Douglas Spencer
Encyclopedia
Douglas Spencer was an American film actor. Starting in the mid 1930's and going through the 40's, he appeared in dozens of films as an extra, then cameo roles and uncredited roles. He worked as a Stand-In and in Production Departments. An early featured film appearance of Spencer was in 1945's The Lost Weekend where he portrayed a delusional patient in the alcoholic ward at Bellevue Hospital, tormented by visions of beetles crawling over him in a fit of delerium tremens. He also appeared in The Big Clock
(1948), Monkey Business
with Marilyn Monroe
, Ginger Rogers
and Cary Grant
(1952). Also in the western classic Shane with Alan Ladd
(1953) as "Swede" and in the thriller The Glass Wall
(1953). The balding, lanky actor usually appeared in films as a doctor or wise-cracking reporter, as he did in Houdini
(1953) and Them!
(1954). He appeared in a number of science fiction
and fantasy
themed movies, including reporter Ned Scott in the horror classic The Thing from Another World
(1951), in which he uttered the film's final line: "Keep watching the skies!". Spencer also had a memorable role as 2 headed Martian in The Twilight Zone
episode, "Mr. Dingle, the Strong
", and played the role of Mr. Kraler
, a protector of Anne Frank
, in the 1959 movie The Diary of Anne Frank, for a total of 83 films and TV shows.
Other notable appearances (often uncredited):
The Rebel
(1960),
Bonanza
(1960),
The Rifleman
(1959),
War of The Planets (Film Short, 1958),
The Three Faces of Eve
(1957),
Shortcut To Hell (1957),
This Island Earth (1955),
The Kentuckian
(1955),
A Place in the Sun
(1951),
Father of the Bride
(1950),
Double Indemnity (1944),
The Mayor of 44th Street
(1942),
Lady Scarface (1941),
The Day The Bookies Wept (1939) (uncredited).
Although he appeared in numerous films, he was in real-life Ray Milland
s stand-in
. He was given small uncredited acting parts in Milland's films, which led to his being cast in several featured parts including The Big Clock (1948), The Monitor in This Island Earth (1955) and as Scotty the reporter in The Thing from Another World (1951). Appeared as Beetle, the first person Ray Milland sees after regaining consciousness in the alcoholic ward after falling down the stairway in The Lost Weekend (1945).
Height: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Douglas Spencer died from complications of diabetes on 6 October 1960, Los Angeles
, California
.
The Big Clock
The Big Clock is a 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing. Published by Harcourt Brace, the thriller was his fourth novel, following three for Random House and five collections of his poetry...
(1948), Monkey Business
Monkey Business (1952 film)
Monkey Business is a screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Hugh Marlowe. To avoid confusion with the famous Marx Brothers movie of the same name, this film is sometimes referred to as Howard Hawks' Monkey...
with Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
and 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...
(1952). Also in the western classic Shane with Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
(1953) as "Swede" and in the thriller The Glass Wall
The Glass Wall
The Glass Wall is a black-and-white 1953 film directed by Maxwell Shane. The film was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:...
(1953). The balding, lanky actor usually appeared in films as a doctor or wise-cracking reporter, as he did in Houdini
Houdini (film)
Houdini is a 1953 biographical film about the life of the magician and escapologist Harry Houdini. It was made by Paramount Pictures, directed by George Marshall and produced by George Pal from a screenplay by Philip Yordan, based on the book Houdini by Harold Kellock. The music score was by Roy...
(1953) and Them!
Them! (1954 film)
Them! is a 1954 American black and white science fiction film about man's encounter with a nest of gigantic irradiated ants. It is based on an original story treatment by George Worthing Yates. It was developed into a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman and Russell Hughes for Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.,...
(1954). He appeared in a number of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
themed movies, including reporter Ned Scott in the horror classic The Thing from Another World
The Thing from Another World
The Thing from Another World , is a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell . It tells the story of an Air Force crew and scientists at a remote Arctic research outpost who fight a malevolent plant-based alien being...
(1951), in which he uttered the film's final line: "Keep watching the skies!". Spencer also had a memorable role as 2 headed Martian in The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
episode, "Mr. Dingle, the Strong
Mr. Dingle, the Strong
"Mr. Dingle, the Strong" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:In an experiment, two Martians give vacuum-cleaner salesman and perennial loser Luther Dingle superhuman strength...
", and played the role of Mr. Kraler
Victor Kugler
Victor Kugler was one of the people who helped hide Anne Frank and her family and friends during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. In Anne Frank's posthumously published diary, The Diary of a Young Girl, he was referred to under the name Mr...
, a protector of Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
, in the 1959 movie The Diary of Anne Frank, for a total of 83 films and TV shows.
Other notable appearances (often uncredited):
The Rebel
The Rebel (TV series)
The Rebel is an American Western television series that ran originally on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The program was produced by Goodson-Todman Productions, marking one of their few non-game show ventures...
(1960),
Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
(1960),
The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
(1959),
War of The Planets (Film Short, 1958),
The Three Faces of Eve
The Three Faces of Eve
The Three Faces of Eve is a 1957 American film adaptation of a case study by Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley. It was based on the true story of Chris Costner Sizemore, also known as Eve White, a woman who suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder formerly known as multiple personality...
(1957),
Shortcut To Hell (1957),
This Island Earth (1955),
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt...
(1955),
A Place in the Sun
A Place in the Sun
A Place in the Sun is a 1951 American drama film based on the novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser and the play, also titled An American Tragedy, which was adapted by Patrick Kearney from the novel. It tells the story of a working-class young man who is entangled with two women; one who...
(1951),
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride (1950 film)
Father of the Bride is a 1950 American comedy film about a man trying to cope with preparations for his daughter's upcoming wedding. The movie stars Spencer Tracy in the titular role, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, and Leo G. Carroll. It was adapted by Frances Goodrich...
(1950),
Double Indemnity (1944),
The Mayor of 44th Street
The Mayor of 44th Street
The Mayor of 44th Street is a 1942 film directed by Alfred E. Green. It stars George Murphy and Anne Shirley. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943.-Cast:*George Murphy as Joe Jonathan*Anne Shirley as Jersey Lee*William Gargan as Tommy Fallon...
(1942),
Lady Scarface (1941),
The Day The Bookies Wept (1939) (uncredited).
Although he appeared in numerous films, he was in real-life Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
s stand-in
Stand-in
A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting.Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of production. Lighting setup can be a slow and tedious process; during this time the actor will often be somewhere else...
. He was given small uncredited acting parts in Milland's films, which led to his being cast in several featured parts including The Big Clock (1948), The Monitor in This Island Earth (1955) and as Scotty the reporter in The Thing from Another World (1951). Appeared as Beetle, the first person Ray Milland sees after regaining consciousness in the alcoholic ward after falling down the stairway in The Lost Weekend (1945).
Height: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Douglas Spencer died from complications of diabetes on 6 October 1960, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.