Douglass Montgomery

Tall, oval-faced, fair-haired, sensitive-looking Douglass Montgomery was born in Los Angeles on October 29, 1909, the son of a jeweler. Graduating from Los Angeles High School, he sought early experience at the Pasadena Playhouse. Deciding to move to New York to pursue the stage, he was quickly typed as dashing suitors in romantic and social dramas. After his discovery by an MGM agent and his resulting studio contract, Douglass' marquee name was immediately changed to Kent Douglass as to not mistake him for the studio's major star Robert Montgomery. A handsome and dapper dramatic "second lead" opposite some of MGM's powerhouse actresses he supported Joan Crawford in her vehicle Paid (1930), which was his debut film, and, more memorably, Katharine Hepburn in Little Women (1933) as "Laurie" opposite Hepburn's "Jo." Other "second lead" MGM credits included Daybreak (1931) starring Ramon Novarro and Helen Chandler; Five and Ten (1931) with Marion Davies, Leslie Howard; and two co-leads -- as "Roy Cronin" opposite Mae Clarke's "Myra" in the romantic WWI drama Waterloo Bridge (1931) directed by James Whale, and the melodrama A House Divided (1931) as the son of Walter Huston and love interest to Helen Chandler, directed by William Wyler. Montgomery's stay at MGM was very brief and when he left, in 1932, he changed his name immediately back to his real name. Now a freelancing agent, Douglass went on to lead or second lead in such films as Paramount's 8 Girls in a Boat (1934) opposite Dorothy Wilson; Universal's Little Man, What Now? (1934) co-starring Margaret Sullavan; Fox's Music in the Air (1934) starring Gloria Swanson; Universal's Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) with Claude Rains and Heather Angel; and Universal's Lady Tubbs (1935) starring Alice Brady. Montgomery scored well with his first top-billed role as the frail, alcoholic 19th century "Swanee River" composer Stephen Foster in the "poverty row" biopic Harmony Lane (1935) with Evelyn Venable and Adrienne Ames as his lady loves. This success was followed by a co-star role opposite Constance Bennett in Everything Is Thunder (1936); as well as a top-billed role in the British comedy Tropical Trouble (1936); a spoiled playboy lead in Life Begins with Love (1937) opposite Jean Parker, who played "Beth" in his version of Little Women (1933); the crime drama Counsel for Crime (1937); and a fourth billed role in the Bob Hope comedy mystery classic The Cat and the Canary (1939). Montgomery's career was interrupted by World War II service with Royal Canadian Air Force. He would move to Great Britain and made a few films there. He played American pilot John Hollis in Johnny in the Clouds (1945) starring Michael Redgrave and John Mills; played an amnesiac in the romantic drama Woman to Woman (1947); flew to Rome to play an American composer in the Italian romancer Sinfonia fatale (1947) (When in Rome) with Marina Berti and Sarah Churchill; and his last, the melodrama Forbidden (1949) with Hazel Court. Montgomery married British actress Kay Young on March 14, 1952, who was previously married to actor Michael Wilding. Young and Montgomery remained married until his death. Moving to TV work, he and Kay eventually moved to the States and he finished his career with guest appearances in such anthology shows as "Cameo Theatre" "Robert Montgomery Presents," "Kraft Theatre" and "TV Rerader's Digest" in which he ably played the title roles in stories about "Peer Gynt," "Robert Louis Stevenson" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Douglass Montgomery died of spinal cancer in Norwalk, Connecticut, aged 58, on July 23, 1966.