Douglas Fowley
USABiography of Douglas Fowley
Douglas Fowley, whose real name was Daniel Vincent Fowley, was born in 1911 in Bronx, New York. After finishing local school, Douglas moved to Los Angeles, California, where he enrolled in Los Angeles City College. He had a passion for theater and participated in theatrical productions for a long time. In 1933, he made his first appearance on screen in the film "The Mad Game," directed by Irving Cummings. Throughout the 1930s, Fowley acted in films such as "The Thin Man," "The Girl from Missouri," and "Operator 13."
During World War II, Douglas decided to put his acting career on hold and volunteered for the army. In the 1950s, Fowley appeared in the TV series "City Detective" and the western series "State Trooper." In 1952, he played a role in the film "Singin' in the Rain," directed by Stanley Donen. This role, alongside stars Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor, brought Fowley significant recognition according to many critics.
Most of Douglas Fowley's roles in films involved portraying villains or criminal characters. However, even if his role didn't imply anything villainous, Fowley still had a knack for playing disruptive characters. In 1966, he participated in the comedy show "Pistols 'n' Petticoats," aired on CBS. His last appearance on screen was in 1979, in the film "The North Avenue Irregulars," directed by Bruce Bilson.
Rumors suggest that Douglas had relationships with at least seven women, but he was only married twice. His first marriage was to actress Judy Walsh in 1954, and his second wife was Shelby Payne. Interestingly, Fowley had children with all of his partners. He was a father to renowned producer Kim Fowley and composer Rudolf Friml.
Douglas Fowley passed away at the age of 86 from natural causes, just nine days before his 87th birthday.
