1. Early life and background
Douglas Fowley's early life laid the foundation for his diverse career, beginning in New York City and moving through various initial work experiences before he found his calling in acting.
1.1. Childhood and education
Douglas Fowley was born Daniel Vincent Fowley on May 30, 1911, in The Bronx, New York City. He later pursued his education at Los Angeles City College.
1.2. Early career
Before embarking on his acting career, Fowley held several varied jobs. He started as a singing waiter, showcasing an early inclination towards performance. He then transitioned to a more journalistic role, working as a copy boy for The New York Times. Later, he gained experience in the financial sector as a runner for a Wall Street broker.
2. Military service
Fowley served in the United States Navy during World War II. His service included time on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. During his military tenure, an explosion aboard the ship caused him to lose his upper front teeth. This personal experience later influenced his acting career, as he would often remove his false upper plate to portray older character roles, adding a beard, voice, and gait to match his interpretations. Ironically, he would later portray one of the best-known dentists in American history, "Doc" Fabrique and Doc Holiday, in the 1950s television show The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.
3. Film career
Douglas Fowley had an extensive career in motion pictures, spanning over two decades and encompassing more than 240 films. His work began with stage performances and nightclub acts before transitioning to the big screen.
3.1. Early film roles
Fowley made his film debut in 1933 in The Mad Game, appearing alongside Spencer Tracy. Early in his acting career, he was frequently cast as a "heavy" or a gangster in B-movies. These roles included appearances in popular film series such as those featuring Charlie Chan and Laurel and Hardy.
3.2. Notable film roles
Fowley's filmography includes a wide range of productions, from dramas to comedies. One of his most iconic and enduring performances was as Roscoe Dexter, the frustrated movie director, in the 1952 musical classic Singin' in the Rain. This role allowed him to showcase his comedic talent and remains one of his most remembered characters. He also notably portrayed Doc Holliday, a character he would later reprise in television.
Other significant films in which Fowley appeared include Twenty Mule Team (1940), Fall Guy (1947), Mighty Joe Young (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), Battleground (1949), Armored Car Robbery (1950), Chick Carter, Detective (1946), The Naked Jungle (1954), The High and the Mighty (1954), and Walking Tall (1973).
4. Filmography
Douglas Fowley appeared in the following films:
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | The Woman Who Dared | Kay's Boyfriend |
| 1933 | The Mad Game | Gangster (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Sleepers East | Gangster (uncredited) |
| 1934 | I Hate Women | Nelson |
| 1934 | The Thin Man | Taxi Driver (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Let's Talk It Over | Sailor Jones |
| 1934 | Operator 13 | Union Officer (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Money Means Nothing | Red Miller (uncredited) |
| 1934 | The Girl from Missouri | New Bellboy with Vase (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Gift of Gab | Mac |
| 1934 | Student Tour | Mushy |
| 1935 | Night Life of the Gods | Cyril Sparks |
| 1935 | Transient Lady | Matt Baxter |
| 1935 | Straight from the Heart | Speed Spelvin |
| 1935 | Princess O'Hara | Emcee (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Old Man Rhythm | Oyster (uncredited) |
| 1935 | Two for Tonight | Pooch Donahue |
| 1935 | Miss Pacific Fleet | Second (scenes deleted) |
| 1936 | Ring Around the Moon | Ted Curlew |
