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Melvyn Douglas (1901–1981)


Two-time Oscar-winner Melvyn Douglas was one of America's finest actors. In addition to his two Oscars, he also won a Tony Award and an Emmy. Douglas would enjoy cinema immortality if for no other reason than his being the man who made Greta Garbo laugh in Ernst Lubitsch's classic comedy Ninotchka, but he was much, much more... See full bio »

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Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 7 nominations See more awards »

Known For


Filmography

Hide HideActor (111 titles)
1981 Ghost Story
Dr. John Jaffrey
 
1981 The Hot Touch
Max Reich
 
1980 Tell Me a Riddle
David
 
1979 Being There
Benjamin Rand
 
1979 The Seduction of Joe Tynan
Senator Birney
 
1977 Intimate Strangers (TV movie)
Donald's Father
 
1977 ABC Weekend Specials (TV series)
Grandpa Doc
Portrait of Grandpa Doc (1977) … Grandpa Doc
 
1977 Twilight's Last Gleaming
Zachariah Guthrie
 
1976 The Tenant
Monsieur Zy
 
1975 Benjamin Franklin (TV mini-series)
Benjamin Franklin
 
1974 Murder or Mercy (TV movie)
Dr. Paul Harelson - accused of his terminally-ill wife mercy killing
 
1974 The Death Squad (TV movie)
Police Captain Earl Kreski
 
1973 The Going Up of David Lev (TV movie)
Grandfather
 
1972 Circle of Fear (TV series)
Grandpa
House of Evil (1972) … Grandpa
 
1972 The Candidate
John J. McKay
 
1972 Two Is a Happy Number
Joseph Provo
 
1971 Death Takes a Holiday (TV movie)
Judge Earl Chapman
 
1971 NET Playhouse (TV series)
Trail of Tears (1971)
 
1970 Hunters Are for Killing (TV movie)
Keller Floran
 
1969 The Choice (TV movie)
 
1968 Companions in Nightmare (TV movie)
Dr. Lawrence Strelson - a psychiatrist
 
1967 CBS Playhouse (TV series)
Peter Schermann
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (1967) … Peter Schermann
 
1967 The Crucible (TV movie)
Governor Danforth
 
1967 Hotel
Warren Trent
 
1966 Lamp at Midnight (TV movie)
Galileo Galilei
 
1966 The Fugitive (TV series)
Mark Ryder
The 2130 (1966) … Mark Ryder
 
1965 Inherit the Wind (TV movie)
Henry Drummond
 
1965 Once Upon a Tractor
Martin
 
1965 Rapture
Frederick Larbaud
 
1964 Advance to the Rear
Col. Claude Brackenbury
 
1964 A Very Close Family (TV movie)
Father
 
1963 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV series)
Pat Konke
A Killing at Sundial (1963) … Pat Konke
 
1963 Kraft Mystery Theater (TV series)
The Image Merchants (1963)
 
1963 Hud
Homer Bannon
 
1963 Ben Casey (TV series)
Burton Strang
Rage Against the Dying Light (1963) … Burton Strang
 
1962 Billy Budd
The Dansker - Sailmaker
 
1960 Sunday Showcase (TV series)
Mark Twain
 
1959 Frontier Justice (TV series)
Host
Black Is for Grief (1959) … Host
A Time to Live (1959) … Host
Shadow of a Dead Man (1959) … Host
No Man Living (1959) … Host
Fugitive (1959) … Host
 
1957-1959 Playhouse 90 (TV series)
Ansel Gibbs / Gen. Parker / Howard Hoagland / …
Judgment at Nuremberg (1959) … Gen. Parker
The Return of Ansel Gibbs (1958) … Ansel Gibbs
The Greer Case (1957) … Howard Hoagland
 
1957-1958 The United States Steel Hour (TV series)
Census Taker / Dr. Victor Payson / Narrator
Second Chance (1958) … Dr. Victor Payson
The Hill Wife (1957) … Census Taker/Narrator
 
1957 G.E. True Theater (TV series)
Professor Barris
Love Came Late (1957) … Professor Barris
 
1957 Goodyear Playhouse (TV series)
The Legacy (1957)
 
1955-1956 The Alcoa Hour (TV series)
Charles Turner / Jim Conway
Man on a Tiger (1956) … Jim Conway
Thunder in Washington (1955) … Charles Turner
 
