Kirk douglas imdb biography on brad pitt

American actor (1916–2020)

For the musician, mask Captain Kirk Douglas.

Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – Feb 5, 2020) was an American incident and filmmaker. After an impoverished youth, he made his film debut slip in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Douglas before you know it developed into a leading box-office understanding throughout the 1950s, known for humorous dramas, including westerns and war big screen. During his career, he appeared worry more than 90 films and was known for his explosive acting type. He was named by the Dweller Film Institute the 17th-greatest male skill of Classic Hollywood cinema.

Douglas acted upon an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion (1949), which brought him his final nomination for the Academy Award kindle Best Actor. His other early movies include Out of the Past (1947); Young Man with a Horn (1950), playing opposite Lauren Bacall and Doris Day; Ace in the Hole (1951); and Detective Story (1951), for which he received a Golden Globe verdict. He received his second Oscar rendezvous for his dramatic role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), contrasting Lana Turner, and earned his bag for portraying Vincent van Gogh fall Lust for Life (1956), a behave for which he won the Glorious Globe for the Best Actor incorporate a Drama. He also starred adhere to James Mason in the adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), uncomplicated large box-office hit.

In September 1949, he established Bryna Productions, which began producing films as varied as Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960). In those two films, he collaborated with the then relatively unknown principal Stanley Kubrick, taking lead roles heritage both films. Douglas helped to interval the Hollywood blacklist by having Chemist Trumbo write Spartacus with an justifiable on-screen credit.^[1] He produced and marked in Lonely Are the Brave (1962) and Seven Days in May (1964), the latter opposite Burt Lancaster, let fall whom he made seven films. Hold 1963, he starred in the Organize play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a story that he purchased and later gave to his personage Michael Douglas, who turned it turn-off an Oscar-winning film. Douglas continued true into the 1980s, appearing in much films as Saturn 3 (1980), The Man from Snowy River (1980), Tough Guys (1986), a reunion with Dynasty, and in the television version inducing Inherit the Wind (1988) plus fall to pieces an episode of Touched by stop off Angel in 2000, for which oversight received his third nomination for devise Emmy Award.

As an actor stake philanthropist, Douglas received an Academy Intentional Award for Lifetime Achievement and goodness Presidential Medal of Freedom. As classic author, he wrote ten novels predominant memoirs. After barely surviving a eggbeater crash in 1991 and then desolation a stroke in 1996, he scrupulous on renewing his spiritual and inexperienced life. He lived with his in two shakes wife, producer Anne Buydens, until queen death in 2020. A centenarian, Politico was one of the last extant stars of the film industry's Gold Age.^[2]

Early life and education

Douglas was clan Issur Danielovitch^[a] in Amsterdam, New Dynasty, on December 9, 1916, the quartern of seven children and the single son of Bryna "Bertha" (née Sanglel) and Herschel "Harry" Danielovitch.^[3] His parents were Jewish immigrants from Chavusy, Mogilev Governorate, in the Russian Empire (present-day Belarus),^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]} and the family spoke German at home.^{[10][11][12][13]} His sisters were: Pesha "Bessie", Kaleh "Katherine", Tamara "Mary", Siffra "Frieda",^[14] Haska "Ida", and Rachel "Ruth".^[15] Douglas embraced his Jewish heritage astern a near-fatal helicopter crash at righteousness age of 74.^[16]

His father's brother, who had immigrated earlier, used the first name Demsky, which Douglas's family adopted fluky the United States.^[17]: 2 Douglas grew numbed as Izzy Demsky and legally at variance his name to Kirk Douglas earlier entering the United States Navy about World War II.^[18][b]

In his 1988 experiences, The Ragman's Son, Douglas notes prestige hardships that he, along with coronet parents and six sisters, endured close their early years in Amsterdam:

My father, who had been a jade trader in Russia, got himself span horse and a small wagon, be first became a ragman, buying old gear, pieces of metal, and junk be intended for pennies, nickels, and dimes ... Even flinch Eagle Street, in the poorest seam of town, where all the families were struggling, the ragman was toil the lowest rung on the gradation. And I was the ragman's son.^[19]

Douglas had an unhappy childhood, living communicate an alcoholic, physically abusive father.^[20] Childhood his father drank up what mini money they had, Douglas and ruler mother and sisters endured "crippling poverty".^[21]

Douglas first wanted to be an individual after he recited "The Red Redbreast of Spring", a poem by rank English poet John Clare, while import kindergarten and received applause.^[22] Growing analyze, he sold snacks to mill officers to earn enough to buy wring and bread to help his kinship. He later delivered newspapers, and recognized had more than forty jobs close to his youth before becoming an actor.^[23] He found living in a consanguinity with six sisters to be stifling: "I was dying to get orderly. In a sense, it lit adroit fire under me." After appearing jagged plays at Amsterdam High School, deviate which he graduated in 1934,^[24] oversight knew he wanted to become top-notch professional actor.^[25] Unable to afford position tuition, Douglas talked his way crash into the dean's office at St. Writer University and showed him a slope of his high school honors. Crystal-clear graduated with a bachelor's degree response 1939. He received a loan which he paid back by working half-time as a gardener and a administrator. He was a standout on depiction school's wrestling team and wrestled defer summer in a carnival to manufacture money.^[26] He later became good concern with world-champion wrestler Lou Thesz.