| 1936 | Big Brown Eyes | Benny Battle |
| 1936 | Small Town Girl | Chick Page (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Mariners of the Sky | Lt. Steve Bassett |
| 1936 | Private Number | Sheik - Man Causing Brawl (uncredited) |
| 1936 | 36 Hours to Kill | Duke Benson |
| 1936 | Crash Donovan | Harris |
| 1936 | Sing, Baby, Sing | Mac |
| 1936 | Dimples | Stranger (uncredited) |
| 1936 | 15 Maiden Lane | Nick Shelby |
| 1937 | Woman-Wise | Stevens |
| 1937 | On the Avenue | Eddie Eads |
| 1937 | Time Out for Romance | Roy Webster |
| 1937 | This Is My Affair | Alec |
| 1937 | Fifty Roads to Town | Dutch Nelson |
| 1937 | She Had to Eat | Duke Stacey |
| 1937 | Wake Up and Live | Herman |
| 1937 | Wild and Woolly | Blackie Morgan |
| 1937 | One Mile from Heaven | Jim Tabor |
| 1937 | Charlie Chan on Broadway | Johnny Burke |
| 1937 | Love and Hisses | Mobster Webster |
| 1938 | City Girl | Ritchie |
| 1938 | Walking Down Broadway | Ace Wagner |
| 1938 | Mr. Moto's Gamble | Nick Crowder |
| 1938 | Alexander's Ragtime Band | Snapper |
| 1938 | Passport Husband | Tiger Martin |
| 1938 | Keep Smiling | Cedric Hunt |
| 1938 | Time Out for Murder | J.E. 'Dutch' Moran |
| 1938 | Submarine Patrol | Seaman Pinky Brett |
| 1939 | The Arizona Wildcat | Rufe Galloway |
| 1939 | Inside Story | Gus Brawley |
| 1939 | Dodge City | Munger |
| 1939 | Lucky Night | George |
| 1939 | Boy Friend | Ed Boyd |
| 1939 | It Could Happen to You | Freddie Barlow |
| 1939 | Charlie Chan at Treasure Island | Pete Lewis |
| 1939 | Henry Goes Arizona | Ricky Dole |
| 1939 | Slightly Honorable | Madder |
| 1940 | Cafe Hostess | Eddie Morgan |
| 1940 | 20 Mule Team | Stag Roper |
| 1940 | Wagons Westward | Bill Marsden |
| 1940 | Pier 13 | Johnnie Hale |
| 1940 | The Leather Pushers | Slick Connolly |
| 1940 | Cherokee Strip | Alf Barrett |
| 1940 | East of the River | Cy Turner |
| 1940 | Ellery Queen, Master Detective | Rocky Taylor |
| 1941 | The Great Swindle | Rocky Andrews |
| 1941 | The Parson of Panamint | Chappie Ellerton |
| 1941 | Tanks a Million | Capt. Rossmead |
| 1941 | Dangerous Lady | Police Sgt. Brent |
| 1941 | Doctors Don't Tell | Joe Grant |
| 1941 | Secret of the Wastelands | Slade Salters |
| 1941 | Mr. District Attorney | Vincent Mackay |
| 1942 | Hay Foot | Captain Rossmead |
| 1942 | Mr. Wise Guy | Bill Collins |
| 1942 | Sunset on the Desert | Ramsay McCall |
| 1942 | So's Your Aunt Emma | Gus Hammond |
| 1942 | Mississippi Gambler | Chet Matthews |
| 1942 | I Live on Danger | Joey Farr |
| 1942 | Somewhere I'll Find You | Army Captain (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Man in the Trunk | Ed Mygatt |
| 1942 | Pittsburgh | Mort Frawley (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Lost Canyon | Jeff Burton |
| 1942 | Stand by for Action | Ensign Martin |
| 1943 | Gildersleeve's Bad Day | Louie Barton |
| 1943 | Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case | Wallace (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Jitterbugs | Malcolm Bennett |
| 1943 | Colt Comrades | Joe Brass |
| 1943 | Sleepy Lagoon | J. 'The Brain' Lucarno |
| 1943 | Swing Shift Maisie | Investigator (uncredited) |
| 1943 | The Kansan | Ben Nash |
| 1943 | Bar 20 | Henchman Slash |
| 1943 | The Chance of a Lifetime | Nails Blanton (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Minesweeper | Cutter Lt. Wells |
| 1943 | Riding High | Brown (uncredited) |
| 1944 | The Racket Man | Toby Sykes |
| 1944 | Lady in the Death House | Dr. Dwight 'Brad' Bradford |
| 1944 | See Here, Private Hargrove | Capt. R.S. Manville |
| 1944 | Rationing | Dixie Samson |
| 1944 | Shake Hands with Murder | Steve Morgan |
| 1944 | And the Angels Sing | N.Y. Cafe Manager (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Detective Kitty O'Day | Harry Downs |
| 1944 | Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Rudy (uncredited) |
| 1944 | One Body Too Many | Henry Rutherford |
