Douglas MacLean
Encyclopedia
Douglas MacLean (10 January 1890 - 9 July 1967) was a silent motion picture actor, producer, and writer.
. After a career in bond sales, MacLean enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
.
Previous to his screen career he played juvenile leads in stock and supported stage actress Maude Adams
in Peter Pan. His first film was 1914’s As Ye Sow with Alice Brady
, followed by a bit parts in Fuss and Feathers, and two Mary Pickford
features, Captain Kidd, Jr. and Johanna Enlists. He went on appearing with Dorothy Gish
in The Hun Within, he co-starred with Doris May in the romantic comedy, 23½ Hours Leave,which was a big hit. From 1922 to 1929 he starred in fourteen features for Paramount
and First National
, all maintaining the standard light romantic comedy formula that continued to prove successful for him. He made one talkie, Divorce Made Easy in 1929, and then retired from acting. In 1932 Douglas made his debut as a producer with Ladies of the Jury. He produced a total of eight films for Paramount
, including Tillie and Gus
, starring W.C. Fields, Ladies Should Listen
starring Cary Grant
and 1935's Two for Tonight
. He retired from film producing in 1937, but continued to freelance write for movies and television in the 1940s and 1950s. MacLean was known as The Man With the Million Dollar Smile.
MacLean died in his Beverly Hills' home from the effects of a stroke, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in Glendale, California
.
Life and career
MacLean was born in Philadelphia and educated at the Northwestern University Preparatory School, and Lewis Institute of Technology, in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. After a career in bond sales, MacLean enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
.
Previous to his screen career he played juvenile leads in stock and supported stage actress Maude Adams
Maude Adams
Maude Ewing Kiskadden , known professionally as Maude Adams, was an American stage actress who achieved her greatest success as Peter Pan. Adams's personality appealed to a large audience and helped her become the most successful and highest-paid performer of her day, with a yearly income of more...
in Peter Pan. His first film was 1914’s As Ye Sow with Alice Brady
Alice Brady
Alice Brady was an American actress who began her career in the silent film era and survived the transition into talkies. She worked up until six months before her death from cancer in 1939...
, followed by a bit parts in Fuss and Feathers, and two Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
features, Captain Kidd, Jr. and Johanna Enlists. He went on appearing with Dorothy Gish
Dorothy Gish
Dorothy Elizabeth Gish was an American actress, and the younger sister of actress Lillian Gish.-Early life:...
in The Hun Within, he co-starred with Doris May in the romantic comedy, 23½ Hours Leave,which was a big hit. From 1922 to 1929 he starred in fourteen features for Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and First National
First National
First National was an association of independent theater owners in the United States that expanded from exhibiting movies to distributing them, and eventually to producing them as a movie studio, called First National Pictures, Inc. It later merged with Warner Bros.-Early history:The First National...
, all maintaining the standard light romantic comedy formula that continued to prove successful for him. He made one talkie, Divorce Made Easy in 1929, and then retired from acting. In 1932 Douglas made his debut as a producer with Ladies of the Jury. He produced a total of eight films for Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, including Tillie and Gus
Tillie and Gus
Tillie and Gus is a 1933 American comedy film starring W.C. Fields and directed by Francis Martin. The screenplay by Walter DeLeon is based on a short story by Rupert Hughes entitled Don't Call Me Madame.-Plot:...
, starring W.C. Fields, Ladies Should Listen
Ladies Should Listen
Ladies Should Listen is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle.-Cast:*Cary Grant as Julian De Lussac*Frances Drake as Anna Mirelle*Edward Everett Horton as Paul Vernet*Rosita Moreno as Marguerite Cintos*George Barbier as Joseph Flamberg...
starring Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and 1935's Two for Tonight
Two for Tonight
Two for Tonight is a 1935 musical comedy film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Frank Tuttle, produced by Douglas MacLean. The film stars Bing Crosby and Joan Bennett. The music is by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel.-Cast:...
. He retired from film producing in 1937, but continued to freelance write for movies and television in the 1940s and 1950s. MacLean was known as The Man With the Million Dollar Smile.