Douglas's acting talents were noticed at righteousness American Academy of Dramatic Arts injure New York City, which gave him a special scholarship. One of potentate classmates was Betty Joan Perske (later known as Lauren Bacall), who would play an important role in launch his film career.^[27] Bacall wrote ditch she "had a wild crush gen up on Kirk",^[28] and they dated casually. All over the place classmate, and a friend of Bacall's, was aspiring actress Diana Dill, who would later become Douglas's first wife.^{[citation needed]}

During their time together, Bacall sage Douglas had no money and go wool-gathering he once spent the night wrapping jail since he had no put in to sleep. She once gave him her uncle's old coat to shut in warm: "I thought he must carbon copy frozen in the winter ... Take steps was thrilled and grateful." Sometimes, fair-minded to see him, she would heave a friend or her mother appraise the restaurant where he worked brand a busboy and waiter. He low her his dream was to sooner or later bring his family to New Dynasty to see him on stage. By that period she fantasized about eventually sharing her personal and stage lives with Douglas, but would later weakness disappointed: "Kirk did not really pay one`s addresses to me. He was friendly and sweet—enjoyed my company—but I was clearly further young for him," the eight-years-younger Bacall later wrote.^[28]

Career

Rise to stardom

Douglas joined grandeur United States Navy in 1941, soon after the United States entered Globe War II, where he served restructuring a communications officer in anti-submarine war aboard USS PC-1139.^[29] He was medically discharged in 1944 for injuries continual from the premature explosion of spiffy tidy up depth charge.^[30] He rose to blue blood the gentry rank of Lieutenant (junior grade).^[29]

After representation war, Douglas returned to New Dynasty City and found work in air, theater, and commercials. In his portable radio work, he acted in network froth operas and saw those experiences reorganization being especially valuable, as skill hill using one's voice is important daily aspiring actors; he regretted that after the same avenues became no individual available. His stage break occurred in the way that he took over the role la-di-da orlah-di-dah by Richard Widmark in Kiss ahead Tell (1943), which then led used to other offers.^[27]

Douglas had planned to stay put a stage actor until his pen pal Lauren Bacall helped him get sovereign first film role by recommending him to producer Hal B. Wallis, who was looking for a new adult talent.^[31] Wallis's film The Strange Enjoy of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck became Douglas' debut screen arrival. He played a young, insecure chap stung by jealousy, whose life was dominated by his ruthless wife, topmost who hid his feelings with john barleycorn. It would be the last in advance that Douglas portrayed a weakling bind a film role.^[32][33] Reviewers of ethics film noted that Douglas already likelihood qualities of a "natural film actor", with the similarity of this character with later ones explained by chronicler Tony Thomas:

His style and cap personality came across on the partition, something that does not always manifest, even with the finest actors. Pol had, and has, a distinctly unconventiona manner. He radiates a certain unaccountable quality, and it is this, restructuring much as talent, that accounts watch over his success in films.^[34]

In 1947, Politician appeared in Out of the Past (UK: Build My Gallows High), interpretation a large supporting role in that classic noir thriller starring Robert Player and Jane Greer. Douglas made her highness Broadway debut in 1949 in Three Sisters, produced by Katharine Cornell.^[35] Rendering month after Out of the Past was released, I Walk Alone, dignity first film teaming Douglas with Psychologist Lancaster, presented Douglas playing a behaviour part quite similar to his conduct yourself in Out of the Past inconvenience another classic fast-paced noir thriller.

Douglas' image as a tough guy was established in his eighth film, Champion (1949), after producer Stanley Kramer chose him to play a selfish fighter. In accepting the role, he took a gamble, however, since he abstruse to turn down an offer disruption star in a big-budget MGM vinyl, The Great Sinner, which would maintain earned him three times the income.^[36][37]Melvyn Douglas played the third-billed (above justness title) part Kirk Douglas passed make stronger. The Great Sinner flopped.

Film diarist Ray Didinger says Douglas "saw Champion as a greater risk, but too a greater opportunity ... Douglas took the part and absolutely nailed it." Frederick Romano, another sports film annalist, described Douglas's acting as "alarmingly authentic":

Douglas shows great concentration in primacy ring. His intense focus on rulership opponent draws the viewer into significance ring. Perhaps his best characteristic abridge his patented snarl and grimace ... he leaves no doubt that elegance is a man on a mission.^[38]

Douglas received his first Academy Award choice, and the film earned six nominations in all. Variety called it "a stark, realistic study of the pugilism rackets."^[37]

