Douglas Campbell CM (1922 - 2009)

Born 11 Jun 1922 in Glasgow, Scotland

Husband of Ann (Casson) Campbell — married Jan 1947 in Chelsea, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 6 Oct 2009 at age 87 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Biography

Douglas Campbell CM is Notable.

Douglas Campbell CM was born in Scotland.

Douglas Campbell CM migrated from England to Canada.

Douglas Campbell, CM was a Canadian-based stage actor who was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

Douglas was born 11 Juen 1922 ^[1] in Glasgow, Scotland.^[2][3] His parents were Dugald Campbell, a post office worker, and Ethel Sloan,^[4] an amateur actress who promoted theatre as a tool for communicating ideas to the working class. ^[5] His ambition was to be a painter, but his father discouraged that idea. When he was kicked out of school for refusing to wear a gas mask because he saw it as a preparation for war, he became a conscientious objector ^[6] during the Second World War.

Douglas' interest in theatre began at the age of 17 when he worked as a stage hand at London's Old Vic Theatre with Tyrone Guthrie's production of King John. He first performed in the 1941 Old Vic touring productions of Medea and Jacob's Ladder. ^[3][4] The touring company in north Wales was headed by Lewis Casson and Sybil Thorndike, whose daughter Ann he later married. ^[6]

Douglas' marriage to Ann Casson was registered in the Jan-Feb-Mar quarter of 1947 in the Chelsea district of London, England.^[7][8] Ann was an actress and daughter of Sir Lewis Casson and Dame Sybil Thorndike. Ann died in 1990. They had several children: Ben, Tom, Teresa, and Dirk. ^[9][3][4]

Douglas was invited to Canada in 1953 by Tyrone Guthie, who had just been appointed the first artistic director of the fledgling Stratford Festival of Canada. ^[3] He performed many times with the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada ^[4] and later in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He probably left Liverpool, England 19 May 1953, age 31, on ship Empress of Australia headed for Montreal, Canada. ^[10]

Douglas founded the Canadian Players in 1954. They toured platform-style productions without costumes or scenery to theatre-starved areas. ^[6] He was assistant director and later artistic director at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis from 1966-1967. He was awarded the Order of Canada on 17 April 1997. Campbell received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in 2003.^[11] Over the course of 25 seasons at the Shakespeare festival in Stratford, Ontario, he played and directed many plays.

In Minneapolis, his socialism, commitment to nuclear disarmament, and his opposition to the Vietnam War put him at odds with the authorities. He was often harassed at the American-Canadian border, and was once refused entry. ^[6]

He applied for his US Social Security number in New York in 1957-1958. ^[1]

He played and directed on Broadway, occasionally returning to the UK for some shows at the Old Vic in 1960-61. In 1972, he went as an actor and artistic adviser to the new Crucible theatre in Sheffield. He also set up Theatre North to tour provincial theatres in the north of England. Touring was what Campbell thought theatre was about. ^[6]

Douglas had a relationship with Moira Wylie in the late 1960's. She was an actress and director, with whom he had two children, Beatrice and Torquil. ^[3][4] He married Moira ^[2] in 1993. ^[3]

He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1990. ^[5]

In 2000, his final 'film' role was playing Santa Claus in Once Upon a Christmas movie. He also was in the TV mini-series Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story.^[3] He was in rehearsal as the Judge in a Canadian production of Inherit the Wind when he became ill. ^[6]

Douglas died 6 October 2009, age 87, ^[12][1] in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ^[3][2] At the time of his death, he had plans to be in two plays at the Segal Cente for Performing Arts. ^[5]

Research Notes

There is another Douglas Campbell that left Southampton, England Aug 2 1953, age 31, on ship Ryndam headed for New York, New York USA. His occuption is listed as an Attorney. ^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014". Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File. Ancestry Record 3693 #86158268 (accessed 14 December 2021). Douglas Campbell death 6 Oct 2009.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "Canada, Obituary Collection, 1898-Current". Globe and mail; Publication Date: 8/ Oct/ 2009; Publication Place: Toronto, Can, Canada; URL: http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20091008.OBBRIEFCAMBELLART02140//TPStory/Obituaries. Ancestry Record 8961 #21939367 (accessed 14 December 2021). Name: Douglas Campbell; Gender: Male; Death Age: 87; Birth Date: 11 Jun 1922; Birth Place: Glasgow; Residence Place: Stratford; Death Date: Abt 2009; Death Place: Montreal; Obituary Date: 8 Oct 2009; Spouse: Moira Wylie.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} Wikipedia:Douglas_Campbell_(actor)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Douglas Campbell Biography on film reference
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Douglas Campbell Obituary in Montreal Gazette Montreal Gazette, (Montreal, Canada, published Oot 6 2009)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Douglas Campbell obituary in The Guardian published 11 Nov 2009
7. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVDS-RH7Q : 8 October 2014), Douglas Campbell and null, 1947; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1947, quarter 1, vol. 5C, p. 558, Chelsea, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
8. ↑ "England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005". General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 5c; Page: 558. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record ONSmarriage1984 #57704019 (accessed 14 December 2021). Douglas Campbell marriage in Jan 1947.
9. ↑ Ann's Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39390087/ann-casson : accessed 14 December 2021), memorial page for Ann Casson (6 Nov 1915–2 May 1990), Find A Grave: Memorial #39390087, ; Maintained by Natalia Danesi (contributor 46834833) Unknown, who reports a Hampstead, London, England.
10. ↑ "United Kingdom, Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1890-1960", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68PG-F4RQ : 28 October 2021), Douglas Campbell, 1953.
11. ↑ Douglas Campbell (1922-2009) 2003 Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Theatre) Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, Ottawa, Ontario
12. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5P7-L6Y : 12 January 2021), Douglas Campbell, 06 Oct 2009; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
13. ↑ "UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960". The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27-180806. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2997 #138991498 (accessed 14 December 2021). Name: Douglas Campbell; Gender: Male; Departure Age: 31; Birth Date: abt 1922; Departure Date: 2 Aug 1953; Departure Port: England; Ship Name: Ryndam; Shipping Line: Holland-American Line; Destination Port: New York, USA; Master: J P Boshoff.