Jack Douglas was a versatile and prolific comedy writer, actor, and television personality who entertained millions of people with his witty and humorous books, scripts, and appearances. He was best known for his frequent guest appearances on Jack Paar’s shows in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and for his humorous memoirs that became bestsellers in the 1960s and 1970s. He also wrote for many famous comedians and shows, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Bing Crosby, Woody Allen, Johnny Carson, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Jack Paar Show, The George Gobel Show and Laugh-In. He won an Emmy Award in 1954 for best-written comedy material.
Early Life and Career
Jack Douglas was born Douglas Linley Crickard on July 17, 1908, in Lynbrook, New York. He came from a theatrical family; his father was a theatre producer and his brother, Bill Roberton, became a theatre director. He started his career in radio, writing for Red Skelton, Bob Hope and the situation comedy Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou (1938–46), in which Riggs switched back and forth from his natural baritone to the voice of a seven-year-old girl. He also wrote for Jimmy Durante, Bing Crosby, Woody Allen, Johnny Carson, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Jack Paar Show. He moved into television in the 1950s, writing for The George Gobel Show and Laugh-In. He also wrote for movies, such as The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and The Love God? (1969).
Jack Paar and Reiko Douglas
Jack Douglas became a household name when he started appearing as a guest on Jack Paar’s shows, first on The Tonight Show and then on The Jack Paar Program. He charmed the audiences with his hilarious stories and anecdotes, often involving his third wife Reiko (née Hashimoto), a Japanese-born singer and comedian whom he married in 1960. Reiko Douglas often joined him on the shows, and the couple became a popular and beloved duo. They were also regular guests on shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson.
Humor Books and Later Years
Jack Douglas published his first humor book, My Brother Was An Only Child, in 1959. It was adapted from a book he privately printed in 1947 and sent to 400 of his friends. It stayed on the bestseller lists for months and launched his career as a humorist. He went on to write more than a dozen books, such as Never Trust a Naked Bus Driver (1960), Shut Up and Eat Your Snowshoes (1970), The Neighbors Are Scaring My Wolf (1968), and Benedict Arnold Slept Here (1975). Some of his books were based on his experiences living in different places, such as Northern Ontario, where he and Reiko bought a wilderness lodge on Bird Lake near Killarney Provincial Park in 1968, and Connecticut, where they operated their own inn.
Jack Douglas died of pneumonia on January 31, 1989, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 80. He left behind a legacy of laughter and joy that will be remembered by generations of fans and admirers. He was a comedy legend who made the world a happier place with his words and wit.
