Diana Douglas

**Diana Love Webster** (née **Dill**; formerly **Douglas** and **Darrid**; January 22, 1923 – July 3, 2015) was an English-American actress who was known for her marriage to actor Kirk Douglas from 1943 until their divorce in 1951. She was the mother of Michael and Joel Douglas.

## Early Life

Diana was born Diana Love Dill on January 22, 1923 in Devonshire, Bermuda to Thomas Melville Dill and Ruth Rapatije. The Dills were a prominent family in Bermuda dating back to the 17th century with Diana's great-grandather being a mariner and Thomas himself being a Lieutenant Colonel in the Bermuda Military Artillery as well as a Member of the Colonial Parliament of Bermuda for the Parish of Devonshire. Diana had a brother, Bayard Dill, who went on to become a prominent lawyer and politician, and sister Ruth Johnson, who would become an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune through marriage.

## Career

Diana would begin her acting career in 1942, taking on an uncredited background role in the film *Keeper of the Flame.* Diana would go on to star in various films throughout the 1940's to 1960's, with her being best known as Susan Rogers in *The Indian Fighter* (1955). Afterwards, Diana would move from film to television before retiring in 2008, with her final appareance being on *Heal Thyself*, an episode on Season 15 of American medical drama series *ER.* An autobiography, named *In the Wings: A Memoir*, was published in 1999.

## Personal Life

Diana would first marry American actor and filmmaker Kirk Douglas, who she had met in acting school, on November 13, 1953. The couple would have 2 sons, Michael and Joel Douglas, before divorcing in 1951. Diana would then marry actor Bill Darrid in 1956 and would remain married until his death in 1992. The couple lived with Michael and Joel on the East Coast of the United States during their marriage. Diana would remarry once again, this time to Donald Webster, at the Devonshire Parish Church in Bermuda in 2002.

## Death

Diana would die at the age of 92 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital due to ovarian cancer in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on July 3, 2015.

## Filmography

### Film

* Keeper of the Flame (1943) (Forward American Girl, uncredited)
* *The Late George Apley* (1947) (Sarah, uncredited)
* *Let's Live Again* (1948) (Terry)
* *The Sign of the Ram* (1948) (Catherine Woolton)
* *House of Strangers* (1949) (Elaine Monetti)
* *The Whistle at Eaton Falls* (1951) (Ruth Adams)
* *Storm Over Tibet* (1952) (Elaine March Simms)
* *Monsoon* (1952) (Julia)
* *The Indian Fighter* (1955) (Susan Rogers)
* *Loving* (1970) (Mrs. Shavelson)
* *Dead Man on the Run* (1975, TV Movie) (Meg)
* *Tail Gunner Joe* (1977, TV Movie) (Sarah)
* *Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn* (1977, TV Movie) (Clara Duncan)
* *Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid* (1977, TV Movie) (Mrs. Bedford)
* *Mary White* (1977, TV Movie) (Jane Addams)
* *Another Man, Another Chance* (1978) (Mary's mother)
* *Night Cries* (1978, TV Movie) (Mrs. Thueson)
* *A Fire In the Sky* (1978, TV Movie) (Mrs. Rearden)
* *Jaws of Satan* (1981) (Evelyn Downs)
* *Sister, Sister* (1982, TV Movie) (Rhoda)
* *The Star Chamber* (1983) (Adrian Caulfield)
* *Planes, Trains & Automobiles* (1987) (Peg)
* *Cold Heaven* (1991) (Mother St. Agnes)
* *A Town Torn Apart* (1992, TV Movie) (Mrs. Fenn)
* *It Runs In the Family* (2003) (Evelyn Gromberg)

### Television

* *Photocrime* (1949)
* *Masterpiece Playhouse* (1950) (Episode: *The Rivals*)
* *The Web* (1950) (Episode: *Key Witness*)
* *Kraft Television Theatre* (1951) (Episode: *Mr. Mergenthwirker's Lobblies*)
* *Armstrong Circle Theatre* (1952-1959) (Episodes: *Mr. Bemiss Takes a Trip* and *Miracle at Spring Hill*)
* *Studio One* (1953) (Episode: *Greed*)
* *Robert Montgomery Presents* (1953-1957) (Episodes: *Element of Risk*, *Goodbye, Grey Flannel,* and *Wait for Me*)
* *Medallion Theatre* (1953) (Episode: *The Decision at Arrowsmith*)
* *Three Steps to Heaven* (1953-1954) (Mary Claire "Poco" Thurmond, all episodes)
* *Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City* (1953) (Episode: *Count Bruga*)
* *General Electric Theater* (1955) (Episode: *The Seeds of Hate*)
* Medic (1956) (Episodes: *Reach of the Giant: Parts 1 and 2*)
* *Science Fiction Theatre* (1956) (Episodes: *Brain Unlimited* and *End of Tomorrow*)
* *West Point* (1956) (Episode: *Officer's Wife*)
* *Naked City* (1959) (Episodes: *Even Crows Sing Good* and *The Scorpion Sting*)
* *Flipper* (1964) (Episode: *The Second Time Around*)
* *For the People* (1965) (Episode: *The Influence of Fear*)
* *Ben Casey* (1965) (Episode: *War of Nerves*)
* *N.Y.P.D.* (1967) (Episode: *The Boy Witness*)
* *Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing* (1970-1973) (Lily Chernak Donnelly, 834 episodes)
* *Hawkins* (1973) (Episodes: *Die, Darling, Die* and *A Life For a Life*)
* *Kung Fu* (1973) (Episode: *The Tong*)
* *The Cowboys* (1974) (Annie Andersen, all episodes)
* *Cannon* (1974-1975) (Episodes: *The Avenger* and *The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 1*)
* *Barnaby Jones* (1975) (Episode: *The Deadly Conspiracy: Part 2*)
* *Lou Grant* (1977-1982) (Episodes: *Hoax* and *Review*)
* *Roots: The Next Generation* (1979) (Episode: *Part IV: 1918-1921*)
* *The Waltons* (1979) (Episodes: *The Journal*, *The Violated*, and *The Waiting*)
* *Knots Landing* (1980) (Episodes: *Bottom of the Bottle: Part 2* and *Remember the Good Times*)
* *Dynasty* (1981-1984) (Episodes: *The Verdict*, *The Vigil*, and *The Voices: Part 3*)
* *Nero Wolfe* (1981) (Episode: *In the Best Families*)
* *CHiPS* (1981) (Episode: *The Hawk and the Hunter*)
* *Remington Steele* (1982) (Episode: *Tempered Steele*)
* *Cagney & Lacey* (1983) (Episode: *The Gang's All Here*)
* *Dallas* (1983) (Episode: *The Letter*)
* *Scarecrow and Mrs. King* (1984) (Episode: *I Am Not Now, nor Have I Ever Been... a Spy*)
* *Hardcastle and McCormick* (1986) (Episode: *Hardcastle for Mayor*)
* *The Paper Chase* (1985-1986) (Professor Tyler, 17 episodes)
* *Beauty and the Beast* (1987) (Episode: *Song of Orpheus*)
* *Dark Justice* (1993) (Episode: *My Dinner With Nick*)
* *Harts of the West* (1993) (Episode: *Jake's Brother*)
* *The West Wing* (2004) (Episode: *The Stormy Present*)
* *Cold Case* (2007) (Episode: *Devil Music*)
* *ER* (2008) (Episode: *Heal Thyself*)