Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1909-) is my favorite actor, and arguably planet Earth's most flawless male inhabitant of all time. With his thick, brown hair, aquamarine eyes, cultured voice, and enviable acting versatility, Doug was one of the actors whom actresses longed to be cast opposite. Today, few know him outside his marriage to Joan Crawford (it lasted from 1929 to 1933) and his "countless affairs" (there weren't more than six or seven that I know of), but his career spanned an impressive 70 years (1923-1993) and it included book writing, radio shows, films, TV, stage, directing, producing, the Navy, being a member of several organizations, and, most importantly, a happy family life, the kind that many Hollywood stars rarely get to have. Doug's most famous role was that of Rupert Hentzau, who was a devastating villian because he was so cruel, but also so charming and handsome that he could get away with virtually anything. For the role, Doug curled and dyed his hair and wore only black clothes to appear twice as menacing, as well as to rid himself of his "modern" looks. The results, of course, were excellent.
Today, Doug lives in New York City and still responds to fan mail. I have two forms of correspondance from him: an autographed photo and, (this is the killer), the reply card from my Bat Mitzvah. He couldn't go, but he was the first to reply, and he wrote "Regretfully" on it. What a gentleman.
