Lloyd C. Douglas facts for kids

Lloyd Cassel Douglas (born August 27, 1877 – died February 13, 1951) was an American minister and a very popular author. He became famous for his inspiring novels, even though he didn't start writing them until he was 50 years old.

About Lloyd Cassel Douglas

Early Life and Education

Lloyd Cassel Douglas was born in Columbia City, Indiana. His father was also a minister, so the family moved around a lot. They lived in places like Monroeville and Wilmot, Indiana, and also Florence, Kentucky. In Florence, his father, Alexander Jackson Douglas, was a pastor at the Hopeful Lutheran Church.

Lloyd Douglas studied at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. He earned his master's degree there in 1903. After finishing college, he became a Lutheran minister.

Life as a Minister

After becoming a minister, Douglas married Bessie I. Porch. They had two daughters together, Bessie J. Douglas and Virginia V. Douglas.

He served as a pastor in several towns. These included North Manchester, Indiana; Lancaster, Ohio; and Washington, D.C..

From 1911 to 1915, Douglas worked at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was in charge of religious activities there. For the next six years, he was a minister at The First Congregational Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This was a university town.

In 1920, he moved to Akron, Ohio. He served as the Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Akron until 1926. That year, he moved to Los Angeles, California, for another pastor job. His last church was St. James United Church in Montreal, Quebec.

Douglas later decided to stop being a full-time pastor to focus on writing.

Becoming a Famous Author

Lloyd Douglas wrote his first novel, Magnificent Obsession, in 1929. It became popular right away. Critics said his books were like other great religious stories from the past, such as Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis.

After this first success, Douglas wrote many more novels. Some of his well-known books include Forgive Us Our Trespasses, Precious Jeopardy, Green Light, White Banners, Disputed Passage, Invitation To Live, Doctor Hudson's Secret Journal, The Robe, and The Big Fisherman.

Books Made into Movies

Many of Lloyd Douglas's popular novels were made into movies and TV shows. This is called an "adaptation."

Magnificent Obsession was made into a movie twice. The first film was in 1935, starring Robert Taylor and Irene Dunne. The second movie was in 1954, with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman.

In 1937, Green Light became a movie starring Errol Flynn. White Banners was released in 1938, with Claude Raines and Fay Bainter. The film Disputed Passage came out in 1939. A TV series called Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal aired from 1955 to 1957. It starred John Howard as Dr. Wayne Hudson.

His novel The Robe sold over 2 million copies. Douglas sold the rights for The Robe to be a movie. The film, starring Richard Burton, was released in 1953, after Douglas had passed away.

Douglas had some difficult experiences with his books being made into movies. When he wrote The Big Fisherman, which was a sequel to The Robe, he tried to set rules. He said it would be his last novel and that it couldn't be made into a movie or used on radio. However, movie companies found ways around his rules. The Big Fisherman was filmed in 1959. It starred Howard Keel as Peter.

Douglas's last book was his autobiography, Time To Remember. It told the story of his life up to his education for ministry. He died before he could write the second part of his story. His daughters, Virginia Douglas Dawson and Betty Douglas Wilson, finished the book. It was published after his death as The Shape of Sunday.

Lloyd Douglas died in Los Angeles, California.

List of Works

Novels

Magnificent Obsession series:

• Magnificent Obsession (1929), ISBN: 9780848804794
• Doctor Hudson's Secret Journal (1939), a prequel, ISBN: 9780854560561

The Robe series:

• The Robe (1942), ISBN: 9780432031063
• The Big Fisherman (1948), ISBN: 9780395076309

Stand-alone novels:

• More Than a Prophet (1905), ISBN: 9780548158364
• Forgive Us Our Trespasses (1932), ISBN: 9780671782955
• Precious Jeopardy: A Christmas Story (1933),
• Green Light (1935), ISBN: 9780340750247
• White Banners (1936), ISBN: 9780330201612
• Home For Christmas (1937), ISBN: 9789333182928
• Disputed Passage (1939), ISBN: 9780432031018
• Invitation to Live (1940), ISBN: 9781930548077

Non-fiction Books

• Wanted – A Congregation (1920), about religion, ISBN: 9780243732357
• An Affair Of The Heart (1922), about religion, ISBN: 9781245918749
• The Minister's Everyday Life (1924), about religion, ASIN B004MGLCZU
• These Sayings of Mine: An Interpretation of the Teachings of Jesus (1926), about religion, ASIN B003KCTOFW
• Those Disturbing Miracles (1927), about religion, ISBN: 9780766166349
• The College Student Facing A Muddled World (1933), about society
• Time to Remember (1951), his autobiography, ASIN B0167Q3QZ6
• The Living Faith: Selected Sermons (1955), about religion,

Other Works

• The Fate Of The Limited (1919)

Film and TV Adaptations

• Magnificent Obsession (1935), a film based on the novel Magnificent Obsession
• Green Light (1937), a film based on the novel Green Light
• White Banners (1938), a film based on the novel White Banners
• Disputed Passage (1939), a film based on the novel Disputed Passage
• The Robe (1953), a film based on the novel The Robe
• Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954), a film based on the novel The Robe
• Magnificent Obsession (1954), a film based on the novel Magnificent Obsession
• Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal (1955–1957), a TV series based on the novel Doctor Hudson's Secret Journal
• Luz da Esperança (1956), a TV series based on the novel Green Light
• Sublime Obsessão (1958), a TV series based on the novel Magnificent Obsession
• The Big Fisherman (1959), a film based on the novel The Big Fisherman