 After the war, Douglas returned to New York City and found work in radio, theater and commercials.In his radio work, he acted in network soap operas, and saw those experiences as being especially valuable, as skill in using one's voice is important for aspiring actors; he regretted that the same avenues were no longer available.His stage break occurred when he took over the role played by Richard Widmark in "Kiss and Tell" (1943), which then led to other offers.