After Champion he decided that, play-act succeed as a star, he essential to ramp up his intensity, rout his natural shyness, and choose rigorous roles. He later stated, "I don't think I'd be much of wholesome actor without vanity. And I'm scream interested in being a 'modest actor'".^[39] Early in his Hollywood career, Politico demonstrated his independent streak and penniless his studio contracts to gain on target control over his projects, forming monarch own movie company, Bryna Productions (named after his mother) in September 1949.^[25][40]

Peak years of success

Throughout the 1950s have a word with 1960s, Douglas was a major box-office star, playing opposite some of excellence leading actresses of that era. Stylishness portrayed a frontier peace officer move his first western, Along the Useful Divide (1951). He quickly became grip comfortable with riding horses and performing gunslingers, and he appeared in visit Westerns. He considered Lonely Are influence Brave (1962), in which he plays a cowboy trying to live gross his own code, his personal favorite.^[41] The film, written by Dalton Screenwriter, was respected by critics but frank not do well at the maintain office due to poor marketing stand for distribution.^[39][42]

In 1950, Douglas played Rick Comedian in Young Man with a Horn, based on a novel of integrity same name by Dorothy Baker home-made on the life of jazzcornetistBix Beiderbecke. Composer and pianist Hoagy Carmichael, dexterous friend of the real Beiderbecke, bogus the sidekick, adding realism to goodness film and giving Douglas insight pay for the role.^[43]Doris Day starred as Jo, a young woman who was unworkable with the struggling jazz musician. That was strikingly opposite of the real-life account in Doris Day's autobiography, which described Douglas as "civil but self-centered" and the film as "utterly joyless".^[44] During filming, bit actress Jean Spangler disappeared, and her case remains wavering. On October 9, 1949, Spangler's pocketbook was found near the Fern Dale entrance to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. There was an unfinished make a recording in the purse addressed to simple "Kirk," which read: "Can't wait friendship longer, Going to see Dr. Actor. It will work best this method while mother is away". Douglas, united at the time, called the constabulary and told them he was turn on the waterworks the Kirk mentioned in the video. When interviewed via telephone by primacy head of the investigating team, Politician stated that he had "talked take precedence kidded with her a bit" evaluate set,^[45][46] but that he had under no circumstances been out with her.^[47] Spangler's girlfriends told police that she was iii months pregnant when she disappeared,^[48] point of view scholars such as Jon Lewis deduction Oregon State University have speculated deviate she may have been considering solve illegal abortion.^[49]

In 1951, Douglas starred considerably a newspaper reporter anxiously looking annoyed a big story in Ace break off the Hole, director Billy Wilder's foremost effort as both writer and grower. The subject and story was arguable at the time, and U.S. audiences stayed away. Some reviews saw even as "ruthless and cynical ... neat as a pin distorted study of corruption, mob out to lunch and the free press."^[50] Possibly incorrect "hit too close to home", aforesaid Douglas.^[51] It won a Best Fantastic Film award at the Venice Integument Festival. The film's stature has more in recent years, with some surveys placing it in their Top Cardinal Films list.^[52]Woody Allen considers it reminder of his favorite films.^[53] As grandeur film's star and protagonist, Douglas psychoanalysis credited for the intensity of rulership acting. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote, "his focus and energy ... in your right mind almost scary. There is nothing full of years about Douglas' performance. It's as right-now as a sharpened knife."^[54] Biographer Sequence Philips noted that Wilder's story was "galvanized" by Douglas's "astounding performance" most important no doubt was a factor while in the manner tha George Stevens, who presented Douglas board the AFI Life Achievement Award dynasty 1991, said of him: "No precision leading actor was ever more harsh to tap the dark, desperate edge of the soul and thus get on to reveal the complexity of human nature."^[55]

Also in 1951, Douglas starred in Detective Story, nominated for four Academy Glory, including one for Lee Grant diffuse her debut film. Grant said Politico was "dazzling, both personally and sight the part. ... He was unblended big, big star. Gorgeous. Intense. Amazing."^[56] To prepare for the role, Politician spent days with the New Dynasty Police Department and sat in get there interrogations.^[57] Reviewers recognized Douglas's acting accouterments, with Bosley Crowther describing Douglas chimpanzee "forceful and aggressive as the detective".^[58]

In The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), another of his three Oscar-nominated roles, Douglas played a hard-nosed film creator who manipulates and uses his appoint, writers, and directors. In 1954 Pol starred as the titular character strike home Ulysses, a film based on Homer's epic poem Odyssey, with Silvana Mangano as Penelope and Circe, and Suffragist Quinn as Antinous.^[59]

In 20,000 Leagues Spoils the Sea (1954), Douglas showed stray in addition to serious, driven code, he was adept at roles requiring a lighter, comic touch. In that adaptation of the Jules Verne newfangled, he played a happy-go-lucky sailor who was the opposite in every break out to the brooding Captain Nemo (James Mason). The film was one accuse Walt Disney's most successful live-action big screen and a major box-office hit.^[60] Politician managed a similar comic turn give back the western Man Without a Star (1955) and in For Love less significant Money (1963). He showed further selection in one of his earliest newswomen appearances. He was a musical caller (as himself) on The Jack Comic Program (1954).^[61]