1955 Kraft Theatre (TV series)
The Chess Game (1955)
 
1955 Windows (TV series)
Arcade (1955)
 
1955 The Ford Television Theatre (TV series)
George Manners
Letters Marked Personal (1955) … George Manners
 
1952 Steve Randall (TV series)
Steve Randall
The Witness (1952) … Steve Randall
The Trial (1952) … Steve Randall
Unlucky Three (1952) … Steve Randall
Walk a Lonely Street (1952) … Steve Randall
Anniversary Gift (1952) … Steve Randall
 
1952 Lights Out (TV series)
Private--Keep Out (1952)
 
1952 Studio One in Hollywood (TV series)
 
1952 Celanese Theatre (TV series)
Archduke Rudolph von Hapsburg
Reunion in Vienna (1952) … Archduke Rudolph von Hapsburg
 
1951 On the Loose
Frank Bradley
 
1951 My Forbidden Past
Paul Beaurevel
 
1951 Starlight Theatre (TV series)
Relatively Speaking (1951)
 
1950 Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (TV series)
Eugene Morgan / Martin Luther Cooper
Mrs. January and Mr. Ex (1950) … Martin Luther Cooper
 
1950 Lux Video Theatre (TV series)
James Strickland
To Thine Own Self (1950) … James Strickland
 
1949 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse (TV series)
Richard Gordon
The Five Lives of Richard Gordon (1949) … Richard Gordon
 
1949 The Great Sinner
Armand de Glasse
 
1949 A Woman's Secret
Luke Jordan
 
1949 My Own True Love
Clive Heath
 
1947 The Guilt of Janet Ames
Smithfield 'Smitty' Cobb
 
1943 Three Hearts for Julia
Jeff Seabrook
 
1942 They All Kissed the Bride
Michael 'Mike' Holmes
 
1942 We Were Dancing
Nicholas Eugen August Wolfgang 'Nikki' Prax, aka Mr. Manescu
 
1941 Two-Faced Woman
Lawrence 'Larry' Blake
 
1941 A Woman's Face
Dr. Gustaf Segert
 
1941 That Uncertain Feeling
Larry Baker
 
1940 This Thing Called Love
Tice Collins
 
1940 Third Finger, Left Hand
Jeff Thompson
 
1940 He Stayed for Breakfast
Paul Boliet
 
1939 The Amazing Mr. Williams
Police Lieutenant Kenny Williams
 
1939 Ninotchka
Leon
 
1939 Good Girls Go to Paris
Ronald Brooke
 
1939 Tell No Tales
Michael Cassidy
 
1939 There's That Woman Again
William 'Bill' Reardon
 
1938 The Shining Hour
Henry Linden
 
1938 That Certain Age
Vincent Bullitt
 
1938 The Toy Wife
George Sartoris
 
1938 There's Always a Woman
William Reardon
 
1938 Arsène Lupin Returns
Rene Farrand aka Arsene Lupin
 
1937 I'll Take Romance
James Guthrie
 
1937 Angel
Anthony 'Tony' Halton
 
1937 I Met Him in Paris
George Potter
 
1937 Captains Courageous
Mr. Cheyne
 
1937 Women of Glamour
Richard 'Dick' Stark
 
1936 Theodora Goes Wild
Michael Grant
 
1936 The Gorgeous Hussy
John Randolph
 
1936 And So They Were Married
Stephen Blake
 
1935 Annie Oakley
Jeff Hogarth
 
1935 Mary Burns, Fugitive
Barton Powell
 
1935 She Married Her Boss
Richard Barclay
 
1935 The People's Enemy
George R. 'Traps' Stuart
 
1934 Woman in the Dark
Tony Robson
 
1933 Nagana
Dr. Walter Tradnor
 
1932 The Old Dark House
Penderel
 
1932 As You Desire Me
Count Bruno Varelli
 
1932 The Broken Wing
Philip 'Phil' Marvin
 
1932 The Wiser Sex
David Rolfe
 
1932 Prestige
Capt. Andre Verlaine
 
1931 Tonight or Never
Jim Fletcher
 
Show ShowSoundtrack (7 titles)
1942 We Were Dancing ("The Wedding March" 1843 - uncredited)
 
1940 Third Finger, Left Hand (performer: "The Riddle" 1940 - uncredited)
 
1938 Arsène Lupin Returns (performer: "Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major Opus 9" 1830-1 - uncredited)
 
1937 Angel (performer: "Angel" 1937)
 
1936 Theodora Goes Wild (performer: "The Last Round-Up Git Along, Little Dogie, Git Along" 1933 - uncredited, "Three Blind Mice" - uncredited / "Pop! Goes the Weasel" - uncredited, "The Farmer in the Dell" - uncredited, "Be Still My Heart" 1936 - uncredited)
 
