Successful singer and talk show host Mike Douglas was a prolific personality in the 1950s and '60s. Douglas has been compared to several other talk show hosts also born in the Midwest such as Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, and Phil Donahue. Referred to as "the Cary Grant of the coffee break," Douglas charmed American housewives with style, personality, and good looks.
Douglas was born in Chicago and began a career in show business as a singer. He started out as a choir boy in school and turned pro in 1945. After serving a stint in the U.S. Navy, Douglas turned down a Hollywood ...