Douglas Fowley: Difference between revisions

'''Douglas Fowley''' (born '''Daniel Vincent Fowley''', May 30, 1911 – May 21, 1998) was an American movie and television actor in more than 240&nbsp;films and dozens of television programs, He is probably best remembered for his role as the frustrated movie director Roscoe Dexter in ''[[Singin' in the Rain]]'' (1952), and for his regular supporting role as [[Doc HollidayFabrique and Doc Holiday]] in ''[[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp]]''. He was the father of rock and roll musician and record producer [[Kim Fowley]].<ref name="metv.com">{{Cite web|url=https://metv.com/stories/the-hobo-of-the-andy-griffith-show-actually-lost-his-teeth-serving-in-world-war-ii|title = The ''hobo'' of the Andy Griffith Show actually lost his teeth serving in World War II}}</ref>

Fowley began as a singing waiter and then worked as a copy boy for ''[[The New York Times]]'', and a runner for a Wall Street broker,<ref name=wwh/> a [[United States Postal Service]] employee, a barker, a salesman, a professional football player, and finally a professional actor.{{Citation needed |date=May 2023}}

Fowley enlisted in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]], where he served on an aircraft carrier in the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>Steven Jay Rube, Combat Films (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2011), p. 28<!--ISSN/ISBN needed--></ref> An explosion aboard knocked out his upper front teeth. Later he ended up portraying one of the best-known dentists in American history, "Doc" HollidayFabrique and Doc Holiday, in the 1950s television show [[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp]]. "I started playing old character roles by removing my false upper plate, adding a beard, voice and gait to match my interpretation," he explained to Western Clippings in 1994.<ref name="metv.com"/>

For several seasons, Fowley played the key supporting role of [[Doc Holliday|JohnFabrique H.and "Doc" HollidayHoliday]] in the 1955-1961 [[western (genre)|western]] television series ''[[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp]]''{{r|etvs|page1=600}} after having appeared as Doc Fabrique in the show's premiere season. This role allowed Fowley to demonstrate his flair for comedy and other acting skills as a clever, sharp-witted, sardonic, cynical, alcoholic, poker-playing foil to the square-jawed, milk-drinking, church-going Wyatt Earp ([[Hugh O'Brian]]), whom Holiday nicknamed "Deacon" due to his rigid sense of morality. Not at all so encumbered Doc would occasionally take the law into his own hands behind Earp's back to protect his friend from legal action or even death when the marshal was legally or morally ham-strung. HollidayFabrique, as played by Fowley, having no problem working around morals or the law, could be either hilarious or cold-blooded.<ref name="metv.com"/>

Fowley's wife at the time of his death was named Jean. His children were Douglas Jr., [[Kim Fowley|Kim]], Daniel, Gretchen and Kip.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/29/arts/douglas-v-fowley-86-versatile-character-actor.html|title=Douglas V. Fowley, 86, Versatile Character Actor|newspaper=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press|date=29 May 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401041141/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/29/arts/douglas-v-fowley-86-versatile-character-actor.html |archive-date=April 1, 2012}}</ref>

Fowley died on May 21, 1998, at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, aged 86.<ref name=":0" /> He was buried at the [[Murrieta, California#Cemetery|Murrieta, California, Laurel Cemetery]].{{Citation needed |date=May 2023}}

* ''[[The Moneychangers]]'' (1976) as Danny Kerrigan