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 Cleft-chinned, steely-eyed and virile star of international cinema who rose from being "the ragman's son" (the name of his best-selling 1988 autobiography) to become a bona fide superstar, Kirk Douglas, also known as Issur Danielovitch Demsky, was born on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. His parents, Bryna (Sanglel) and Herschel Danielovitch, were Jewish immigrants from Chavusy, Mahilyow Voblast (now in Belarus). Although growing up in a poor ghetto, Douglas was a fine student and a keen athlete and wrestled competitively during his time at St. Lawrence University. Professional wrestling helped pay for his studies as did working on the side as a waiter and a bellboy. However, he soon identified an acting scholarship as a way out of his meager existence, and was sufficiently talented to gain entry into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in "Spring Again" before his career was interrupted by World War II. He joining the United States Navy in 1941, and then after the end of hostilities in 1945, returned to the theater and some radio work. On the insistence of ex-classmate Lauren Bacall, movie producer Hal B. Wallis screen-tested Douglas and cast him in the lead role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). His performance received rave reviews and further work quickly followed, including an appearance in the low-key drama I Walk Alone (1947), the first time he worked alongside fellow future screen legend Burt Lancaster. Such was the strong chemistry between the two that they appeared in seven films together, including the dynamic western Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), the John Frankenheimer political thriller Seven Days in May (1964) and their final pairing in the gangster comedy Tough Guys (1986). Douglas once said about his good friend: "I've finally gotten away from Burt Lancaster. My luck has changed for the better. I've got nice-looking girls in my films now.".After appearing in "I Walk Alone", Douglas scored his first Oscar nomination playing the untrustworthy and opportunistic boxer Midge Kelly in the gripping Champion (1949). The quality of his work continued to garner the attention of critics and he was again nominated for Oscars for his role as a film producer in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and as tortured painter Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), both directed by Vincente Minnelli. In 1955, Douglas launched his own production company, Bryna Productions, the company behind two pivotal film roles in his career. The first was as French army officer Col. Dax in director Stanley Kubrick's brilliant anti-war epic Paths of Glory (1957). Douglas reunited with Kubrick for yet another epic, the magnificent Spartacus (1960). The film also marked a key turning point in the life of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted during the McCarthy "Red Scare" hysteria in the 1950s. At Douglas' insistence, Trumbo was given on-screen credit for his contributions, which began the dissolution of the infamous blacklisting policies begun almost a decade previously that had destroyed so many careers and lives.Douglas remained busy throughout the 1960s, starring in many films. He played a rebellious modern-day cowboy in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), acted alongside John Wayne in the World War II story In Harm's Way (1965), again with The Duke in a drama about the Israeli fight for independence, Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), and once more with Wayne in the tongue-in-cheek western The War Wagon (1967). Additionally in 1963, he starred in an onstage production of Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", but despite his keen interest, no Hollywood studio could be convinced to bring the story to the screen. However, the rights remained with the Douglas clan, and Kirk's talented son Michael Douglas finally filmed the tale in 1975, starring Jack Nicholson. Into the 1970s, Douglas wasn't as busy as previous years; however, he starred in some unusual vehicles, including alongside a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the loopy western comedy The Villain (1979), then with Farrah Fawcett in the sci-fi thriller Saturn 3 (1980) and then he traveled to Australia for the horse opera/drama The Man from Snowy River (1982).Unknown to many, Kirk has long been involved in humanitarian causes and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the US State Department since 1963. His efforts were rewarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981), and with the Jefferson Award (1983). Furthermore, the French honored him with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. More recognition followed for his work with the American Cinema Award (1987), the German Golden Kamera Award (1987), The National Board of Reviews Career Achievement Award (1989), an honorary Academy Award (1995), Recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) and the UCLA Medal of Honor (2002). Despite a helicopter crash and a stroke suffered in the 1990s, he remained active and continued to appear in front of the camera. Until his passing on February 5 2020 at the age of 103, he and Olivia de Havilland were the last surviving major stars from the Golden Years of Hollywood.
Bio:
Cleft-chinned, steely-eyed and virile star of international cinema who rose from being "the ragman's son" (the name of his best-selling 1988 autobiography) to become a bona fide superstar, Kirk Douglas, also known as Issur Danielovitch Demsky, was born on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. His parents, Bryna (Sanglel) and Herschel Danielovitch, were Jewish immigrants from Chavusy, Mahilyow Voblast (now in Belarus). Although growing up in a poor ghetto, Douglas was a fine student and a keen athlete and wrestled competitively during his time at St. Lawrence University. Professional wrestling helped pay for his studies as did working on the side as a waiter and a bellboy. However, he soon identified an acting scholarship as a way out of his meager existence, and was sufficiently talented to gain entry into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in "Spring Again" before his career was interrupted by World War II. He joining the United States Navy in 1941, and then after the end of hostilities in 1945, returned to the theater and some radio work. On the insistence of ex-classmate Lauren Bacall, movie producer Hal B. Wallis screen-tested Douglas and cast him in the lead role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). His performance received rave reviews and further work quickly followed, including an appearance in the low-key drama I Walk Alone (1947), the first time he worked alongside fellow future screen legend Burt Lancaster. Such was the strong chemistry between the two that they appeared in seven films together, including the dynamic western Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), the John Frankenheimer political thriller Seven Days in May (1964) and their final pairing in the gangster comedy Tough Guys (1986). Douglas once said about his good friend: "I've finally gotten away from Burt Lancaster. My luck has changed for the better. I've got nice-looking girls in my films now.".After appearing in "I Walk Alone", Douglas scored his first Oscar nomination playing the untrustworthy and opportunistic boxer Midge Kelly in the gripping Champion (1949). The quality of his work continued to garner the attention of critics and he was again nominated for Oscars for his role as a film producer in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and as tortured painter Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), both directed by Vincente Minnelli. In 1955, Douglas launched his own production company, Bryna Productions, the company behind two pivotal film roles in his career. The first was as French army officer Col. Dax in director Stanley Kubrick's brilliant anti-war epic Paths of Glory (1957). Douglas reunited with Kubrick for yet another epic, the magnificent Spartacus (1960). The film also marked a key turning point in the life of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted during the McCarthy "Red Scare" hysteria in the 1950s. At Douglas' insistence, Trumbo was given on-screen credit for his contributions, which began the dissolution of the infamous blacklisting policies begun almost a decade previously that had destroyed so many careers and lives.Douglas remained busy throughout the 1960s, starring in many films. He played a rebellious modern-day cowboy in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), acted alongside John Wayne in the World War II story In Harm's Way (1965), again with The Duke in a drama about the Israeli fight for independence, Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), and once more with Wayne in the tongue-in-cheek western The War Wagon (1967). Additionally in 1963, he starred in an onstage production of Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", but despite his keen interest, no Hollywood studio could be convinced to bring the story to the screen. However, the rights remained with the Douglas clan, and Kirk's talented son Michael Douglas finally filmed the tale in 1975, starring Jack Nicholson. Into the 1970s, Douglas wasn't as busy as previous years; however, he starred in some unusual vehicles, including alongside a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the loopy western comedy The Villain (1979), then with Farrah Fawcett in the sci-fi thriller Saturn 3 (1980) and then he traveled to Australia for the horse opera/drama The Man from Snowy River (1982).Unknown to many, Kirk has long been involved in humanitarian causes and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the US State Department since 1963. His efforts were rewarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1981), and with the Jefferson Award (1983). Furthermore, the French honored him with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. More recognition followed for his work with the American Cinema Award (1987), the German Golden Kamera Award (1987), The National Board of Reviews Career Achievement Award (1989), an honorary Academy Award (1995), Recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) and the UCLA Medal of Honor (2002). Despite a helicopter crash and a stroke suffered in the 1990s, he remained active and continued to appear in front of the camera. Until his passing on February 5 2020 at the age of 103, he and Olivia de Havilland were the last surviving major stars from the Golden Years of Hollywood.
Tivia:
Had appeared in a stage production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and later bought the film rights. He didn't make a movie of this and eventually turned the rights over to his son Michael Douglas, who was able to secure financing and produce the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).If he had not heeded wife Anne Douglas's advice, he would have been on producer Mike Todd's private plane in 1958 when it crashed and killed all on-board. Todd's wife Elizabeth Taylor was also scheduled to be on the plane but canceled due to a bad cold.Wore lifts in many of his films, which made him appear about 5' 11" or 6' 0" on screen. Once, as a prank, Burt Lancaster found his lifts on a film set and hid them from him, which allegedly infuriated him.He wrote his autobiography without the help of a ghostwriter.Became a great-grandfather for the first time at age 101 when his grandson Cameron Douglas and girlfriend Viviane Thibes welcomed a daughter, Lua Izzy Douglas, on December 18, 2017.Father of four sons: Michael Douglas, Eric Douglas, Joel Douglas and Peter Douglas.Hedda Hopper told him after he became a star with Champion (1949), "Now that you're a big hit, you've become a real S.O.B." Douglas replied "You're wrong. I was always an S.O.B. You just never noticed before.".Douglas had a fully Jewish upbringing, but did not practice extensively as an adult. This changed when, on his 83rd birthday, he had a second Bar Mitzvah, reaffirming his faith and causing him to practice again.Best of friends with Karl Malden (who was also very close with his son Michael Douglas, with whom he co-starred on The Streets of San Francisco (1972)). After Malden died on July 1, 2009, Douglas remarked that their acquaintance was the longest he had with anyone in his life, lasting 70 years.Met his German wife-to-be, Anne Douglas, when she applied for a job as his assistant on the French location shoot for Act of Love (1953).He was originally cast in John Wayne's role in Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), but pulled out in order to make Champion (1949).At the 1987 American Academy of Dramatic Arts tribute to Douglas, Burt Lancaster, said "Kirk would be the first person to tell you he's a very difficult man." After a pause, he added "And I would be the second.".He survived a helicopter crash on February 23, 1991, in which two fellow occupants were killed. He was left with a debilitating back injury.Was not close friends with Burt Lancaster, as was often perceived. Their friendship was largely fabricated by the publicity-wise Douglas, while in reality they were very competitive with each other and sometimes privately expressed a mutual personal disdain despite respecting each other's acting talents.In 2005, he had both knees replaced against the advice of his doctors. The operation was a success.In 1950, he gave up his two- to three-pack-a-day cigarette habit. In 1955, his father later died from lung cancer at age 72.After son Michael Douglas was fired from the stage production of "Summer Tree", he bought the stage and film rights to the story and gave it to Michael to star in.Helped break the Hollywood blacklist by hiring Dalton Trumbo, a member of the "Hollywood Ten", to write the screenplay for Spartacus (1960). Despite widespread criticism from many in the industry, including John Wayne and Hedda Hopper, Douglas refused to back down and Trumbo received screen credit under his own name. When presenting Douglas with an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement at The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996), Steven Spielberg publicly thanked Douglas for his courage. However, Otto Preminger had already broken the blacklist by hiring Trumbo for Exodus (1960). Trumbo's family publicly said that Douglas greatly exaggerated his role in breaking the blacklist.While filming The War Wagon (1967) in September 1966, he enraged co-star John Wayne by recording a television commercial endorsing Edmund G. Brown, the Democratic Governor of California, after Wayne had recorded an advertisement for Republican challenger Ronald Reagan.His acting mentor was Gary Cooper.Met future wife Diana Douglas before the Second World War. During the war, Douglas was serving in the United States Navy when he saw the May 3, 1943 issue of Life magazine, which featured a photograph of Dill on the cover. He showed the cover to his shipmates and said that he would marry her.When he was contacted by MGM to replace Ricardo Montalban in The Story of Three Loves (1953) because of his box-office power, he refused until he discussed it with Montalban, who was in training for the role. Although Montalban felt appreciative of Douglas' concern for him, he understood the studio's position and gave up the role.Although he played Ernest Borgnine's son in The Vikings (1958), he was six weeks his senior in real life.Hal B. Wallis tested him for a role in what would be his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) after a recommendation by Lauren Bacall.Earned $50,000 for saying the only English word at the end of a 1980s Japanese television commercial: "Coffee".Enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II. He served as a communications officer in submarine warfare. He received a medical discharge in 1944 due to combat-related injuries.Turned down two Oscar-winning roles: Lee Marvin's in Cat Ballou (1965) and William Holden's in Stalag 17 (1953).Born Issur Danielovitch (also reported as Issur Danielovitch Demsky) to Jacob Danielovitch and mother Bryna (after whom he later named his production company, Bryna Productions), from Russia, who came to America in 1912.Originally cast to play Colonel Sam Trautman in First Blood (1982), but walked out on the project. He wanted substantial changes made to the script, specifically that John Rambo die at the hands of Trautman, like the character did in the novel. The writers held their ground and refused. Richard Crenna was eventually cast in the role.He and wife Anne Douglas renewed their wedding vows in California around the 50th anniversary of their 1954 marriage. They reaffirmed their vows before 300 friends and family members at the famous Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills. Guests included Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall, Nancy Reagan and Tony Curtis. He walked into the traditional Jewish ceremony to the tune of "I'm in the Mood for Love" and later sang a tune he had written for the occasion, "Please Stay in Love With Me".Has celebrated his Bar Mitzvah twice: first (as most Jewish boys do) when he was 13 and later when he was 83.Received his Bachelor's degree in English from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. President of the class of 1939.He claimed to be 5' 11" at his peak but was known for wearing lifts in his shoes; sources say his peak height was only 5' 8".In 2006, he fell out with his close friend, former President Jimmy Carter, over Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid".His father changed the family name from Danielovich to Demsky.In his last book, "Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving and Learning", he expressed regret at turning down William Holden's Oscar-winning role in Stalag 17 (1953), Stephen Boyd's role in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), and Lee Marvin's Oscar-winning role in Cat Ballou (1965).Only appeared in one Best Picture Oscar nominee: A Letter to Three Wives (1949).Admitted he made The Big Trees (1952) for nothing just to get out of his contract with Warner Bros. He later said "It was a terrible movie.".In 1955, he started his own production company, Bryna Productions--named after his mother--making him one of the first actors to do so.On January 28, 1996, he suffered a stroke that made this very difficult for him to talk. Speech therapy over the years greatly alleviated the problem.In August 1986, he had a pacemaker fitted after collapsing in a restaurant.Had appeared with Burt Lancaster in eight films: I Walk Alone (1947), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) and The Devil's Disciple (1959), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Victory at Entebbe (1976), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) (in archive footage) and Tough Guys (1986).In a 2014 article, he cited The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Champion (1949), Ace in the Hole (1951), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Act of Love (1953), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), The Indian Fighter (1955), Lust for Life (1956), Paths of Glory (1957), Spartacus (1960), Lonely Are the Brave (1962) and Seven Days in May (1964) as the films he was most proud of through his acting career.Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter on January 17, 1981. This is the highest civilian honor in the United States.Resided in Palm Springs, California, for more than 40 years. In October 2005, the city honored him by naming a lushly landscaped drive "Kirk Douglas Way". It winds around part of Palm Springs International Airport. A lavish ceremony and party was given by the Palm Springs International Film Society and International Film Festival and was attended by Douglas, his wife Anne Douglas and their three surviving sons. His son Joel, also a Palm Springs resident, was responsible for the campaign.Son Eric Douglas died on July 6, 2004 of a drug overdose. He was only 46.Co-hosted (with Cass Elliot) the release party for folk-rocker Donovan's album "Barabajagal" (1969), posing for photos with Donovan and Elliot. He described Donovan as "not just a gentleman, but a gentle man".Cowboy Stan Polson, owner of the Apple Valley Stables, taught him how to ride a horse for his role in his first western Along the Great Divide (1951).He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6263 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.When he was seeing Diana Douglas, Lauren Bacall learned Douglas had no money and that he had at one point spent the night in jail because he had no place to sleep. She once gave him her uncle's old coat to keep warm. |
| Name: |
Kirk Douglas |
Type: |
Actor,Producer,Director (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actor,Producer,Director |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Producer,Director |
| Model rank: |
294 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 03:58:05 |
| Height: |
5' 9' (1.75 m) |
| Biography: |
Cleft-chinned, steely-eyed and virile star of international cinema who rose from being \"the ragman\'s son\" (the name of his best-selling 1988 autobiography) to become a bona fide superstar, Kirk Douglas, also known as Issur Danielovitch Demsky |
| Trivia: |
Had appeared in a stage production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and later bought the film rights. He didn't make a movie of this and eventually turned the rights over to his son Michael Douglas, who was able to secure financing and produce the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).If he had not heeded wife Anne Douglas's advice, he would have been on producer Mike Todd's private plane in 1958 when it crashed and killed all on-board. Todd's wife Elizabeth Taylor was also scheduled to be on the plane but canceled due to a bad cold.Wore lifts in many of his films, which made him appear about 5' 11" or 6' 0" on screen. Once, as a prank, Burt Lancaster found his lifts on a film set and hid them from him, which allegedly infuriated him.He wrote his autobiography without the help of a ghostwriter.Became a great-grandfather for the first time at age 101 when his grandson Cameron Douglas and girlfriend Viviane Thibes welcomed a daughter, Lua Izzy Douglas, on December 18, 2017.Father of four sons: Michael Douglas, Eric Douglas, Joel Douglas and Peter Douglas.Hedda Hopper told him after he became a star with Champion (1949), "Now that you're a big hit, you've become a real S.O.B." Douglas replied "You're wrong. I was always an S.O.B. You just never noticed before.".Douglas had a fully Jewish upbringing, but did not practice extensively as an adult. This changed when, on his 83rd birthday, he had a second Bar Mitzvah, reaffirming his faith and causing him to practice again.Best of friends with Karl Malden (who was also very close with his son Michael Douglas, with whom he co-starred on The Streets of San Francisco (1972)). After Malden died on July 1, 2009, Douglas remarked that their acquaintance was the longest he had with anyone in his life, lasting 70 years.Met his German wife-to-be, Anne Douglas, when she applied for a job as his assistant on the French location shoot for Act of Love (1953).He was originally cast in John Wayne's role in Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), but pulled out in order to make Champion (1949).At the 1987 American Academy of Dramatic Arts tribute to Douglas, Burt Lancaster, said "Kirk would be the first person to tell you he's a very difficult man." After a pause, he added "And I would be the second.".He survived a helicopter crash on February 23, 1991, in which two fellow occupants were killed. He was left with a debilitating back injury.Was not close friends with Burt Lancaster, as was often perceived. Their friendship was largely fabricated by the publicity-wise Douglas, while in reality they were very competitive with each other and sometimes privately expressed a mutual personal disdain despite respecting each other's acting talents.In 2005, he had both knees replaced against the advice of his doctors. The operation was a success.In 1950, he gave up his two- to three-pack-a-day cigarette habit. In 1955, his father later died from lung cancer at age 72.After son Michael Douglas was fired from the stage production of "Summer Tree", he bought the stage and film rights to the story and gave it to Michael to star in.Helped break the Hollywood blacklist by hiring Dalton Trumbo, a member of the "Hollywood Ten", to write the screenplay for Spartacus (1960). Despite widespread criticism from many in the industry, including John Wayne and Hedda Hopper, Douglas refused to back down and Trumbo received screen credit under his own name. When presenting Douglas with an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement at The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996), Steven Spielberg publicly thanked Douglas for his courage. However, Otto Preminger had already broken the blacklist by hiring Trumbo for Exodus (1960). Trumbo's family publicly said that Douglas greatly exaggerated his role in breaking the blacklist.While filming The War Wagon (1967) in September 1966, he enraged co-star John Wayne by recording a television commercial endorsing Edmund G. Brown, the Democratic Governor of California, after Wayne had recorded an advertisement for Republican challenger Ronald Reagan.His acting mentor was Gary Cooper.Met future wife Diana Douglas before the Second World War. During the war, Douglas was serving in the United States Navy when he saw the May 3, 1943 issue of Life magazine, which featured a photograph of Dill on the cover. He showed the cover to his shipmates and said that he would marry her.When he was contacted by MGM to replace Ricardo Montalban in The Story of Three Loves (1953) because of his box-office power, he refused until he discussed it with Montalban, who was in training for the role. Although Montalban felt appreciative of Douglas' concern for him, he understood the studio's position and gave up the role.Although he played Ernest Borgnine's son in The Vikings (1958), he was six weeks his senior in real life.Hal B. Wallis tested him for a role in what would be his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) after a recommendation by Lauren Bacall.Earned $50,000 for saying the only English word at the end of a 1980s Japanese television commercial: "Coffee".Enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II. He served as a communications officer in submarine warfare. He received a medical discharge in 1944 due to combat-related injuries.Turned down two Oscar-winning roles: Lee Marvin's in Cat Ballou (1965) and William Holden's in Stalag 17 (1953).Born Issur Danielovitch (also reported as Issur Danielovitch Demsky) to Jacob Danielovitch and mother Bryna (after whom he later named his production company, Bryna Productions), from Russia, who came to America in 1912.Originally cast to play Colonel Sam Trautman in First Blood (1982), but walked out on the project. He wanted substantial changes made to the script, specifically that John Rambo die at the hands of Trautman, like the character did in the novel. The writers held their ground and refused. Richard Crenna was eventually cast in the role.He and wife Anne Douglas renewed their wedding vows in California around the 50th anniversary of their 1954 marriage. They reaffirmed their vows before 300 friends and family members at the famous Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills. Guests included Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall, Nancy Reagan and Tony Curtis. He walked into the traditional Jewish ceremony to the tune of "I'm in the Mood for Love" and later sang a tune he had written for the occasion, "Please Stay in Love With Me".Has celebrated his Bar Mitzvah twice: first (as most Jewish boys do) when he was 13 and later when he was 83.Received his Bachelor's degree in English from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. President of the class of 1939.He claimed to be 5' 11" at his peak but was known for wearing lifts in his shoes; sources say his peak height was only 5' 8".In 2006, he fell out with his close friend, former President Jimmy Carter, over Carter's book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid".His father changed the family name from Danielovich to Demsky.In his last book, "Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving and Learning", he expressed regret at turning down William Holden's Oscar-winning role in Stalag 17 (1953), Stephen Boyd's role in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), and Lee Marvin's Oscar-winning role in Cat Ballou (1965).Only appeared in one Best Picture Oscar nominee: A Letter to Three Wives (1949).Admitted he made The Big Trees (1952) for nothing just to get out of his contract with Warner Bros. He later said "It was a terrible movie.".In 1955, he started his own production company, Bryna Productions--named after his mother--making him one of the first actors to do so.On January 28, 1996, he suffered a stroke that made this very difficult for him to talk. Speech therapy over the years greatly alleviated the problem.In August 1986, he had a pacemaker fitted after collapsing in a restaurant.Had appeared with Burt Lancaster in eight films: I Walk Alone (1947), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) and The Devil's Disciple (1959), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Victory at Entebbe (1976), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) (in archive footage) and Tough Guys (1986).In a 2014 article, he cited The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Champion (1949), Ace in the Hole (1951), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Act of Love (1953), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), The Indian Fighter (1955), Lust for Life (1956), Paths of Glory (1957), Spartacus (1960), Lonely Are the Brave (1962) and Seven Days in May (1964) as the films he was most proud of through his acting career.Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter on January 17, 1981. This is the highest civilian honor in the United States.Resided in Palm Springs, California, for more than 40 years. In October 2005, the city honored him by naming a lushly landscaped drive "Kirk Douglas Way". It winds around part of Palm Springs International Airport. A lavish ceremony and party was given by the Palm Springs International Film Society and International Film Festival and was attended by Douglas, his wife Anne Douglas and their three surviving sons. His son Joel, also a Palm Springs resident, was responsible for the campaign.Son Eric Douglas died on July 6, 2004 of a drug overdose. He was only 46.Co-hosted (with Cass Elliot) the release party for folk-rocker Donovan's album "Barabajagal" (1969), posing for photos with Donovan and Elliot. He described Donovan as "not just a gentleman, but a gentle man".Cowboy Stan Polson, owner of the Apple Valley Stables, taught him how to ride a horse for his role in his first western Along the Great Divide (1951).He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6263 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.When he was seeing Diana Douglas, Lauren Bacall learned Douglas had no money and that he had at one point spent the night in jail because he had no place to sleep. She once gave him her uncle's old coat to keep warm. |
| Trademarks: |
Gravelly voice
Dimpled chin
Frequently played manipulative, angry and often cruel leading characters that bordered on unsympathetic but were always compelling
Showy, flamboyant acting style. |
| Quotes: |
I've finally gotten away from Burt Lancaster. My luck has changed for the better. I've got nice-looking girls in my films now.
<br />
<hr>
Virtue is not photogenic. What is it to be a nice guy? To be nothing, that's what. A big fat zero with a smile for everybody.
<br />
<hr>
I've made a career of playing sons of bitches.
<br />
<hr>
In order to achieve anything you must be brave enough to fail.
<br />
<hr>
I came from abject poverty. There was nowhere to go but up. |
| Salaries: |
The War Wagon (1967) - $300,000 + %10 of the gross.
<br />
<hr>
Is Paris Burning? (1966) - $50,000
<br />
<hr>
In Harm's Way (1965) - $400,000
<br />
<hr>
Seven Days in May (1964) - $250 .000
<br />
<hr> |
| Job title: |
Actor,Producer,Director |
| Others works: |
(1942) Stage: Appeared in "The Three Sisters" on Broadway. Drama (revival). Written by Anton Chekhov. Translated by Aleksandr Kerensky and Guthrie McClintic. Directed by Guthrie McClintic. Ethel Barrymore Theatre: 21 Dec 1942-3 Apr 1943 (123 per |
| Spouse: |
Anne Douglas (May 29, 1954 - February 5, 2020) (his death, 2 children)Diana Douglas (November 2, 1943 - February 23, 1951) (divorced, 2 children) |
| Children: |
Michael DouglasEric DouglasJoel DouglasPeter Douglas |
| Parents: |
Herschel Danielovitch
Bryna Danielovitch (Sanglel) |
| Relatives: |
Freida Demsky-Becker (Sibling)
Cameron Douglas (Grandchild)
Carys Douglas (Grandchild)
Dylan Douglas (Grandchild) |
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