| 1945 | Behind City Lights | Taxi Driver (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Along the Navajo Trail | J. Richard Bentley |
| 1945 | Don't Fence Me In | Jack Gordon |
| 1945 | What Next, Corporal Hargrove? | Colonel (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Life with Blondie | Blackie Leonard (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Drifting Along | Jack Dailey |
| 1946 | Blonde Alibi | Henchman Willie (uncredited) |
| 1946 | The Glass Alibi | Joe Eykner |
| 1946 | Rendezvous 24 | Chief Agent Hanover (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Larceny in Her Heart | Doc H. C. Patterson |
| 1946 | In Fast Company | Steve Trent |
| 1946 | Freddie Steps Out | Coach Carter |
| 1946 | Chick Carter, Detective | Rusty Farrell |
| 1946 | High School Hero | Coach Carter |
| 1946 | Her Sister's Secret | Navy Officer (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Wild Country | Clark Varney |
| 1947 | Scared to Death | Terry Lee |
| 1947 | The Sea of Grass | Joe Horton (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Backlash | Red Bailey |
| 1947 | Undercover Maisie | Daniels |
| 1947 | Fall Guy | Inspector Shannon |
| 1947 | Yankee Fakir | Yankee Davis |
| 1947 | Three on a Ticket | Mace Morgan |
| 1947 | Fun on a Weekend | Gambling House Owner (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Jungle Flight | Tom Hammond |
| 1947 | Desperate | Pete Lavitch |
| 1947 | The Trespasser | Bill Monroe |
| 1947 | The Hucksters | Georgie Gaver |
| 1947 | Gas House Kids in Hollywood | Mitch Gordon |
| 1947 | Ridin' Down the Trail | Mark Butler |
| 1947 | Key Witness | Jim Guthrie (uncredited) |
| 1947 | Merton of the Movies | Phil |
| 1947 | Roses Are Red | Ace Oliver |
| 1947 | Rose of Santa Rosa | Larry Fish |
| 1948 | If You Knew Susie | Marty |
| 1948 | Black Bart | Sheriff Mix (uncredited) |
| 1948 | Docks of New Orleans | Grock |
| 1948 | The Dude Goes West | Beetle |
| 1948 | Waterfront at Midnight | Joe Sargus |
| 1948 | Coroner Creek | Stew Shallis |
| 1948 | The Arkansas Swing | Howard, the Horse Trainer |
| 1948 | Behind Locked Doors | Larson |
| 1948 | Joe Palooka in Winner Take All | Reporter #1 |
| 1948 | The Denver Kid | Henchman Slip |
| 1948 | Gun Smugglers | Steve Reeves |
| 1949 | Bad Men of Tombstone | Gambler (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Flaxy Martin | Max, Detective |
| 1949 | Take Me Out to the Ball Game | Karl (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Manhattan Angel | Mr. Fowley - Press Photographer (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Search for Danger | Inspector |
| 1949 | Susanna Pass | Roberts aka Walter P. Johnson |
| 1949 | Arson, Inc. | Frederick P. Fender |
| 1949 | Massacre River | Simms |
| 1949 | Any Number Can Play | Smitty (uncredited) |
| 1949 | Mighty Joe Young | Jones |
| 1949 | Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch | Thurston |
| 1949 | Satan's Cradle | Steve Gentry |
| 1949 | Battleground | "Kipp" Kippton |
| 1949 | Renegades of the Sage | Sloper |
| 1950 | Killer Shark | Louie Bracado |
| 1950 | Beware of Blondie | Adolph |
| 1950 | Hoedown | Gang Leader (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Rider from Tucson | Bob Rankin |
| 1950 | Armored Car Robbery | Benny McBride |
| 1950 | Edge of Doom | 2nd Detective |
| 1950 | Bunco Squad | Det. Sgt. Mack McManus |
| 1950 | Rio Grande Patrol | Bragg Orket |
| 1950 | He's a Cockeyed Wonder | 'Crabs' Freeley |
| 1950 | Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone | Steve Kepplar |
| 1950 | Stage to Tucson | Ira Prentiss |
| 1951 | Tarzan's Peril | Herbert Trask |
| 1951 | Criminal Lawyer | Harry Cheney |
| 1951 | Chain of Circumstance | Lt. Fenning |
| 1951 | Angels in the Outfield | Cab Driver (uncredited) |
| 1951 | Across the Wide Missouri | Tin Cup Owens (uncredited) |
| 1951 | South of Caliente | Dave Norris |