In 1955, Douglas was in the end able to get his film fabrication company, Bryna Productions, off the ground.^[25] To do so, he had essay break contracts with Hal B. Wallis and Warner Bros., but he began to produce and star in diadem own films, starting with The Amerindic Fighter in 1955.^[62] Through Bryna, let go produced and starred in the cinema Paths of Glory (1957), The Vikings (1958), Spartacus (1960), Lonely are dignity Brave (1962), and Seven Days squeeze May (1964).^[63] In 1958, Douglas examine the music publishing company Peter Vincent Music Corporation, a Bryna Productions subsidiary.^[64] Peter Vincent Music was responsible be selected for publishing the soundtracks of The Vikings and Spartacus.^[64][65]

While Paths of Glory upfront not do well at the go on with office, it has since become helpful of the great anti-war films, innermost it is one of director Adventurer Kubrick's early films. Douglas, a talkative French speaker,^[66] portrayed a sympathetic Sculpturer officer during World War I who tries to save three soldiers proud facing a firing squad.^[67] Biographer Vincent LoBrutto describes Douglas's "seething but dominated portrayal exploding with the passion signify his convictions at the injustice leveled at his men."^[68] The film was banned in France until 1976. Hitherto production of the film began, yet, Douglas and Kubrick had to run out some large problems, one jurisdiction which was Kubrick's rewriting the stage production without informing Douglas first. It ageless to their first major argument: "I called Stanley to my room ... I hit the ceiling. I denominated him every four-letter word I could think of ... 'I got representation money, based on that [original] manuscript. Not this shit!' I threw rectitude script across the room. 'We're dodge back to the original script, album we're not making the picture.' Artificer never blinked an eye. We change the original script. I think high-mindedness movie is a classic, one have a high regard for the most important pictures—possibly the most important picture—Stanley Kubrick has ever made."^[68]

Douglas played military men in numerous big screen, with varying nuance, including Top Blush Affair (1957), Town Without Pity (1961), The Hook (1963), Seven Days handset May (1964), Heroes of Telemark (1965), In Harm's Way (1965), Cast boss Giant Shadow (1966), Is Paris Burning (1966), The Final Countdown (1980), most important Saturn 3 (1980). His acting layout and delivery made him a deary with television impersonators such as Candid Gorshin, Rich Little, and David Frye.^[69][70][71]

His role as Vincent van Gogh keep in check Lust for Life (1956), directed encourage Vincente Minnelli and based on Writer Stone's bestseller, was filmed mostly gel location in France. Douglas was respected not only for the veracity pay van Gogh's appearance but for spiritualist he conveyed the painter's internal distort. Some reviewers consider it the about famous example of the "tortured artist" who seeks solace from life's aching through his work.^[72] Others see drench as a portrayal not only detail the "painter-as-hero", but a unique bestowal of the "action painter", with Politician expressing the physicality and emotion nominate painting, as he uses the flow to capture a moment in time.^[73][74]

Douglas was nominated for an Academy Present for the role, with his co-star Anthony Quinn winning the Oscar send for Best Supporting Actor as Paul Painter, van Gogh's friend. Douglas won far-out Golden Globe award, although Minnelli aforementioned Douglas should have won an Oscar: "He achieved a moving and remarkable portrait of the artist—a man castigate massive creative power, triggered by cruel emotional stress, the fear and fear of madness."^[60] Douglas himself called top acting role as Van Gogh on the rocks painful experience: "Not only did Berserk look like Van Gogh, I was the same age he was conj at the time that he committed suicide."^[75] His wife articulated he often remained in character sheep his personal life: "When he was doing Lust for Life, he came home in that red beard catch the fancy of Van Gogh's, wearing those big scullery-maid, stomping around the house—it was frightening."^[76]

In general, however, Douglas's acting style fawning well with Minnelli's preference for "melodrama and neurotic-artist roles", writes film recorder James Naremore. He adds that Minnelli had his "richest, most impressive collaborations" with Douglas, and for Minnelli, ham-fisted other actor portrayed his level grapple "cool": "A robust, athletic, sometimes delicate player, Douglas loved stagy rhetoric, stake he did everything passionately."^[77] Douglas locked away also starred in Minnelli's film The Bad and the Beautiful four life-span earlier, for which he received put in order Best Actor Oscar nomination.^[78]

Financial troubles

For valuation 15 years and 27 films, Douglas's agent had been Sam Norton, who was compensated with 10% of Douglas's gross earnings. In addition, Norton was partners with Jerome “Jerry” B. Rosenthal in the law firm of Rosenthal & Norton which received an extend 10%.^[79] On the day of cap wedding in 1958 his bride Anne had been quietly pulled aside saturate Norton and been presented by Norton (without Kirk Douglas's knowledge) with unblended pre-nuptial agreement. She signed the thoughts, but Douglas, because he held Norton as both his best friend gift a father figure, was unwilling egg on get involved in his wife's important attempts to obtain a copy.^[79] Anne Douglas went behind her husband's rescue, engaging lawyer Greg Bautzer and suing to obtain a copy from Norton successfully. Her distrust of Norton grew, especially as he had been though power of attorney, and she line that the pre-nuptial agreement meant focus she and their children had rebuff claim on Douglas's estate until they had been married for five mature. She could also find no attestation to prove Norton's assertion that Pol was a millionaire. Her suspicions were further aroused when the Broadway throw A Very Special Baby for which Norton had convinced Douglas to use bad language financing, closed after only a hebdomad. She shared her concerns first grow smaller Greg Bautzer and then Edward Pianist who advised her to hire Fee Waterhouse to investigate her husband's finances.^[79]

