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Donald Douglas

Donald Douglas

Actor · Died December 31, 1945, aged 40 · Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Donald Douglas (24 August 1905 – 31 December 1945) was a Scottish actor in films and on radio. Douglas appeared in over 100 films from the late 1920s to the 1940s including The Great Gabbo (1929), Life Begins (1932), Men in White (1934), Madame X (1937), Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941), Now, Voyager (1942), Little Tokyo, U.S.A. (1942), Tall in the Saddle (1944), Murder, My Sweet (1944), Show Business (1944) and Gilda (1946). Douglas was a one-man cast on The Black Castle. He played all roles in each episode and was the announcer. A review of The Black Castle in the trade publication Billboard complimented Douglas's handling of multiple roles in the drama. Bob Francis wrote: "Except for the fact that he is inclined to ham the wizard, making the role often seem more silly than awesome, Douglas puts on a good 15 minutes. His vocal changes are sharp and clear, and his characterizations come over effectively." He also had the title role in John Steele, Adventurer and played Chief Jake Workley in Scattergood Baines. He was also a member of the cast of Kelly's Courthouse. Douglas died on 31 December 1945 in Los Angeles, California, aged 40, after emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 24, 1905
Died
December 31, 1945 (aged 40)
From
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
34 on Motif · 93 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 43% in 30 days

What are Donald Douglas' films like?

Across their 17 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
32%
Bonds
30%
Self
16%
Power
10%
Survival
6%
Ideas
3%
Society
3%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 1 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 5 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Warm
8
Melancholic
6
Thrilling
5
Joyful
3
Other
12

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Donald Douglas' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 34 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Donald Douglas' titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

93 credits, 34 with a Motif page.

  • Mr. Palfrey of Westminster (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Bunny Kingston

  • Budgie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Tony Pringle

  • ITV Playhouse (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as John Roberts

  • Petticoat Junction(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Wilson

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Moonstrike (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 4 episodes · as Flight Lieutenant Bill Crawford

  • Gilda(1946)

    as Thomas Langford

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Truth About Murder(1946)

    as Paul Marvin

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Tokyo Rose (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1946)

    as Timothy O'Brien

  • Club Havana (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1945)

    as Johnny Norton (as Don Douglas)

  • Tarzan and the Amazons(1945)

    as Andres

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • A Royal Scandal(1945)

    as Variatinsky (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Grissly's Millions (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1945)

    as Ellison Hayes

  • The Strange Mr. Gregory (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1945)

    as John Randall

  • Murder, My Sweet(1944)

    as Police Lt. Randall

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Heavenly Days (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    as Dr. George Gallup

  • Tall in the Saddle(1944)

    as Harolday

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Show Business(1944)

    as Charlie Lucas (as Don Douglas)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Falcon Out West(1944)

    as Attorney Steven Hayden

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Wintertime (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    as Jay Rogers (uncredited)

  • Behind the Rising Sun(1943)

    as O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Appointment in Berlin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    as Bill Banning (uncredited)

  • Action in the North Atlantic(1943)

    as Lieutenant-Commander (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The More the Merrier(1943)

    as FBI Agent Harding

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • He's My Guy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    as Kirk (as Don Douglas)

  • Tales of Manhattan(1942)

    as Henderson

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Little Tokyo, U.S.A. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as Hendricks

  • Juke Box Jenny (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as Roger Wadsworth

  • Don't Talk (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)

    as FBI Agent Jack Sampson

  • On the Sunny Side(1942)

    as Mr. George Andrews (as Don Douglas)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Melody Lane (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as J. Roy Thomas

  • The Night of January 16th (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Attorney Polk

  • Mercy Island (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Clay Foster

  • Sergeant York(1941)

    as Captain Tillman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Hold Back the Dawn(1941)

    as Joe (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Pittsburgh Kid (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as (uncredited)

  • Whistling in the Dark(1941)

    as Deputy Commissioner O'Neill

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Get-Away (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as James 'Jim' Duff (as Don Douglas)

  • The Great Swindle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Bill Farrow

  • A Shot in the Dark(1941)

    as Roger Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Dead Men Tell (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Jed Thomasson

  • Sleepers West (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • Murder Among Friends (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)

    as Joe Ellis

  • Cheers for Miss Bishop(1941)

    as Delbert Thompson

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Flight Command(1940)

    as 1st Duty Officer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Gallant Sons(1940)

    as Hackberry

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • I Love You Again(1940)

    as Herbert

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Deadwood Dick (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Dick Stanley, aka Deadwood Dick

  • A Fugitive from Justice (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Lee Leslie

  • Island of Doomed Men(1940)

    as Department of Justice Official

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Edison, the Man(1940)

    as Jordan

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mr. Grayson (uncredited)

  • Charlie Chan in Panama(1940)

    as Captain Lewis

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Calling Philo Vance(1939)

    as Philip Wrede

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Forgotten Victory (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mark Carleton

  • Fugitive at Large (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Stevens

  • On Dress Parade (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Col. Wm. Duncan

  • Smashing the Money Ring(1939)

    as Gordon (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Sabotage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Joe Grayson

  • Second Fiddle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Film Director

  • Stronger Than Desire (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mack Clark - Flagg's Investigator (uncredited)

  • The House of Fear (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as John Woodford

  • The Zero Hour (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Stewart Brewster

  • Mr. Moto in Danger Island(1939)

    as Ship's Officer - Fight Referee

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Within the Law (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Inspector Burke

  • Fast and Loose (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Forbes

  • Wings of the Navy(1939)

    as Officer of the Day

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Jesse James(1939)

    as Infantry Captain (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Mysterious Miss X (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Clarence Fredericks

  • Pacific Liner (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    as Ship's Officer (uncredited)

  • Law of the Texan (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Chet Hackett

  • The Spider's Web (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Jenkins

  • Convicted (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as District Attorney

  • Smashing the Rackets(1938)

    as Harry Spaulding

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Crowd Roars (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Murray

  • Fast Company (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Lt. James Flanner

  • Come Across (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Special Agent Thomas

  • Judge Hardy's Children (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as J.J. Harper (uncredited)

  • Special Inspector (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    as Williams

  • Headin' East (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Eric Ward

  • Navy Blue and Gold(1937)

    as Lt. North (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Madame X (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mr. Edison

  • The Women Men Marry (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    as Auctioneer McVey (uncredited)

  • The Love Department (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    as Gooper Goopalowski (uncredited)

  • Sequoia (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    as Forest Ranger (uncredited)

  • Tomorrow's Children (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    as Dr. Brooks

  • Men in White (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mac

  • Lazy River (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    as Officer

  • A Woman's Man(1934)

    as Walter Payson - Horseback Rider

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • He Couldn't Take It (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    as Oakley

  • Life Begins (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    as Medical Student (uncredited)

  • Murder in the Pullman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    as Vincent Lynch

  • Tonight at Twelve (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    as Tom Stoddard

  • The Great Gabbo(1929)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 86th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 93 titles from 1929 to 1984.

Biggest box office

Gilda (1946)

$6.5K worldwide

Highest rated

Gilda (1946)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting93 of 93: 93 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

By decade

1920s2 · acting1930s38 · acting1940s48 · acting1960s3 · acting1970s1 · acting1980s1 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Donald Douglas' films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 33; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

A Woman's Man (1934)

52nd percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Gilda (1946)

Midcredits 95th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Donald Douglas work with?

People who share at least 2 of Donald Douglas' Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Leigh Harline shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers