The movie trailer voice has died. Hal Douglas was the voice of movies. With a few words, the gruff voice could tell the story of a movie and give those trailers nuanced atmosphere, excitement, suspense and fun. Hal Douglas, the movie trailer voice of generations, was 89.

Hal Douglas, the veteran voice-over artist who worked on trailers for movies as diverse as "Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump," "Coneheads" and "Lethal Weapon" died on March 7.

Sarah Douglas, the daughter of the legendary movie trailer voice, told The New York Times her father died of complications of pancreatic cancer.

In a statement on a memorial website for her father, Sarah Douglas said, "Hal was known not only for his incomparable voice, which could be heard on thousands of movie trailers, television and radio promos, commercials, documentaries, and as the spokesman for numerous broadcast networks, but also for his warmth, humility, humor, and generosity of spirit."

For five decades, Douglas lent his voice to movie trailers from serious dramas like "Philadelphia" to comedies like "Meet the Parents" and "Men in Black." The movie trailer voice added excitement to action movies "Lethal Weapon" and "Con Air". Horror, suspense, crime dramas, there was nothing beyond his range and prolificacy.

Douglas didn't live in Hollywood, he preferred to work out of New York studios. He worked steadily until two years ago.

Hal Douglas was one of the top two or three voice talents in Hollywood along with Don LaFontaine, "the trailer king," who died in 2008, and Don Morrow, who voiced the trailers for "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Titanic."

Douglas told the Los Angeles Times in 2006, "Movies, particularly, fall into departments. You have an action film, you have a romantic film, you have the dark films. They all suggest an attitude and a voice quality. I don't do character voices per se, but depending upon the emotion, try to approach it as an actor."

Hal Douglas grew up in Connecticut. He spent three years in the Navy during World War II. Douglas studied acting at the University of Miami. He moved to New York to get work as an actor, but with tht natural movie trailer voice he found himself sought after for voice-over work for commercials and lead-ins for TV shows. He eventually branched out to lending his attitude to movie trailers and his voice of reason to documentaries.

In 2009, he told The New York Times, "I'm not outstanding in any way. It's a craft that you learn, like making a good pair of shoes. And I just consider myself a good shoemaker."

Director Casimir Nozkowski made a short movie about Hal Douglas in 2013 called "A Great Voice." Douglas also appeared on camera in a trailer for "Comedian," a 2002 documentary by Jerry Seinfeld.

Douglas passed away at his home in Lovettsville, Va. He is survived by his wife Ruth, his daughter Sarah, and two sons from a previous marriage.