TCM Star of The Month: Melvyn Douglas

Melvyn Douglas: A Lesson in Longevity

There’s a famous quote by a certain famous artist that goes a little something like this: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” When Andy Warhol said that all the way back in 1966, who could have guessed the famed pop-artist would be absolutely correct. Between reality television, Youtube, and the 24/7 all-media, all-the-time world we currently live in, having your 15 minutes of fame is as easy as uploading a video. Longevity, it appears, seems to be a rare gift. That is why we should help Turner Classic Movies celebrate September’s Star of the Month, Melvyn Douglas.

For over five decades Douglas graced the silver screen and the small, leaving behind a career that stretches from the pre-code-era to the Golden Age and right into New Hollywood cinema. Although he never reached the highest peak of stardom like his early cohorts such as Cary Grant or Ronald Colman, Douglas had the distinct ability to effortlessly evolve with the industry. In the early days of his film career he was the very image of urbane sensibility, using his charm and charisma to attract the likes of Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, and Joan Crawford. However, as Hollywood started to age so did Douglas. Rather than get stuck in the past, Douglas let go of his urbane charm and began working with Hollywood’s new crop of talent, proving he was more actor than star. His willingness to change proved fruitful, when in 1963 Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Hud. So, be sure to tune in every Wednesday this month to catch Douglas in action. If you’re unsure which ones to watch, let me offer you a few suggestions.

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Melvyn Douglas and Peter Sellers in Being There (1979, Hal Ashby director) airing September 3rd at 8:00PM on TCM.