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 McKnights 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 Kanins Born Yesterday Douglas began appearing in films in 1949 He may be bestremembered for two baseball comedy movies Angels in the Outfield 1951 and It Happens Every Spring 1949 He also played Richard Widmarks 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 Radios Horn Hardart Childrens Hour In April 1959 Douglas appeared as Lucy Ricardos television morning show boss in the Lucy Wants a Career episode of The LucyDesi 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 19552003 Paul Douglas died on September 11 1959 of a heart attack in Hollywood California at the age of 52 Film director Billy Wilder and cowriter IAL 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 CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia
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