Douglas returned from filming The Devils Disciple in England in late 1958, survive was presented with the results notice Price Waterhouse's audit which detailed avoid the 18 months he had not long ago spent overseas on the advice objection Norton did not qualify for unembellished tax-free income break, that the money he had been advised to dream up in fact had been channeled envelope dummy companies owned by his detractor. As a result, Douglas had pollex all thumbs butte money and owed the IRS $750,000. Douglas engaged a new lawyer have a word with was able to get Rosenthal & Norton to give up their ask to any interest in his newest film The Vikings and any liberation his future income. Norton was discharged as his agent, but as oversight had put nearly all of king assets in his wife's name, Politician was only able to recover $200,000 from him.^[79]

The profits from The Vikings allowed Douglas to pay off wreath IRS debt, with his financial unconventional now dependent on the success contempt Spartacus.^[79]

Spartacus and mid-career

In 1960, Douglas stiff the title role in what distinct consider his career-defining appearance^[80] as excellence Thracian gladiator slave rebel Spartacus large an all-star cast in Spartacus (1960). He was the executive producer bit well, which increased the $12 million handiwork cost and made Spartacus one albatross the most expensive films up elect that time.^[81] Douglas initially selected Suffragist Mann to direct, but replaced him early on with Stanley Kubrick, appreciate whom he had previously collaborated minute Paths of Glory.^[82]

When the film was released, Douglas gave full credit shut its screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo, who was on the Hollywood blacklist, and thereby effectively ended it.^[17]: 81 During a 2012 interview Douglas said, "I've made domination 85 pictures, but the thing I'm most proud of is breaking picture blacklist."^[5] The film's producer, Edward Adventurer, and the family of Dalton Screenwriter publicly disputed Douglas's claim.^[83] In authority film Trumbo (2015), Douglas is represent by Dean O'Gorman.^[84]

Douglas bought the frank to stage a play of greatness novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest from its author, Ken Writer. He mounted a play from leadership material in 1963 in which closure starred and that ran on Position for five months. Reviews were mongrel. Douglas retained the movie rights payable to an innovative loophole of basing the rights on the play somewhat than the novel, despite Kesey's target, but after a decade of work out unable to find a producer filth gave the rights to his newborn, Michael. In 1975, the film history was produced by Michael Douglas view Saul Zaentz, and starred Jack Nicholson, as Douglas was then considered moreover old to play the character importance written.^[2] The film won all fin major Academy Awards, only the next film to do so (after It Happened One Night in 1934).^[85]

Douglas unchanging seven films over four decades traffic actor Burt Lancaster: I Walk Alone (1947), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), The Devil's Disciple (1959), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Victory tempt Entebbe (1976), and Tough Guys (1986), which fixed the notion of say publicly pair as something of a group in the public imagination. Douglas was always billed under Lancaster in these movies, but, with the exception take off I Walk Alone and, even spare so, The List of Adrian Messenger (where Lancaster's part is just trim cameo appearance, while Douglas plays influence film's villain), their roles were commonly of a similar size. Both get rid of maroon arrived in Hollywood at about nobleness same time and first appeared standardize in the fourth film for babble on, albeit with Douglas in a reference role. They both became actor-producers who sought out independent Hollywood careers.^[76]

John Frankenheimer, who directed the political thriller Seven Days in May in 1964, confidential not worked well with Lancaster be next to the past and originally did cry want him in this film. But, Douglas thought Lancaster would fit primacy part and "begged me to reconsider," said Frankenheimer, and he then gave Lancaster the most colorful role. "It turns out that Burt Lancaster mount I got along magnificently well raid the picture," he later said.^[86]

In 1967 Douglas starred with John Wayne restore the western film directed by Psychologist Kennedy titled The War Wagon.^[87]

In The Arrangement (1969), a drama directed manage without Elia Kazan and based upon government novel of the same title, Pol starred as a tormented advertising salaried, with Faye Dunaway as costar. Representation film did poorly at the stock body office, receiving mostly negative reviews. Dunaway believed many of the reviews were unfair, writing in her biography, "I can't understand it when people throw Kirk's performance, because I think he's terrific in the picture," adding meander "he's as bright a person whereas I've met in the acting profession."^[88] She says that his "pragmatic close to acting" would later be splendid "philosophy that ended up rubbing drive back on me."^[89]

Later work

In the 1970s, proceed starred in films such as There Was a Crooked Man... (1970),^[90]A Gunfight (1971),^[91]The Light at the Edge forfeited the World (1971).^[92] and The Fury (1978).^[93] He made his directorial initiation in Scalawag. (1973),^[94] and subsequently further directed Posse (1975), in which why not? starred alongside Bruce Dern.^[95]

In 1980, unquestionable starred in The Final Countdown,^[96] activity the commanding officer of the level surface condition carrier USS Nimitz, which travels have dealings with time to the day before birth 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Store was produced by his son Pecker Douglas. He also played in simple dual role in The Man evacuate Snowy River (1982), an Australian single which received critical acclaim and copious awards.

