Recognizable Voice in Movies Dies at 89

 
Popular movie trailer announcer Hal Douglas has passed away at the age of 89. Douglas lived in Northern Virginia and performed thousands of voiceovers for movie trailers, television commercials and stage plays over the course of a six-decade career.

The son of Samuel and Miriam Levenson Cone, Hal and his brother Edwin were primarily raised by their grandparents Sarah and Tevya Levenson, after their mother died when Hal was 9. Douglas trained as a pilot and served three years in the Navy during World War II. He wrote fiction in his spare time and, upon finishing his tour of duty, enrolled at the University of Miami, where he studied acting. He changed his last name to Douglas after moving to New York and began supplementing his slight income from acting gigs with voiceover and announcer work on both radio and television. Douglas soon became one of the most sought-after vocal talents for commercials and lead-ins for TV shows.

Douglas began his career in the 1950s and continued working until two years prior to his death on March 7, 2014, from pancreatic cancer. Douglas died at his home in Lovettsville, Va. He's survived by his wife of 43 years, Ruth Francis Douglas; their daughter Sarah Douglas; and two sons, Jon and Jeremy.

SAG-AFTRA sends its condolences to Douglas’ family, friends and co-workers. He will be truly missed.

This item was originally featured in the March 2014 local newsletter.