# Sharon Douglas > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sharon_Douglas > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sharon_Douglas.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Douglas > Source revision: 1338180410 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Sharon Douglas** (born **Rhoda-Nelle Rader**; October 16, 1920 – June 18, 2016) was an American film and radio actress, most active in the 1940s and 1950s.[1] ## Early life The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.M. Rader,[2] Douglas was born in [Stephens County, Oklahoma](/source/Stephens_County,_Oklahoma).[3] (A newspaper article about her high school graduation gives her first name as **Rhodanelle**.)[4] She graduated from Las Cruces Union High School in [Las Cruces, New Mexico](/source/Las_Cruces,_New_Mexico).[4] ## Career She moved to Hollywood in 1939, struck up a friendship with [Hedda Hopper](/source/Hedda_Hopper), and became her [protégé](/source/Prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9), with regular appearances on Hopper's popular 1940s radio show. Her stage name was chosen in tribute to her mother's Scottish ancestry. Hopper had NBC hire Douglas to play [Lana Turner](/source/Lana_Turner) in a radio biography of her early life, and later introduced her to the RKO movie mogul [Howard Hughes](/source/Howard_Hughes), who took her personally under his wing, pitching her as a rival to [Jane Greer](/source/Jane_Greer).[1] Douglas's earliest roles in film were bit parts, but in 1942 was offered a lead role in *[A Gentleman After Dark](/source/A_Gentleman_After_Dark)*, opposite [Brian Donlevy](/source/Brian_Donlevy). Other good parts followed, but radio was where Douglas "really found her métier", in long-running serials such as 1944's *The Gallant Heart*, and the 132-week World War II run of *[The Life of Riley](/source/The_Life_of_Riley)*, starring William Bendix and a "monumental success".[1] She portrayed Babs, Riley's daughter, in the program.[5] Other roles on radio included Bobby's girlfriend in *The Remarkable Miss Tuttle*,[6] Millie Anderson in *[A Day in the Life of Dennis Day](/source/A_Day_in_the_Life_of_Dennis_Day)*,[7] Mabel in *Joan Davis Time*,[7] Virginia Brickel in *My Mother's Husband*,[7] and Terry Burton in *The Second Mrs. Burton*.[7] Her other work in radio included *[The Abbott and Costello Show](/source/The_Abbott_and_Costello_Show_(radio_program))*.[7] ## Personal life On July 30, 1946, Douglas married Lebanese-American producer [Edward Nassour](/source/Edward_Nassour) in Hollywood, California.[2] They had four children together. In 1962 he committed suicide. Douglas had two other short marriages, both of which ended in divorce.[1] ## Death Douglas died on June 18, 2016, aged 95. The location was not disclosed.[8] She was survived by her children.[3] ## Filmography - *[A Gentleman After Dark](/source/A_Gentleman_After_Dark)* (1942) - *[Wedtime Stories](/source/Wedtime_Stories)* (short, 1943) - *[The Navy Way](/source/The_Navy_Way)* (1944) - *[Fog Island](/source/Fog_Island)* (1945) - *[Our Hearts Were Growing Up](/source/Our_Hearts_Were_Growing_Up)* (1946) - *[Pretty Maids All in a Row](/source/Pretty_Maids_All_in_a_Row)* (1971) - *[The Daughters of Joshua Cabe](/source/The_Daughters_of_Joshua_Cabe)* (1972) - *[The Vendetta](/source/The_Vendetta)* (1974) - *[The F.B.I.](/source/The_F.B.I._(TV_series))* (1974) - *[Jimmy B. & André](/source/Jimmy_B._%26_Andr%C3%A9)* (1980) ## Radio - *[The Second Mrs. Burton](/source/The_Second_Mrs._Burton)* (1941–43) - *[The Gallant Heart](/source/The_Gallant_Heart)* (1944) - *[The Life of Riley](/source/The_Life_of_Riley)* (WW2) - *[The Sky’s the Limit](/source/The_Sky%E2%80%99s_the_Limit)* (1949) - *[The Abbott & Costello Show](/source/The_Abbott_and_Costello_Show_(radio_program))* (1949–52) ## References 1. ["Sharon Douglas, actress – obituary"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/07/sharon-douglas-actress--obituary). *The Telegraph*. 2016-07-07. Retrieved 2016-07-16. 1. ["Cruces Film Actress Weds in Hollywood"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5942415/las_cruces_sunnews/). *Las Cruces Sun-News*. August 1, 1946. p. 3. Retrieved July 19, 2016. – via Newspapers.com. 1. ["Sharon Douglas, actress – obituary"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/07/sharon-douglas-actress--obituary/). *The Telegraph*. July 7, 2016. 1. ["81 Receive Diplomas at L.C. High School Tonight"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5942189/las_cruces_sunnews/). *Las Cruces Sun-News*. May 25, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2016. – via Newspapers.com. 1. ["Profile"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5942617/sunday_times_signal). *Sunday Times Signal*. August 20, 1944. p. 13. Retrieved July 19, 2016. – via Newspapers.com. 1. ["(untitled brief)"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5942516/belvidere_daily_republican/). *Belvidere Daily Republican*. July 16, 1942. p. 5. Retrieved July 19, 2016. – via Newspapers.com. 1. Terrace, Vincent (1999). *Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows*. McFarland & Company, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P.5. 1. Lentz, Harris III (September 2016). "Obituaries: Sharon Douglas, 85". *Classic Images*. '***(495): 56.*** ## External links - [Sharon Douglas](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0235248/) at IMDb --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sharon Douglas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Douglas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Douglas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.