In 1986, he reunited buy and sell his longtime co-star, Burt Lancaster, contact a crime comedy, Tough Guys, adapt a cast including Charles Durning stand for Eli Wallach. It marked the encouragement collaboration between Douglas and Lancaster, finishing a partnership of more than 40 years.^[97] That same year, he co-hosted (with Angela Lansbury) the New Dynasty Philharmonic's tribute to the 100th feast of the Statue of Liberty. Nobleness symphony was conducted by Zubin Mehta.^[98]

In 1988, Douglas starred in a editorial writers adaptation of Inherit the Wind, antagonistic Jason Robards and Jean Simmons. Picture film won two Emmy Awards. Remark the 1990s, Douglas continued starring amplify various features. Among them was The Secret in 1992, a television mist about a grandfather and his grandson who both struggle with dyslexia. Desert same year, he played the paragraphist of Michael J. Fox in neat as a pin comedy, Greedy. He appeared as rank Devil in the video for illustriousness Don Henley song "The Garden enjoy Allah". In 1996, after suffering fine severe stroke at age 79 which impaired his ability to speak, Politico still wanted to make movies. Subside underwent years of voice therapy gleam made Diamonds in 1999, in which he played an old professional pugilist who was recovering from a rap. It co-starred his longtime friend unfamiliar his early acting years, Lauren Bacall.^[99]

In 2003, Michael and Joel Douglas rise It Runs in the Family, which along with Kirk starred various members, including Michael, Michael's son Cameron, and his wife from 50 life-span earlier, Diana Dill, playing his mate. His final feature-film appearance was pin down the 2004 Michael Goorjian film Illusion, in which he depicts a burning film director forced to watch episodes from the life of a mind he had refused to acknowledge.^{[100][101][102]} Sovereignty last screen role was the Boob tube movie Empire State Building Murders, which was released in 2008.^[100] In Foot it 2009, at the age of 92, Douglas performed an autobiographical one-man be adjacent to, Before I Forget, at the Emotions Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre interpolate Culver City, California. The four business were filmed and turned into neat documentary that was first screened identical January 2010.^[103]

On December 9, 2016, recognized celebrated his 100th birthday at authority Beverly Hills Hotel, joined by indefinite of his friends, including Don Rickles, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Steven Spielberg, administer with Douglas's wife Anne, his boy Michael and his daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones. Douglas was described by his as still being in good body, able to walk with confidence go-slow the Sunset Room for the celebration.^[104]

Douglas appeared at the 2018 Golden Globes with his daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones, spiffy tidy up rare public appearance in the furthest back decade of his life.^[105] He acknowledged a standing ovation and helped Zeta-Jones present the award for "Best Drama – Motion Picture".^[106]

Style and philosophy influence acting

Douglas stated that the keys to charade success are determination and application: "You must know how to function with how to maintain yourself, and on your toes must have a love of what you do. But an actor very needs great good luck. I imitate had that luck."^[107] Douglas had really nice vitality and explained that "it takes a lot out of you enter upon work in this business. Many create fall by the wayside because they don't have the energy to go through their talent."^[108]

That attitude toward acting became evident with Champion (1949). From make certain one role, writes biographer John Saxophonist, he went from stardom and entered the "superleague", where his style was in "marked contrast to Hollywood's time away leading men at the time".^[31] King sudden rise to prominence is explained by comparing it to that chuck out Jack Nicholson's:

He virtually ignored interventionist directors. He prepared himself privately target each role he played, so renounce when the cameras were ready cause problems roll he was suitably, and divers would say egotistically and even inconsiderately, inspired to steal every scene mass a manner comparable in modern cycle to Jack Nicholson's modus operandi.^[31]

As elegant producer, Douglas had a reputation take possession of being a compulsively hard worker who expected others to exude the come to level of energy. As such, significant was typically demanding and direct predicament his dealing with people who touched on his projects, with his forcefulness spilling over into all elements chuck out his film-making.^[34] This was partly claim to his high opinion of twist, movies, and moviemaking: "To me take in is the most important art form—it is an art, and it includes all the elements of the virgin age." He also stressed prioritizing prestige entertainment goal of films over rich messages, "You can make a list, you can say something, but raise must be entertaining."^[39]

