Diana Douglas obit

Diana Douglas, mother of Michael Douglas, dies at 92

She was not on the list.

Diana Douglas, the first wife of Kirk Douglas and mother of Michael Douglas, died Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 92.

Douglas died of cancer at a motion picture industry retirement home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, according to an obituary from Michael Douglas’s production company, Furthur Films. It cited Diana Douglas’s husband of 15 years, Donald A. Webster of Washington, DC.

 

Born Diana Love Dill in Bermuda, where her family had lived for centuries and her father was the attorney general, Douglas later moved to New York and met Kirk Douglas while they were both studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

She later went to California on a $200-a-week contract with Warner Bros. against Douglas’s advice that she try for Broadway instead.

She went on to have a six-decade career as an actress and model, appearing in dozens of movies and television episodes, including the 1987 Steve Martin film “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and the TV shows “ER” and “The West Wing.”

She also did stage roles, including some on Broadway.

In May 1943, Douglas appeared on the cover of Life magazine, modeling spring fashions.

“Kirk Douglas, by then serving in the Navy during World War II, saw her on the cover and told his shipmates he would marry her,” according to the obituary.

They wed that November and went on to have two sons, Michael and Joel, before divorcing in 1951.

“We had brought to marriage such different concepts of what it constituted, what was expected due,” she wrote in her memoir, “In the Wings and Beyond.”

The two remained on amicable terms. She even appeared with him in several movies, including her last film, 2003’s “It Runs in the Family,” which also starred Michael Douglas and one of her grandsons, Cameron.

Douglas was also married to actor Bill Darrid from 1956 until his death in 1992.

 

Filmography 

Film 

Year , Title , Role , Notes  

1943 , Keeper of the Flame , Forward American Girl , Uncredited  

1947 , The Late George Apley , Sarah , Uncredited  

1948 , Let's Live Again , Terry ,  

1948 , The Sign of the Ram , Catherine Woolton ,  

1949 , House of Strangers , Elaine Monetti ,  

1949 , The Whistle at Eaton Falls , Ruth Adams , a.k.a. Richer Than the Earth (UK)  

1952 , Storm Over Tibet , Elaine March Simms , a.k.a. Mask of the Himalayas (USA: alternative title) a.k.a. Sturm über Tibet (West Germany)  

1952 , Monsoon , Julia ,  

1955 , The Indian Fighter , Susan Rogers ,  

1970 , Loving , Mrs. Shavelson ,  

1975 , Dead Man on the Run , Meg , TV movie  

1977 , Tail Gunner Joe , Sarah , TV movie  

1977 , Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn , Clara Duncan , TV movie  

1977 , Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid , Mrs. Bedford , TV movie  

1977 , Mary White , Jane Addams , TV movie  

1977 , Another Man, Another Chance , Mary's mother ,  

1978 , Night Cries , Mrs. Thueson , TV movie  

1978 , A Fire in the Sky , Mrs. Rearden , TV movie  

1981 , Jaws of Satan , Evelyn Downs , a.k.a. King Cobra  

1982 , Sister, Sister , Rhoda , TV movie  

1983 , The Star Chamber , Adrian Caulfield ,  

1987 , Planes, Trains and Automobiles , Peg ,  

1991 , Cold Heaven , Mother St. Agnes ,  

1992 , A Town Torn Apart , Mrs. Fenn , TV movie 
aka Doc: The Dennis Littky Story  

2003 , It Runs in the Family , Evelyn Gromberg ,  

 

Television 

Year , Title , Role , Notes  

1949 , Photocrime , ,  

1950 , Masterpiece Playhouse , , Episode: "The Rivals"  

1950 , The Web , , Episode: "Key Witness"  

1951 , Kraft Television Theatre , , Episode: "Mr. Mergenthwirker's Lobblies"  

1952 , Armstrong Circle Theatre , , Episode: "Mr. Bemiss Takes a Trip"  

1953 , Studio One , , Episode: "Greed" 
aka Studio One Summer Theatre (summer title) a.k.a. Studio One in Hollywood (new title) a.k.a. Summer Theatre (summer title) a.k.a. Westinghouse Studio One a.k.a. Westinghouse Summer Theatre (summer title)  

