See index for CTFT sketch: Born Robert Douglas Finlayson, November 9,1909, in Bletchley, England; died January 11, 1999, in Encinitas, CA. Actor,producer, director. At the height of his acting career in the 1940s and 1950s, Douglas often played the suave second lead to such stars as Laurence Olivier and Errol Flynn. His portrayal of evil characters was noted for the energyand interest he aroused in occasionally tired swashbuckler films of the era.The descendant of military men, Douglas was trained for the theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and had starring roles on the stage in both London and on Broadway before the onset of World War II, when he enlisted in British Royal Navy as a pilot. Soon after the war, he was put under contract by Warner Brothers, and made a succession of action films including The Adventures of Don Juan with his friend Errol Flynn, At Sword's Point with Maureen O'Hara, and Desert Rats with Richard Burton. He took up directing in 1956 with Ponder Heart on Broadway, starring David Wayne, andeventually moved to television, where he directed and produced such popularseries as Medical Center, Quincy, Barretta, Columbo, and The Streets of San Francisco.
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