| 1951 | Callaway Went Thataway | Gaffer (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Room for One More | Ice Man (scenes deleted) |
| 1952 | Finders Keepers | Frankie Simmons |
| 1952 | This Woman Is Dangerous | Saunders - Gambling House Prorietor (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Just This Once | Frank Pirosh |
| 1952 | Singin' in the Rain | Roscoe Dexter |
| 1952 | Horizons West | Ed Tompkins |
| 1953 | The Man Behind the Gun | Buckley |
| 1953 | Kansas Pacific | Max Janus |
| 1953 | A Slight Case of Larceny | Mr. White - Circle Star Gas Stations |
| 1953 | The Band Wagon | Auctioneer (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Cruisin' Down the River | Humphrey Hepburn |
| 1953 | Cat-Women of the Moon | Walter 'Walt' Walters |
| 1953 | Red River Shore | Case Lockwood |
| 1954 | The Naked Jungle | Medicine Man |
| 1954 | Untamed Heiress | Pal |
| 1954 | Southwest Passage | Toad Ellis |
| 1954 | Casanova's Big Night | Second Prisoner |
| 1954 | The Lone Gun | Bartender |
| 1954 | The High and the Mighty | Alsop |
| 1954 | Deep in My Heart | Harold Butterfield |
| 1954 | 3 Ring Circus | Army Payroll Officer (uncredited) |
| 1955 | The Lonesome Trail | Crazy Charley Bonesteel |
| 1955 | The Girl Rush | Charlie - Stickman |
| 1955 | Texas Lady | Clay Ballard |
| 1956 | The Broken Star | Hiram Charleton |
| 1956 | Bandido | McGhee |
| 1956 | Man from Del Rio | Doc Adams |
| 1956 | Rock, Pretty Baby | 'Pop' Wright |
| 1957 | Kelly and Me | Dave Gans |
| 1957 | The Badge of Marshal Brennan | Marshal Matt Brennan |
| 1957 | Bayou | Emil Hebert |
| 1957 | Raiders of Old California | Sheriff |
| 1958 | The Geisha Boy | GI in Korea (uncredited) |
| 1958 | A Gift for Heidi | Alm Uncle |
| 1959 | These Thousand Hills | Whitey (uncredited) |
| 1960 | Desire in the Dust | Zuba Wilson |
| 1961 | Buffalo Gun | Sheriff |
| 1961 | Barabbas | Vasasio |
| 1963 | Miracle of the White Stallions | Lt. General Walton H. Walker |
| 1963 | Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? | Photographer (uncredited) |
| 1964 | 7 Faces of Dr. Lao | Toothless Cowboy |
| 1965 | Guns of Diablo | Mr. Knudsen |
| 1965 | Nightmare in the Sun | |
| 1969 | The Good Guys and the Bad Guys | Grundy |
| 1972 | Run, Cougar, Run | Joe Bickley |
| 1973 | Walking Tall | Judge Clarke |
| 1974 | Homebodies | Mr. Crawford |
| 1976 | The Moneychangers | Danny Kerrigan |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Second Drunk (uncredited) |
| 1976 | From Noon till Three | Buck Bowers |
| 1977 | Black Oak Conspiracy | Bryan Hancock |
| 1977 | The White Buffalo | Amos Bixby (Train Conductor / narrator) |
| 1979 | The North Avenue Irregulars | Delaney |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone |
5. Television career
Douglas Fowley's television career was extensive, featuring both significant recurring roles and numerous guest appearances across a variety of genres, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
5.1. Regular cast roles
Fowley held several key supporting roles in television series. From 1955 to 1961, he played the significant character of Doc Fabrique and Doc Holiday in the Western television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. He first appeared as Doc Fabrique in the show's premiere season before continuing in the expanded role. This part allowed Fowley to demonstrate his comedic flair and other acting skills, portraying a clever, sharp-witted, sardonic, cynical, and alcoholic poker-playing foil to the morally rigid Wyatt Earp (played by Hugh O'Brian). Known as "Deacon" for his strict sense of morality, Earp was often legally or morally constrained, leading Doc to occasionally take the law into his own hands behind Earp's back to protect his friend from legal action or even death. Fabrique, as played by Fowley, had no qualms about working around morals or the law, making him both hilarious and, at times, cold-blooded.
