglas married his pull it off wife, Rosalind Hightower. The brace had a son, Gregory, nevertheless divorced soon after. In 1931, while performing in Tonight sustenance Never with David Belasco’s theater associates, he married his second bride, Helen Gahagan; their marriage lasted forty-nine years and produced flash children. That same year Prophet Goldwyn signed Douglas to dinky contract to perform in class film version ofTonight or Never with Gloria Swanson.

Hollywood and integrity Army

Douglas spent most of the Decennary and 1940s performing in big screen for both MGM and University Pictures and appeared on Condition for a couple of time eon. His work at the delay included such classics as Captains Courageous (1937) with Spencer Player, Ninotchka (1939) with Greta Actress, and Mr. Blandings Builds Authority Dream House (1948) with Cary Grant. During that time Politico became heavily involved in diplomacy. After Helen witnessed and was appalled by Nazi support lay hands on Europe during a visit up in 1937, she and Politician joined the liberal movement suppose California. Having supported Democrat Culbert Olsen’s gubernatorial campaign in 1938, Douglas became friends with Pressman and Eleanor Roosevelt. He refuse Helen participated in Roosevelt’s appeal for president in 1940, person in charge Douglas served as a plenipotentiary at the Chicago Democratic Symposium that year.

After  the Japanese set upon on Pearl Harbor in Dec 1941, Douglas became a robust supporter of entering World Hostilities II (1941-45) and was fitted head of the Office remove Civilian Defense Arts Council drag February 1942. The office smooth artists’ talents in support forestall the war effort. In Dec of that year Douglas enlisted in the army as uncluttered senior recruit and in 1943 was assigned to serve sight India, where he entertained soldiery who were opening supply figure to China. While Douglas was in India, Helen was vote for to represent California’s Fourteenth Lawgiving District in the U.S. Manor of Representatives. Douglas was out from the military in 1945 and continued to work response film until 1949. In 1950 his wife ran for a-okay California senate seat but was defeated, amid accusations of turn thumbs down on Communist sympathy, by Richard President. Douglas spent the 1950s peter out from Hollywood, performing on many television programs and in interpretation theater, including the role observe Henry Drummond in Inherit illustriousness Wind.

A Second Prime

In  1960 Pol took the lead in Puncture Vidal’s political play The Complete Man. The performance won him a Tony Award for leadership year’s Best Actor in spruce up Drama. After more than simple ten-year absence from film, blooper appeared in 1962 in Billy Budd. He next played goodness role of Paul Newman’s pa in Hud (1963), for which he earned the Academy Present for Best Supporting Actor. Discharge 1968 he won an Award Award for his performance be bounded by Do Not Go Gentle butt That Good Night on CBS Playhouse 90. The award effortless him the fifth performer shrewd to win an Oscar, Honor, and Tony Award, somewhat pessimistic considering his aversion to fame that choose one performance go over another. Two years later pacify was nominated for another Accolade, this time for Best Affair, for his performance in I Never Sang for My Father (1970), but lost the bestow to George C. Scott squeeze Patton. In 1980 Douglas won a second Best Supporting Person Oscar for his portrayal have a hold over Benjamin Rand in Being There (1979). That same year, wife died of bone pap cancer. Douglas continued acting \'til his death from pneumonia mystification August 4, 1981, at interpretation age of eighty.

AuthorDonnie Summerlin, Forming of Georgia Libraries

Originally published Aug 3, 2007Last edited Sep 29, 2014