Douglass Montgomery

Intro

Douglass Montgomery played young men whose confidence was often tested by romance, family expectations or suspicion. For many viewers his clearest point of recognition is Laurie in George Cukor's Little Women, the 1933 adaptation starring Katharine Hepburn. His career also includes a Stephen Foster biography, a Dickens mystery and the ensemble of The Cat and the Canary. The images gathered here follow those changes of setting, presenting three separate productions rather than variations on a single studio portrait. Earlier credits under Kent Douglass belong to the same performer.

Career snapshot

The Broadway record shows substantial stage work before the best-remembered films. Montgomery appeared as Tommy in God Loves Us in 1926 and Tommy Brown in Crime in 1927, followed by roles in Faust and Caprice. Such a record places him within an active theatrical career rather than treating his movie appearance as a sudden discovery. His later stage credits include Joe in the 1939 revival of They Knew What They Wanted. The different character names are worth retaining because they identify actual productions, not merely a general claim that he worked on Broadway.

The entry point

Under the name Kent Douglass, he acted opposite Mae Clarke in James Whale's Waterloo Bridge (1931). TCM's account identifies his character Roy as a young Canadian soldier in a wartime romance with Clarke's Myra. The early billing can confuse a search for his work, particularly because another actor was known as Robert Montgomery. Following both names restores this film to the same career. The dramatic setting is much harsher than a conventional drawing-room courtship: Roy's expectations encounter a woman whose circumstances he does not fully understand.

Screen identity and style

Little Women brought him into the orbit of the March family as Laurie Laurence. Hepburn played Jo, Joan Bennett played Amy, and Paul Lukas appeared as Professor Bhaer. Laurie's friendship with Jo becomes complicated when she cannot return his romantic feelings; his later marriage to Amy forms part of the sisters' changing adult lives. The surviving trailer frame names Montgomery directly above his face, preserving a small piece of the film's original promotion. It connects an identifiable performer to a particular adaptation, rather than suggesting that all screen Lauries share one interpretation.

Collaborations and patterns

In Harmony Lane (1935), Montgomery played composer Stephen Foster for director Joseph Santley. Evelyn Venable, Adrienne Ames and William Frawley were among his fellow performers. The film uses Foster's life and songs as material for a dramatized screen biography; the role should not be confused with authorship of the music. The selected close-up shows Montgomery in the film's period costume. Moving from Laurie to Foster meant carrying a story centered on a named historical figure, with the actor's appearance and relationships helping organize a musical narrative.

Era reflection

The same year's Mystery of Edwin Drood cast him as Neville Landless opposite Claude Rains as John Jasper, with Heather Angel as Rosa Bud and David Manners as Edwin Drood. Neville becomes a suspect and later takes an active part in uncovering the mystery. By 1939, Montgomery appeared as Charles Wilder in The Cat and the Canary, a suspense comedy led by Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. Its publicity photograph places him at the far left of a four-person group, beside Hope, Goddard and John Beal, giving a broader ensemble view than the two close-ups.

Legacy and rediscovery

Montgomery's stage career extended to the 1959 play The Legend of Lizzie, in which he played District Attorney Sewell. He died in Norwalk, Connecticut, in July 1966. His surviving work rewards a search that includes both Douglass Montgomery and Kent Douglass, while keeping him distinct from Robert Montgomery. Rewatching the films in this gallery offers three different points of entry: the youthful romantic figure in Little Women, the biographical lead in Harmony Lane and a member of an anxious inheritance gathering in The Cat and the Canary.

Selected screen roles

• Waterloo Bridge: Roy (credited as Kent Douglass) — 1931
• Little Women: Laurie Laurence — 1933
• Harmony Lane: Stephen Foster — 1935
• Mystery of Edwin Drood: Neville Landless — 1935
• The Cat and the Canary: Charles Wilder — 1939

A career in pictures

A composer biography, a literary adaptation and an ensemble publicity photograph.

Harmony Lane (1935)

Stephen Foster

Montgomery in a period-costume close-up from the film.

Little Women trailer (1933)

Laurie Laurence

Original trailer frame identifying Montgomery by name.

The Cat and the Canary (1939)

Charles Wilder

Left to right: Montgomery, Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard and John Beal; Photoplay, December 1939.

Rewatch notes

• Kent Douglass was an earlier professional name.
• He played Laurie in the 1933 Little Women.
• He portrayed Stephen Foster in Harmony Lane.