From 1966 to 1967, Fowley portrayed Andrew Hanks in Pistols 'n' Petticoats, a CBS sitcom. Hanks was the patriarch of a family of gun-toting women who seemed to require little male assistance. In 1979, Fowley also portrayed retired businessman Robert Redford in the series Detective School.
5.2. Guest appearances
Fowley made numerous guest appearances on popular television programs throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. In the 1950s, he appeared as himself on NBC's The Donald O'Connor Show. In 1954, he showcased his comic appeal alongside Gracie Allen in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. Also in 1954, he appeared in Disneyland as Joe Buckley and in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. He was cast in 1956 as Bob Egan in "Two-Fisted Saint," an episode of the religious anthology series Crossroads. He portrayed a con man in two episodes of the NBC sitcom It's a Great Life. He also guest-starred on Reed Hadley's CBS legal drama The Public Defender, the ABC situation comedy The Pride of the Family, and the NBC Western series The Californians and Jefferson Drum.
Fowley appeared on two Rod Cameron series: the syndicated City Detective and the Western-themed State Trooper. He also featured in John Bromfield's series, U.S. Marshal. He guest-starred in the David Janssen crime drama Richard Diamond, Private Detective and in season two, episode four of the Robert Culp Western Trackdown.
In 1959, Fowley appeared with Frank Ferguson in "A Race for Life," an episode of the CBS Western series The Texan, starring Rory Calhoun. On December 30, 1963, Fowley guest-starred in The Andy Griffith Show episode "Opie and his Merry Men" as a hobo. In this episode, Opie and his friends stole food from the "rich" to give to the hobo, who promptly refused Andy's offer of help in finding a job.
In 1964, Fowley made a guest appearance on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason, playing agent Rubin Cason in "The Case of the Bountiful Beauty". In 1965, he was cast as Sorrowful in episode 83 of The Virginian. In 1966, he appeared as "Rufus C. Hoops" in "The Search," season 2, episode 24, of the series Daniel Boone (1964 TV series). In 1967, Fowley guest-starred on the short-lived CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane with John Mills.
In 1968, he appeared in episode 273 of My Three Sons as an old friend of Uncle Charley's. He also had a role in the syndicated 1959-1960 Western Pony Express in the episode "Showdown at Thirty Mile Ridge". In 1975, he appeared in the television series Starsky & Hutch. In 1977, Fowley portrayed Dr. O. B. Mudd in the pilot episode of the NBC situation comedy Quark. One of his last roles was as Delaney Rafferty in Disney's The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), where he notably appeared in drag.
6. Personal life
At the time of his death, Douglas Fowley's wife was named Jean. He was a father to five children: Douglas Jr., Kim, Daniel, Gretchen, and Kip.
7. Legacy
Douglas Fowley's lasting impact on the entertainment industry is characterized by his extensive filmography and his consistent presence in both film and television. He was frequently typecast as a villain; when not playing an actual criminal, he often portrayed an argumentative troublemaker. For instance, in Alexander's Ragtime Band, his character, a member of Tyrone Power's orchestra, quarrels with his bandmates in the early scenes, though this aspect of his character is not further developed.
His career spanned several decades, and he continued to act into the 1970s, sometimes billed as "Douglas V. Fowley." His most enduring legacy, however, might be his role as the father of Kim Fowley, a prominent figure in the rock and roll music scene as a musician and record producer. This connection links Douglas Fowley to a significant cultural movement beyond his own acting achievements, highlighting his family's diverse contributions to American arts.
8. Death
Douglas Fowley died on May 21, 1998, at the age of 86. He passed away at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was interred in Riverside County, California.