MacLean died in his Beverly Hills' home from the effects of a stroke, and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
Actor
- Divorce Made Easy (1929)
- The Carnation Kid (1929)
- Soft CushionsSoft CushionsSoft Cushions is a 1927 comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Douglas MacLean - The Young Thief* Sue Carol - The Girl* Richard Carle - The Slave Dealer* Russ Powell - The Fat Thief...
(1927) - Let It RainLet It Rain (film)Let It Rain is a 1927 comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Douglas MacLean - 'Let-It-Rain' Riley* Shirley Mason - The Girl* Wade Boteler - Kelly * Frank Campeau - Marine Major* James Bradbury Jr...
(1927) - Hold That LionHold That LionHold That Lion is a 1926 silent comedy film directed by William Beaudine, starring Douglas MacLean, Walter Hiers and Constance Howard.The film was written by Rosalie Mulhall and Joseph F. Poland.-Cast:*Douglas MacLean as Jimmie Hastings...
(1926) - That's My Baby (1926)
- Seven Keys to BaldpateSeven Keys to BaldpateSeven Keys to Baldpate is a 1917 silent film mystery produced by George M. Cohan and distributed by Artcraft Pictures, an affiliate of Paramount. It is based on Cohan's play of the novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Cohan himself stars in this silent version along with Anna Q. Nilsson and Hedda Hopper,...
(1925) - Introduce Me (1925)
- Never Say Die (1924)
- The Yankee ConsulThe Yankee Consul (film)The Yankee Consul is a 1924 American black-and-white silent comedy film directed by James W. Horne and written by Raymond Cannon. With a screen adaptation by Lewis Milestone and Raymond Griffith, the film is based upon the 1904 Broadway play The Yankee Consul; a Musical Comedy by Alfred G...
(1924) - Going UpGoing upGoing up may refer to:*Going Up, a musical comedy that opened in New York in 1917 and in London in 1918*Going up and going down, terms in commutative algebra which refer to certain properties of chains of prime ideals in integral extensions...
(1923) - A Man of Action (1923)
- The Sunshine Trail (1923)
- Bell Boy 13 (1923)
- The Hottentot (1922)
- Passing ThroughPassing ThroughPassing Through is the name of two different albums:*Passing Through *Passing Through...
(1921) - One a Minute (1921)
- The Home Stretch (1921)
- Chickens (1921)
- The Rookie's Return (1920)
- The Jailbird (1920)
- Let's Be Fashionable (1920)
- Mary's Ankle (1920)
- What's Your Husband Doing? (1920)
- 23½ Hours' Leave (1919)
- Captain Kidd, Jr. (1919)
- The Homebreaker (1919)
- Happy Though MarriedHappy Though MarriedHappy Though Married is a 1919 silent comedy film directed by Fred Niblo.-Cast:* Enid Bennett - Millicent Lee* Hallam Cooley - Jim Montjoy * Charles K...
(1919) - Fuss and FeathersFuss and FeathersFuss and Feathers is a 1918 silent comedy film directed by Fred Niblo.-Cast:* Enid Bennett - Susie Baldwin* Douglas MacLean - Robert Leedyard* J. P. Lockney - Pete Baldwin * Charles K. French - Martin Ledyard...
(1918) - Mirandy Smiles (1918)
- Johanna Enlists (1918)
- The Hun Within (1918)
- The Vamp (1918)
- The Fair Barbarian (1917)
- Souls in PawnSouls in PawnSouls in Pawn is a 1917 silent film spy-drama directed by Henry King and starring Gail Kane. It was based on a story by Jules Furthman and released by Mutual Film. -Cast:*Gail Kane - Liane Dore*Douglas MacLean - Karl, Prince von Kondermarck...
(1917) - The Upper Crust (1917)
- A Woman's Power (1916)
- Love's Crucible (1916)
- The BossThe Boss (1915 film)The Boss is a 1915 silent film produced by William A. Brady and released through his World Film Company. The film is based on a 1911 play by Edward Sheldon called The Boss. On stage it starred Holbrook Blinn and Emily Stevens...
(1915) - The Man Who Found Himself (1915)
- As Ye Sow (1914)
Producer
- New Wine (1941)
- 23½ Hours Leave (1937)
- Great GuyGreat GuyGreat Guy is a crime film starring James Cagney and Mae Clarke. An honest inspector for the New York Department of Weights and Measures takes on corrupt merchants and politicians.-Cast:*James Cagney as Johnny Cave*Mae Clarke as Janet Henry...
