Douglass Montgomery

"Kent Douglass" redirects here. For the American ice hockey professional, see Kent Douglas.
Douglass Montgomery

from the trailer for the film Little Women (1933)
Born (1907-10-29)October 29, 1907
Los Angeles, California, US
Died July 23, 1966(1966-07-23) (aged 58)
Norwalk, Connecticut, US
Years active 1926-1957
Spouse(s) Kay Young (1952-1966) (his death)

Robert Douglass Montgomery (October 29, 1907 – July 23, 1966) was an American film actor.

Career

Son of a jeweler, he used the stage name of Douglass Montgomery when he first acted on stage in New York. He appeared as a ruggedly handsome fair-haired man, often slightly naive. He started his career in Hollywood, often playing the second male lead. Montgomery moved to Britain in the 1940s and made films there.

Among his most celebrated roles were Laurie in Little Women (1933), opposite Katharine Hepburn's Jo March. He also played Johnny Hollis ("Johnny-in-the-Clouds") in The Way to the Stars (1945).

Montgomery returned to the US and appeared in a number of television shows.

Personal life

In 1934 Douglass Montgomery was the victim of a murder attempt.[1] He had been rehearsing a play nightly at the Pasadena Community Theatre. It had become his habit each night to park his car in a lot next to the theater. The lot was dark and Montgomery generally parked his car in the corner. After rehearsals he would drive his to his mother's house in Altadena taking him over the Hollywood hills. One night as he was leaving the theater he received a call from Universal Studios asking him to return to the studio for a retake. He climbed in his car and headed for Hollywood, instead of up the hilly road to Altadena.

As he drove along, one of the front wheels of the car came flying off sending the car into a tilt and eventually crashing to the ground. The wheel ended up hitting a nearby house. It was then discovered that someone had removed all the lug nuts from every wheel and then replaced the hubcaps so Montgomery would not notice. There was no fingerprint evidence leaving police to surmise the would be killer wore gloves to mask his identity. Had Montgomery gone his usual route he might have ended up down the side of a canyon. (An attempt on the life of Jack La Rue was made at about the same time. Police theorized there was a mad killer on the loose.)

Douglass Montgomery married British actress Kay Young (Kathleen Tamar Young) on 14 March 1952 at Bethlehem Federated Church in Bethlehem, Connecticut.[2] He was her second husband. Young had divorced film actor Michael Wilding the year before she wed Montgomery.[3] (Wilding also remarried in 1952, to Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor.)[4] Young and Montgomery remained married until his death.

Death

Douglass Montgomery died of spinal cancer in Norwalk, Connecticut, aged 58, on July 23, 1966.

Filmography

Television appearances

References

  1. ↑ Movie Classic, "Actors Narrowly Miss Death At Hands Of Fiend," November, 1934, Pg 42
  2. ↑ Wildings & Thurleys, Cantophers & McConnells, "Hatches, Matches & Dispatches only," Person page 28, accessed 18 January 2010
  3. ↑ Ibid., Person page 46 accessed 18 January 2010
  4. ↑ Ibid., Person page 44, accessed 18 January 2010
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