Melvyn Douglas, one of the few individuals ever to receive the top award in three acting genres, was born in Macon, Georgia on April 5, 1901 to Edouard and Lena Douglas Hesselberg. Douglas began his theatrical career after service in World War I. During the early 1920's he toured in the Midwest with the William Owen, John E. Kellerd, and Dorothy La Verne companies. In 1922 he acted in the productions of The Playmongers in Chicago, and he later managed the Majestic Players in Madison, Wisconsin. Later he performed with the repertory company of Jesse Bonstelle in Detroit. It was Bonstelle who suggested the necessity of the stage name Douglas, which was a maternal family name. Douglas then moved to New York where he made his Broadway debut in 1928 in A Free Soul under contract with the Broadway producer William A. Brady.
Two years later he played opposite Helen Gahagan in Tonight or Never, David Belasco's last production. Douglas and Gahagan were married during the play's run in 1931. The production was such a hit that Douglas was hired to play in the motion picture version. His second film, As You Desire Me (1932), in which he appeared with Greta Garbo established Douglas as a romantic leading man. This was followed by a succession of similar light comedy roles in which he appeared opposite such stars as Claudette Colbert, Joan Crawford, Loretta Young, and Myrna Loy. Despite his success, Douglas disliked the studio contract system and the genre in which he was typecast, and he turned to Broadway for more challenging work. During the 1930's he also directed Moor Born by Dan Totheroh and Sean O'Casey's Within the Gates.
Because of dissatisfaction with his motion picture work, after 1936 Douglas and Helen Gahagan became increasingly involved with politics. Their first activities centered on migrant labor problems; the 1938 campaign of Culbert Olsen, the Democratic candidate for governor; and support for U.S. entry into World War II. Eventually Douglas became one of President Roosevelt's strongest supporters in California, and in 1940 he was the first motion picture actor to be selected as a state delegate to the National Democratic Convention. As a result of his political activity Douglas was much criticized by conservatives. After U.S. entry into the war Douglas conceived of the idea of a council of writers and performers within the Office of Civilian Defense. His appointment to head the Arts Division, which he managed from Hollywood while still under studio contract, prompted renewed personal criticism. In 1942 Douglas volunteered for active duty and was assigned to a Special Services unit in India. In this capacity Douglas developed an Entertainment Production Unit in which touring companies comprised of soldiers presented productions throughout the China-Burma-India theater. Call Me Mister, a Broadway review featuring performances by former soldiers, which Douglas co-produced in 1946 with Herman Levin, was an outgrowth of this assignment.
After his war service Douglas returned to Hollywood, but in 1951 he turned his back on motion pictures and returned to Broadway. During the following years he appeared in several unsuccessful plays by well-known playwrights (The Bird Cage by Arthur Laurents and Let Me Hear the Melody by S.N. Behrman) and the popular comedy hit, Time Out for Ginger. He also directed and played in Glad Tidings. In 1955 he was cast as a substitute for the ailing Paul Muni in Inherit the Wind. His much-acclaimed performance as Clarence Darrow marked the end of Douglas' stereotyped casting as a light comedy player. In subsequent years he appeared in The Gang's All Here, Spofford, Juno, and The Best Man, for which he received the Tony Award for best actor, and he extended his range by appearing in several important television productions including a re-creation of his stage role in Inherit the Wind, which earned an Emmy nomination, and Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, which won the 1968 Emmy for best actor.
In Spain on vacation in 1961 Douglas was hired by Peter Ustinov who was there on location filming Billy Budd. This role marked Douglas' return to the screen; thereafter Douglas would gain a reputation as an increasingly successful character actor. In 1963 he was cast as Paul Newman's father in Hud, a performance which won him the Academy Award for supporting actor. In 1970 he was nominated for best actor for his work in I Never Sang for My Father, and in 1980 he again won top honors in the supporting actor category for Being There. Other films in which he appeared included The Americanization of Emily (1964), The Candidate (1972), Grandpa Doc (1977), The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979), The Changling (1980), and Tell Me a Riddle (1980).
Helen Gahagan died of cancer on June 28, 1980. Melvyn Douglas died on August 4, 1981. His autobiography, See You At the Movies, which was co-authored with Tom Arthur, appeared in 1986.