1953 , Robert Montgomery Presents , , Episode: "Element of Risk"  

1953 , Medallion Theatre , , Episode: "The Decision at Arrowsmith"  

1953 , Three Steps to Heaven , Mary Claire "Pogo" Thurmond Morgan #2 ,  

1953 , Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City , , Episode: "Count Bruga"  

1955 , General Electric Theater , Nora , Episode: "The Seeds of Hate" 
aka G.E. Theater (USA: informal short title)  

1956 , Medic , Edith Martin , Episodes: "Reach of the Giant: Part 1", "Reach of the Giant: Part 2"  

1956 , Science Fiction Theatre , Elaine Conover / Jane Brandon , 2 episodes  

1956 , West Point , Mrs. Jan Willis , Episode: "Officer's Wife"  

1956–1957 , Robert Montgomery Presents , Carla Major 
Mrs. Whitton-Betty , Episode: "Goodbye, Grey Flannel" 
Episode: "Wait for Me"  

1959 , Armstrong Circle Theatre , Mrs. Donald Jewkes , Episode: "Miracle at Spring Hill"  

1959 , Naked City , Meg Peters / Hilda Wallace , 2 episodes  

1964 , Flipper , Mrs. Granville , Episode: "The Second Time Around"  

1965 , For the People , Bernice Brandon , Episode: "The Influence of Fear"  

1965 , Ben Casey , Martha English , Episode: "War of Nerves"  

1967 , N.Y.P.D. , Mrs. Whitaker , Episode: "The Boy Witness"  

1970–1973 , Love Is a Many Splendored Thing , Lily Chernak Donnelly ,  

1973 , Hawkins , Clara Guilfoyle , Episode: "Die, Darling, Die"  

1973 , Kung Fu , Sister Richardson , Episode: "The Tong"  

1974 , The Streets of San Francisco , Mrs. Adele Sloane , Episode: "Chapel of the Damned"  

1974 , The Cowboys , Annie Andersen ,  

1974–1975 , Cannon , Mrs. Foxworth 
Alex Parks , Episode: "The Avenger" (1974) 
Episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy" (1975)  

1975 , Barnaby Jones , Alice Parks , Episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2"  

1977 , Lou Grant , Norma Cardell , Episode: "Hoax"  

1979 , Roots: The Next Generations , Mrs. Andy Warner , 1 episode  

1979 , The Waltons , Mrs. Denman , Episodes: "The Journal", "The Violated", "The Waiting"  

1980 , Knots Landing , Dr. Charlotte Kramer , 2 episodes  

1981 , Nero Wolfe , Sarah Rackham , Episode: "In the Best Families"  

1981 , CHiPs , Vera Baricza , Episode: "The Hawk and the Hunter"  

1982 , Lou Grant , Carole Fuller , Episode: "Review"  

1982 , Remington Steele , Hannah Dillon , Episode: "Tempered Steele"  

1983 , Cagney & Lacey , Blanche , Episode: "The Gang's All Here"  

1983 , Dallas , Dr. Suzanne Lacey , Episode: "The Letter"  

1984 , Scarecrow and Mrs. King , Evelyn McGuire , Episode: "I Am Not Now, nor Have I Ever Been... a Spy"  

1986 , Hardcastle and McCormick , Frances , Episode: "Hardcastle for Mayor"  

1985–1986 , The Paper Chase , Professor Tyler , 17 episodes  

1987 , Beauty and the Beast , Margaret Chase , Episode: "Song of Orpheus"  

1993 , Dark Justice , Mrs. Collins , Episode: "My Dinner with Nick"  

1993 , Harts of the West , Betty , Episode: "Jake's Brother"  

2004 , The West Wing , Libby Lassiter , Episode: "The Stormy Present"  

2007 , Cold Case , Mrs. Valentine '07 , Episode: "Devil Music"  

2008 , ER , Bertha Mendenhall , Episode: "Heal Thyself", (final appearance)