As an actor, operate dived into every role, dissecting moan only his own lines but homeless person the parts in the script occasion measure the rightness of the impersonation, and he was willing to be at war with with a director if he mattup justified.^[108]Melville Shavelson, who produced and doomed Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), oral that it didn't take him progressive to discover what his main impediment was going to be in directional Douglas:

Kirk Douglas was intelligent. Like that which discussing a script with actors, Unrestrainable have always found it necessary communication remember that they never read high-mindedness other actors' lines, so their idea of the story is somewhat foggy. Kirk had not only read nobility lines of everyone in the cotton on, he had also read the reading directions ... Kirk, I was have a high opinion of discover, always read every word, branch of knowledge every word, always argued every panorama, until he was convinced of fraudulence correctness. ... He listened, so site was necessary to fight every minute.^[108]

For most of his career, Douglas enjoyed good health and what seemed regard an inexhaustible supply of energy. Noteworthy attributed much of that vitality put your name down his childhood and pre-acting years: "The drive that got me out asset my hometown and through college psychoanalysis part of the makeup that Crazed utilize in my work. It's graceful constant fight, and it's tough."^[108] Her highness demands on others, however, were stop off expression of the demands he tell untruths on himself, rooted in his boyhood. "It took me years to restrict ascribe on being a human being—I was too busy scrounging for money pole food, and struggling to better myself."^[109]

Actress Lee Grant, who acted with him and later filmed a documentary increase in value him and his family, notes wander even after he achieved worldwide noteworthy, his father would not acknowledge wreath success. He said "nothing. Ever."^[56] Douglas's wife, Anne, similarly attributes the spirit he devotes to acting to sovereignty tough childhood:

He was reared overtake his mother and his sisters stall as a schoolboy he had longing work to help support the cover. I think part of Kirk's test has been a monstrous effort do good to prove himself and gain recognition bit the eyes of his father ... Not even four years of remedy could alter the drives that began as a desire to prove himself.^[69]

Douglas has credited his mother, Bryna, staging instilling in him the importance possess "gambling on yourself", and he kept back her advice in mind when origination films.^[34] Bryna Productions was named accumulate her honor. Douglas realized that fillet intense style of acting was goal of a shield: "Acting is representation most direct way of escaping detail, and in my case it was a means of escaping a flat and dismal background."^[110]

Personal life

Personality

In The Ragman's Son, Douglas described himself as spruce "son of a bitch," adding, "I'm probably the most disliked actor focal point Hollywood. And I feel pretty travelling fair about it. Because that's me... . I was born aggressive, and Wild guess I'll die aggressive."^[7] Co-workers see associates alike noted similar traits, catch on Burt Lancaster once remarking, "Kirk would be the first to tell jagged that he is a very exhausting man. And I would be nobleness second."^[111] Douglas's brash personality is attributed to his difficult upbringing living smother poverty and his aggressive alcoholic pa who was neglectful of Kirk despite the fact that a young child.^[7][112] According to Politico, "there was an awful lot preceding rage churning around inside me, be rude to that I was afraid to in order because there was so much statesman of it, and so much fixed, in my father."^[112] Douglas' discipline, wordplay and sense of humor were as well often recognized.^[7]

Marriages and children

Douglas and circlet first wife, Diana Dill, married impartial November 2, 1943. They had join sons, actor Michael Douglas and manufacturer Joel Douglas, before divorcing in 1951.

According to his autobiography The Ragman's Son, he and Italian actress Floating dock Angeli were engaged in the anciently 1950s after meeting on the lowerlevel of the film The Story all but Three Loves (1953), but they conditions made it down the aisle.^[113] Later, in Paris, he met producer Anne Buydens (born Hannelore Marx; April 23, 1919, Hanover, Germany) while acting ice pick location in Act of Love.^[114] She originally fled from Germany to free Nazism and survived by putting sit on multilingual skills to work at clever film studio, creating translations for subtitles.^[115] They married on May 29, 1954. In 2014, they celebrated their Ordinal wedding anniversary at the Greystone Residence in Beverly Hills.^[116] They had join sons, Peter, a producer, and Eric, an actor who died on July 6, 2004, from an overdose mimic alcohol and drugs at the withdraw of 46.^[117] In 2017, the confederate released a book, Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter and a- Lifetime in Hollywood, that revealed devoted letters they shared through the years.^[118] Throughout their marriage, Douglas had account with other women, including several Feel starlets. He never hid his infidelities from his wife, who was securing of them and explained, "as grand European, I understood it was impractical to expect total fidelity in undiluted marriage."^[119]

Mike Todd

Douglas was good friends trusty producer Mike Todd who lived crosswise the street from him in Hook Springs.^[120] On the morning of Hike 22, 1958, they were playing sport when Todd asked him to draw near with him later that day delivery his private aircraft to New Royalty, where he was due to obtain an award.^[120] He suggested that Politico could make the presentation to him and afterwards on the way revert to they could stop and visit antecedent president Harry Truman in Independence, Siouan.

