DOUGLAS FOWLEY

May 30, 1911

Douglas Fowley was born

as Daniel Vincent Fowley, in the Bronx, New York.  

As a young man, he moved to Los Angeles and studied at Los Angeles City College. He served in the Navy during World War II.

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 Holliday in “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.”  

He made his screen debut in 1933 with The Woman Who Dared. He was first seen with Lucille Ball in the 1935 film musical Old Man Rhythm.  His first television program was an episode of “The Revlon Mirror Theatre” titled “Uncle Jack” (November 1953). 

In December 1955, Fowley appeared on Desilu’s “December Bride”, a series on which producer Desi Arnaz made an appearance in 1956. 

In 1958 he made an appearance on “The Californians”, which was filmed partly at Desilu Studios. In December 1958, Fowley played Fingers Patman on an episode of “The Danny Thomas Show” filmed by Desilu. 

In December 1963, he was back on the Desilu backlot to film an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” titled “Opie and His Merry Men.”  Fowley played a Hobo named Wary Willy. This is one of the episodes that also featured Keith Thibodeaux (aka Richard Keith), formerly Little Ricky Ricardo, as Opie’s pal Johnny Paul Jason.  The episode was directed by another “Lucy” alumni, Richard Crenna (Arthur Morton). 

In 1966 he was finally reunited with Lucille Ball playing an Native American Chief (left) in “Lucy The Rain Goddess” (TLS S4;E15). In the episode, Lucy is at a dude ranch and wanders onto Native American land and is mistaken for a rain goddess due to her likeness on a totem pole. 

A few months later, he did an episode of “Gomer Pyle USMC”, a show filmed at Desilu Studios. In November 1966, the series did a crossover with “The Lucy Show.”   “Gomer Pyle” as a spin-off of “The Andy Griffith Show” which was itself a spin-off of “The Danny Thomas Show” – all of which featured Fowley (in different roles).  In January 1970, Fowley even did an episode of “Mayberry RFD” (yet another spin-off), which began after Desilu was sold to Paramount but starred one of Lucille Ball’s proteges, Ken Berry.    

He kept acting (mostly on television) until 1982, when he made his final appearance on “Father Murphy”, in an episode that also featured “Lucy” alumni Amzie Strickland.  

He died on May 21, 1998 at age 86.  He was married seven times and had five children.