Hal Douglas facts for kids

Harold Douglas was a famous American voice actor. He was born Harold Cohen on September 1, 1924, and passed away on March 7, 2014. He was known for his voice-overs in thousands of movie trailers and TV commercials. His career lasted for over 60 years!

Hal's Early Life

Harold "Hal" Douglas was born Harold Cohen in Stamford, Connecticut. This was on September 1, 1924. His parents were Samuel and Miriam Levenson Cohen. Hal and his brother Edwin were mostly raised by their grandparents. This happened after their mother passed away when Hal was only nine years old.

Hal served in World War II. After the war, he went to the University of Miami in Florida. He studied drama there.

His Amazing Career

Hal Douglas started his career in radio in the 1950s. By the 1960s, he was a producer for big advertising companies in New York City. In the early 1970s, he began doing voice-overs. These were for commercials, TV shows, and movie trailers. He kept doing this work until he retired in the late 2000s.

The Voice of "In a World"

Many of Hal's movie trailers started with the famous words "In a world." Some people wonder if he made this phrase famous. Another voice actor, Don LaFontaine, also used this phrase a lot.

Hal Douglas was also the voice for many TV channels. These included The WB, ABC, and A&E. He also did voices for special Disney shows. These were Disney's Halloween Treat and A Disney Halloween. He was also the voice for Disney Channel's "Vault Disney" and The History Channel.

Sports Documentaries and More

Hal also narrated many sports documentaries. He did the voice-over for the 1997 Detroit Red Wings championship. He also narrated for the 1994 and 1995 Houston Rockets. Plus, he voiced the 1992, 1993, 1996, and 1997 Chicago Bulls championship films. He narrated other NBA documentaries from the 1990s too.

Because he recorded so many trailers, people sometimes confused him with Don LaFontaine. Hal even made fun of himself in the trailer for Comedian. This was a documentary featuring Jerry Seinfeld.

Hal Douglas also narrated the trailer for a book. It was called All the Talk Is Dead by Michael Ebner.

Working from Home

Unlike most movie trailer announcers, Hal Douglas lived in Northern Virginia. His agent was in New York City. Most voice actors like him live in Los Angeles. A publicist from Miramax once called Hal Douglas "perhaps the most recognizable trailer voice in the business."

Hal Douglas's voice was briefly heard in a skit called 5 Men and a Limo. This skit featured other famous voice actors. Since Hal lived on the East Coast, he couldn't be there in person. So, they used a short recording of his voice.

Hal's Personal Life

In 1988, Hal Douglas moved from Pawling, New York. He moved to a 40-acre farm in Lovettsville, Virginia. There, he enjoyed organic gardening. His wife, Ruth Francis Douglas, took up competitive horse riding.

Hal had a small recording studio built at his home. This allowed him to do his work from home. Sometimes, he even worked in his pajamas! Hal Douglas passed away at his home on March 7, 2014. He was 89 years old. He died from pancreatic cancer.