1936 And So They Were Married (performer: "In the Gloaming" 1877 - uncredited)
 
1932 The Old Dark House (performer: "Singin' in the Rain" 1929 - uncredited)
 
Show ShowSelf (18 titles)
1980 The 37th Annual Golden Globe Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1971 The 43rd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role & Co-Presenter: Honorary Award to Lillian Gish
 
1970 The David Frost Show (TV series)
Himself
Episode #3.25 (1970) … Himself
 
1968-1970 The Dick Cavett Show (TV series)
Himself
Episode dated 15 October 1970 (1970) … Himself
Episode #1.8 (1968) … Himself
 
1969 Project XX (TV series documentary)
Narrator
Meet George Washington (1969) … Narrator
 
1955-1968 The Ed Sullivan Show (TV series)
Griffith P. Hastings / Himself / Spofford - scene from 'Spofford'
Episode #21.20 (1968) … Spofford - scene from 'Spofford'
Episode #13.7 (1959) … Griffith P. Hastings
Episode #9.4 (1955) … Himself
 
1965 The 17th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (TV movie)
Himself - Accepting Emmy Award for Alfred Lunt
 
1960 Gala Adlai on Broadway (TV movie)
Himself - Performer
 
1958 The Garry Moore Show (TV series)
Himself
Episode #1.13 (1958) … Himself
 
1958 Playhouse 90 (TV series)
Himself - Host
Old Man (1958) … Himself - Host
 
1953-1957 The Arthur Murray Party (TV series)
Himself
Episode dated 21 May 1957 (1957) … Himself
Episode dated 28 June 1953 (1953) … Himself
Episode dated 5 April 1953 (1953) … Himself
 
1951-1957 What's My Line? (TV series)
Himself - Guest Panelist / Himself - Mystery Guest
Episode dated 24 March 1957 (1957) … Himself - Guest Panelist
Episode dated 4 November 1951 (1951) … Himself - Mystery Guest
 
1952 The Name's the Same (TV series)
Himself - Contestant
Episode dated 17 September 1952 (1952) … Himself - Contestant
 
1950 Your Show of Shows (TV series)
Himself - Guest Performer
Episode #2.14 (1950) … Himself - Guest Performer
Episode #1.4 (1950) … Himself - Guest Performer
 
1949 Your Big Moment (TV series)
Host
 
1940 Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (documentary short)
Himself
 
1939 Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 (documentary short)
Himself
 
1938 Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 4 (documentary short)
Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (15 titles)
2012 A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (TV documentary)
John J. McKay
 
2011 Love, Hate & Propaganda: The Cold War (TV series documentary)
 
2010 A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (TV series documentary)
 
2008 How the West Was Lost (TV documentary)
Homer Bannon (uncredited)
 
2008 The Naked Archaeologist (TV series)
 
2006 Billy Wilder Speaks (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2005 Garbo (documentary)
Count Leon d'Algout (uncredited)
 
1998 Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1988 The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (TV documentary)
Himself - Actor Testing as Ashley
 
1976 That's Entertainment, Part II (documentary)
Clip from 'Ninotchka'
 
1964 The Big Parade of Comedy (documentary)
Leon in 'Ninotchka'
 
1956 MGM Parade (TV series)
 
1951 The Cinematographer (documentary short)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1939 From the Ends of the Earth (documentary short)
Himself
 

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Personal Details

Other Works:

(1929). Stage Play: Now-a-Days. Drama. Written by Arthur F. Brash. Directed by Jessie Bonstelle. Forrest Theatre: 5 Aug 1929- Aug 1929 (closing date unknown/8 performances). Cast: Irene Blair (as "Barbara Herford"), Jack Boehn (as "Sheldon Lunt"), Melvyn Douglas (as "Boyd Butler")... See more »

Publicity Listings:

1 Print Biography  | 1 Article  | See more »

Height:

6' 1½" (1.87 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

The Hollywood roles I did were boring: I was soon fed up with them. It's true they gave me a world-wide reputation I could trade on, but they also typed me as a one-dimensional non-serious actor. See more »

Trivia:

He had two children with second wife, Helen Gahagan: a son named Peter (b. 1933) and daughter Mary Helen (b. 1938). He had one son with his first wife, Rosalind, named Melvyn Gregory Hesselberg (b. January 28, 1926). See more »

Trademark:

He often played smooth characters with a strong sense of humor See more »

Star Sign:

Aries