Biography

Luigi "Lou" Yaconelli was born April 16, 1903 in Boston, Massachusetts to Carlo and Anna Yaconelli. He was a younger brother of B western sidekick Frank Yaconelli.

Starting In the 1920s, Lou starred as "Earle Douglas" in some silents directed by Frank and released by Sierra. In sound films, he did a mix of credited and uncredited roles, mostly portraying henchmen in westerns and serials. If credited, he used several name variations - "Lou Yaconelli", "Earl Douglas", or "Earle Douglas", and his last movie role was in 1941.

He joined the Navy Reserve prior to World War II, and served during World War II and Korea as a combat photographer. He remained in the Navy, managing Combat Camera Groups (CCG) and peacetime camera units, and rose through the ranks from Chief Petty Officer to Commander.

In the 1960s, he was in charge of Motion Picture Production at Sandia Base, a nuclear weapons facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lou Yaconelli passed away on December 11, 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.
- IMDb mini biography by: Chuck Anderson

He changed his name from Luigi Yaconelli to Earl Douglas, for billing purposes, back in the 1920s for some films that were directed by his brother, Frank Yaconelli (at Tech-Art in NYC) in which he played the lead. Two reasons for doing so: this was the mid-1920s and Lou Yaconelli was too "ethnic" for a lead player. Also, two people named Yaconelli was one too many in the same film.

Brother of Frank Yaconelli.

Was a combat cameraman during the Korean War.

Uncle of Steve Yaconelli.

Cousin of Zacharias Yaconelli.