Hal Douglas

Hal Douglas

Born: September 1, 1924
Died: March 7, 2014
in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Harold Douglas (born Harold Cohen; September 1, 1924 – March 7, 2014) was an American voice actor best known for performing thousands of voice-overs for movie trailers, television commercials, and stage plays over the course of a six-decade career. Born Harold Cohen in Stamford, Connecticut, on September 1, 1924, the son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, Samuel and Miriam Levenson Cohen, Douglas and his brother Edwin were primarily raised by their grandparents Sarah and Tevya Levenson after their mother died when Douglas was only nine. He served in World War II, and attended the University of Miami in Florida as a drama major.

Douglas began a career in radio in the 1950s. By the 1960s, he had become a producer for several prominent advertising agencies in New York City. He finally moved into doing voice-overs for commercials, promos, and trailers by the early 1970s, and would continue doing so until his retirement in the late 2000s. Because many of his trailers have begun with the words "In a world", there is controversy over whether his voice has immortalized them. In addition, Douglas has been the promotional voice for The WB, ABC, A&E, Disney's Halloween Treat, A Disney Halloween, Disney Channel's "Vault Disney" (1997–2002), and The History Channel. He did the voiceover narration for the 1997 Detroit Red Wings, the 1994 and 1995 Houston Rockets and the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls championship documentaries. Because he recorded so many trailers through the years, he was sometimes mistaken for Don LaFontaine.[citation needed] He can be seen parodying himself in the trailer for Comedian, a documentary that features Jerry Seinfeld. Douglas provided narration for the trailer for the novel All the Talk Is Dead by Michael Ebner. Unlike most movie trailer announcers, Douglas lived in Northern Virginia and his agent was based in New York City instead of Los Angeles. Hal Douglas was described by a Miramax publicist as "perhaps the most recognizable trailer voice in the business". Douglas's voice briefly appears in the skit "5 Men and a Limo", featuring other notable voiceover recording artists, such as Don LaFontaine, John Leader, Nick Tate, Al Chalk, and Mark Elliot. As the skit was filmed in California, and as Douglas was primarily based in the East Coast, he was unable to make a physical appearance, and only is heard in a brief recording.

In 1988 Douglas moved from Pawling, New York, to a 40-acre farm in Lovettsville, Virginia, where he pursued organic gardening and his wife took up competitive horse riding. He had a small recording studio built there that allowed him to do his work at home, sometimes in pajamas. Douglas died at his home on March 7, 2014, of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 89

Movies for Hal Douglas...

The Great Satan
Title: The Great Satan
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: June 12, 2018
Type: Movie
The found footage collective, Everything is Terrible! Has taken over 2,000 forgotten VHS tapes and re-contextualized them in order to tell the tale of The Dark Lord himself, Lucifer.
bee
The Holiday
Title: The Holiday
Character: Movie Trailer Narrator (voice)
Released: December 8, 2006
Type: Movie
Two women, one from the United States and one from the United Kingdom, swap homes at Christmas time after bad breakups with their boyfriends. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.
bee
Toronto Maple Leafs Forever: The Tradition of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Title: Toronto Maple Leafs Forever: The Tradition of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Character: Narrator
Released: May 15, 2002
Type: Movie
A look back at the 75 year history of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team.
bee
5 Men and a Limo
Title: 5 Men and a Limo
Released: January 1, 1997
Type: Movie
5 Men and a Limo is a 1997 American short film produced by Aspect Ratio Films as an introduction sketch for the 26th Annual Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards. In the film voiceover actor Don LaFontaine picks up four other voiceover actors in his limo to travel to the awards. The actors talk about themselves and the awards, making humorous references to common phrases and techniques they use when voicing movie trailers.
bee
Houdini
Title: Houdini
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: October 5, 1996
Type: Movie
The film takes a look back at the life of the great Houdini, escape-artist and magician extraordinaire. It also looks into his trying to debunk spiritualists and his silent movie career. It also investigates his promise to return in the afterlife if it is at all possible.
bee
Waterworld
Title: Waterworld
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: July 28, 1995
Type: Movie
In a futuristic world where the polar ice caps have melted and made Earth a liquid planet, a beautiful barmaid rescues a mutant seafarer from a floating island prison. They escape, along with her young charge, Enola, and sail off aboard his ship. But the trio soon becomes the target of a menacing pirate who covets the map to 'Dryland'—which is tattooed on Enola's back.
bee
Below the Rim
Title: Below the Rim
Character: Self - Narrator
Released: January 1, 1995
Type: Movie
Men among giants, the NBA's little big men are the unsung heroes of the court. Defying the odds, these players rise to levels above and beyond even their own expectations. Marvel at the men who beat the odds to make it in a big man's game: Mark Price's amazing long-range shooting, Spud Webb's incredible dunks, and Tim Hardaway's killer cross-over.
bee
Patrick Ewing - Standing Tall
Title: Patrick Ewing - Standing Tall
Character: Narrator
Released: December 1, 1993
Type: Movie
This documentary provides an intimate look at NBA center Patrick Ewing and proves that there is more to this man than game-saving blocks and slams. Catch footage of him as a schoolboy star in Boston, revisit his college career at Georgetown, snag a courtside seat for his battles as the centerpiece of the resurgent New York Knicks, and fly with him to Barcelona to be part of the historic "Dream Team." Rare footage and detailed interviews capture some of Ewing's career-building moments and give fans a taste of the celebrity center's friendly demeanor.
bee
Disney's Halloween Treat
Title: Disney's Halloween Treat
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: October 30, 1982
Type: Movie
Contains memorable scenes from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Fantasia," "Lady and the Tramp," "Peter Pan," "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," and "The Sword in the Stone."