(1936) - So Red the Rose (1935)
- Two for TonightTwo for TonightTwo for Tonight is a 1935 musical comedy film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Frank Tuttle, produced by Douglas MacLean. The film stars Bing Crosby and Joan Bennett. The music is by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel.-Cast:...
(1935) - Accent on YouthAccent on YouthAccent on Youth is a Broadway play written by Samson Raphaelson which debuted on Christmas Day, 1934. The plot concerns a lazy, middle-aged playwright who is spurred to write by his new young secretary. The original cast included Nicholas Hannen as playwright Steven Gaye and Constance Cummings as...
(1935) - People Will Talk (1935)
- Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage PatchMrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage PatchMrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch is a 1934 comedy-genre film, directed by Norman Taurog, and based on the 1901 novel by Alice Hegan Rice. It also appeared as a radio series between 1936 and 1938. It is one of two movies that feature a rare film performance by famed Broadway stage actress Pauline...
(1934) - Ladies Should ListenLadies Should ListenLadies Should Listen is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle.-Cast:*Cary Grant as Julian De Lussac*Frances Drake as Anna Mirelle*Edward Everett Horton as Paul Vernet*Rosita Moreno as Marguerite Cintos*George Barbier as Joseph Flamberg...
(1934) - Melody in Spring (1934)
- Six of a KindSix of a KindSix of a Kind is a 1934 comedy film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a whimsical and often absurd Road movie about three couples who decide to share their expenses on a trip to Hollywood.-Cast:*Charles Ruggles*Mary Boland*George Burns*Gracie Allen...
(1934) - Tillie and GusTillie and GusTillie and Gus is a 1933 American comedy film starring W.C. Fields and directed by Francis Martin. The screenplay by Walter DeLeon is based on a short story by Rupert Hughes entitled Don't Call Me Madame.-Plot:...
(1933) - Secrets of Hollywood (1933)
- Ladies of the Jury (1932)
- Caught PlasteredCaught PlasteredCaught Plastered is a musical comedy film, released by RKO Radio Pictures starring the comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey.-Plot:Tommy Tanner and Egbert G. Higginbotham are two vaudevillians who were kicked out of the last town they performed in. After fleeing to the town of Lockville, the duo befriend...
(1931) - Too Many Cooks (1931)
- Laugh and Get Rich (1931)
- Seven Keys to BaldpateSeven Keys to BaldpateSeven Keys to Baldpate is a 1917 silent film mystery produced by George M. Cohan and distributed by Artcraft Pictures, an affiliate of Paramount. It is based on Cohan's play of the novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Cohan himself stars in this silent version along with Anna Q. Nilsson and Hedda Hopper,...
(1925) - Never Say Die (1924)
- Going UpGoing upGoing up may refer to:*Going Up, a musical comedy that opened in New York in 1917 and in London in 1918*Going up and going down, terms in commutative algebra which refer to certain properties of chains of prime ideals in integral extensions...
(1923) - Suspect (1940) (stageplay)
Writer
- Mama Loves Papa (1945)
- Six of a KindSix of a KindSix of a Kind is a 1934 comedy film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a whimsical and often absurd Road movie about three couples who decide to share their expenses on a trip to Hollywood.-Cast:*Charles Ruggles*Mary Boland*George Burns*Gracie Allen...
(1934) - Mama Loves PapaMama Loves Papa (1933 film)Mama Loves Papa is a 1933 American black-and-white comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod, with a story by Nunnally Johnson and Douglas MacLean, and a screenplay by MacLean, Keene Thompson and Arthur Kober...
(1933) - Caught PlasteredCaught PlasteredCaught Plastered is a musical comedy film, released by RKO Radio Pictures starring the comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey.-Plot:Tommy Tanner and Egbert G. Higginbotham are two vaudevillians who were kicked out of the last town they performed in. After fleeing to the town of Lockville, the duo befriend...
(1931) - Cracked NutsCracked NutsCracked Nuts is a 1931 comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline, starring Wheeler & Woolsey and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Bert Wheeler - Wendell Graham* Robert Woolsey - Zander Ulysses Parkhurst* Dorothy Lee - Betty Harrington...
(1931) - Laugh and Get Rich (1931)