Douglas Shearer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Douglas Shearer
Born	Douglas Graham Shearer (1899-11-17)November 17, 1899 Westmount, Quebec, Canada
Died	January 5, 1971(1971-01-05) (aged 71) Culver City, California, U.S.
Occupation	Sound designer, sound director
Years active	1928–1968
Spouse(s)	Marion B. Tilden ​ ​ (m. 1922; died 1931)​ Ann Cunningham ​ ​ (m. 1932, died)​ Avice Curry ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	2
Relatives	Andrew Shearer (father) Norma Shearer (sister) Athole Shearer (sister) Cresswell Shearer (uncle)

Douglas Graham Shearer (born November 17, 1899 – died January 5, 1971) was a Canadian-American sound expert. He was a pioneer in making movies sound amazing! Douglas helped create new ways to add sound to films. He was the older brother of famous actress Norma Shearer. Douglas won seven Academy Awards for his incredible work. In 2008, he was honored on Canada's Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Film Career

Douglas Shearer was born in Westmount, Quebec, Canada. His family faced tough times when his father's business failed. This led to his parents separating. Douglas stayed in Montreal with his father, Andrew. His two younger sisters, Norma Shearer and Athole Shearer, moved to New York City with their mother, Edith. Both sisters later became Hollywood actresses.

Douglas could not afford to go to university. So, he left school and took various jobs. In 1924, he visited his mother and sisters in Hollywood, California. They had moved there a few years earlier. Douglas decided to stay in Hollywood too. He found a job at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios. His sister Norma was already working there.

At MGM, Douglas started in the camera department. But he was very interested in adding sound to movies. This interest led to a career that lasted over 40 years! Douglas once said, "What I knew about sound you could have put in a nutshell." He became the studio's "one-man sound department" almost overnight. He was given the job because they desperately needed someone.

Douglas became a very important inventor. He created new sound technologies for films. One of his big contributions was a system that removed unwanted background noise. This made movie sound much clearer.

Over his long career, Douglas Shearer was nominated for 21 Academy Awards. He won seven Oscars for his work in Sound and Special Effects. He was the main sound director for most MGM films from 1930 to 1953.

In 1955, Douglas became MGM's director of technical research. He retired in 1968. By then, he had won seven more Scientific or Technical Academy Awards. The book The Film Encyclopedia (2001) says he "contributed more than any other man in Hollywood to the perfection of motion picture sound."

Personal Life and Family

Douglas Shearer married Marion B. Tilden in Montreal in 1922. Sadly, she passed away in 1931. The next year, he married Ann Cunningham in California. Ann also worked at MGM studios. They had two sons, Mark and Stephen. Later, he married Avice Curry.

Later Years and Legacy

Douglas Shearer passed away in Culver City, California, in 1971. His work changed how movies sounded forever. He helped create the amazing sound quality we enjoy in films today.

Awards and Nominations

Scientific and Technical Academy Award

• 7 wins

Academy Award for Sound (Wins):

• The Big House (1930)
• Naughty Marietta (1935)
• San Francisco (1936)
• Strike Up the Band (1940)
• The Great Caruso (1951)

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (Wins):

• Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
• Green Dolphin Street (1947)

Academy Award for Sound (Nominations):

• Viva Villa! (1934)
• Maytime (1937)
• Sweethearts (1938)
• Balalaika (1939)
• The Chocolate Soldier (1941)
• Mrs. Miniver (1942)
• Madame Curie (1943)
• Kismet (1944)
• They Were Expendable (1945)
• Green Dolphin Street (1947)

Academy Award for Best Special Effects (Nominations):

• The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Boom Town (1940)
• Flight Command (1941)
• Mrs. Miniver (1942)

See also

• Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood
• Recording Director