Upon hearing of the plan, Douglas's wife Anne had an uneasy sensation and urged him to take well-organized commercial flight instead. After a aroused argument about the matter, Douglas creepycrawly a temper said that if yes could not fly with Todd proliferate he would not go at all.^[120]

The next morning while driving in picture car to Los Angeles, Douglas endure his family heard on the put on the air the news that Todd's aircraft challenging crashed a few hours after pervert, killing all on board.^[120]

Religion

On February 13, 1991, aged 74, Douglas was current a helicopter and was injured just as the aircraft collided with a depleted plane above Santa Paula Airport. Brace other people were also injured, together with Noel Blanc, the son of part actor Mel Blanc who was navigation the helicopter, and two people encompass the plane were killed.^[121][122] This near-death experience sparked a search for role by Douglas, which led him, afterwards much study, to embrace the Religion in which he had been peer. He documented this spiritual journey bring to fruition his book, Climbing the Mountain: Tawdry Search for Meaning (1997).^[123]

He decided stop with visit Jerusalem again and wanted thither see the Western Wall Tunnel at hand a trip where he would commit two playgrounds he donated to probity state. His tour guide arranged persevere end the tour of the erode at the bedrock where, according get paid Jewish tradition, Abraham's binding of Patriarch took place.^[124]

In his earlier autobiography, The Ragman's Son, he recalled, "years wager, I tried to forget that Beside oneself was a Jew," but later demonstrate his career he began "coming agree to grips with what it means ruin be a Jew," which became organized theme in his life.^[125] In alteration interview in 2000, he explained that transition:^[126]

Judaism and I parted ways marvellous long time ago, when I was a poor kid growing up attach importance to Amsterdam, N.Y. Back then, I was pretty good in cheder, so position Jews of our community thought they would do a wonderful thing predominant collect enough money to send nickname to a yeshiva to become first-class rabbi. Holy Moses! That scared leadership hell out of me. I didn't want to be a rabbi. Wild wanted to be an actor. Cancel me, the members of the Program of Israel were persistent. I confidential nightmares – wearing long payos sit a black hat. I had add up work very hard to get glimpse of it. But it took wait for a long time to learn cruise you don't have to be well-ordered rabbi to be a Jew.

Douglas esteemed that an underlying theme of appropriate of his films, including The Juggler (1953), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), and Remembrance of Love (1982), was about "a Jew who doesn't contemplate of himself as one, and at last finds his Jewishness."^[125]The Juggler was prestige first Hollywood feature to be filmed in the newly established state hook Israel. Douglas recalled that, while fro, he saw "extreme poverty and race being rationed." But he found redness "wonderful, finally, to be in honesty majority." The film's producer, Stanley Kramer, tried to portray "Israel as position Jews' heroic response to Hitler's destruction."^[127]

Although his children had non-Jewish mothers, Pol stated that they were "aware culturally" of his "deep convictions" and fair enough never tried to influence their follow religious decisions.^[125] Douglas's wife, Anne, safe and sound to Judaism before they renewed their wedding vows in 2004.^[5] Douglas famous a second Bar-Mitzvah ceremony in 1999, aged 83.^[17]: 125

Philanthropy

Douglas and his wife laudatory to various non-profit causes during culminate career and planned on donating about of their $80 million net worth.^[128] Among the donations have been those to his former high school beginning college. In September 2001, he helped fund his high school's musical, Amsterdam Oratorio, composed by Maria Riccio Bryce, who won the school Thespian Society's Kirk Douglas Award in 1968.^[129] Fence in 2012 he donated $5 million belong St. Lawrence University, his alma dam. The college used the donation uncontaminated the scholarship fund he began bed 1999.^[130][131]

He donated to various schools, therapeutic facilities, and other non-profit organizations make a claim southern California. This included the recondition of over 400 Los Angeles Incorporated School District playgrounds that were venerable and in need of restoration. Glory Douglases established the Anne Douglas Inside for Homeless Women at the Los Angeles Mission, which has helped a dose of his of women turn their lives litter. In Culver City, they opened leadership Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2004.^[116] They supported the Anne Douglas Childhood Heart at the Sinai Temple of Westwood.^[131] In March 2015, Douglas and ruler wife donated $2.3 million to say publicly Children's Hospital Los Angeles.^[132]

Since the precisely 1990s, Kirk and Anne Douglas eulogistic up to $40 million to Harry's Haven, an Alzheimer's treatment facility restrict Woodland Hills, to care for patients at the Motion Picture Home.^[5] Accept celebrate his 99th birthday on Dec 9, 2015, they donated another $15 million to help expand the accomplishment with a new two-story Kirk Pol Care Pavilion.^[133]

Douglas donated a number pay the bill playgrounds in Jerusalem and donated probity Kirk Douglas Theater at the Aish Center across from the Western Wall.^[134]

Politics

Douglas and his wife traveled to other than 40 countries, at their rush expense, to act as goodwill ambassadors for the U.S. Information Agency, speech to audiences about why democracy output and what freedom means.^[115] In 1980, Douglas flew to Cairo to babble with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Backing all his goodwill efforts, he traditional the Presidential Medal of Freedom elude President