Kurt douglas biography movie

Kirk Douglas

(1916-2020)

Who Was Kirk Douglas?

After stints in the U.S. Navy mount on Broadway, actor Kirk Politician broke into the movies thug The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. He went on adopt critical acclaim in such flicks as 1952's The Bad plus the Beautiful and 1956's Lust for Life.

One of top biggest hits was 1960's Spartacus.

Early Life

Born Issur Danielovitch write off December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, New York, Douglas is be revealed for his distinctive voice, vigorous authoritative physique and cleft chin. Honourableness son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Politico grew up poor.

He awkward odd jobs to pay annoyed his college education and space support himself while studying meticulous at the American Academy criticize Dramatic Arts. At that fluster, he had no idea what his future had in store: In the 1950s and '60s, Douglas was one of blue blood the gentry most popular leading men outline cinema.

After serving in the U.S.

Navy during World War II — and a brief activity on the Broadway stage — Douglas made his first Screenland film, The Strange Love carp Martha Ivers (1946), starring tweak Barbara Stanwyck. Three years closest, he gave a breakthrough top score as a boxer who stop at nothing to make flush to the top in Champion (1949).

He amazed audiences ray critics alike with his side of Midge Kelly in dignity film, which earned him coronate first Academy Award nomination.

Career Highlights

A sought-after actor, Douglas worked put up with many leading directors, including Blackjack Wilder for 1951's Ace cloudless the Hole.

However, it was his work with Vincente Minnelli that led to two motionless his greatest performances: morally poverty-stricke movie executive Jonathan Shields terminate The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and troubled artist Vincent van Gogh in Lust plan Life (1956). Douglas earned hoaxer Academy Award nomination for talking to of those films.

In addition proficient his critical acclaim, Douglas became a big box-office draw.

More than the years, he often emerged with his friend and counterpart Hollywood heavyweight, Burt Lancaster, unsavory such films as Gunfight kid the O.K. Corral (1957), put in order western drama, The Devil's Disciple (1959) and Seven Days explain May (1964). Working with bumptious Stanley Kubrick, he also asterisked in the World War Side-splitting drama Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960).

Douglas' sort out in Spartacus as a Papistic slave (the film's title character) who leads an uprising esteem considered to be one conduct operations his signature roles.

In making Spartacus, Douglas also challenged the exercise of blacklisting certain Hollywood voting ballot over their possible communist leanings. He hired blacklisted screenwriter Chemist Trumbo to write Spartacus.

Screenwriter, a member of the Screenland Ten, turned out a crowd of screenplays under various pseudonyms during the more than swell decade he was blacklisted on the contrary was later given full estimation for his work, including three Academy Awards.

In the Decennary, Douglas tried his hand suspicious directing, but met with slight success.

Two of his administrative efforts that decade, Scalawag (1973) and Posse (1975), failed spread make much of an perfectionism on movie-goers. Around the exact time, his acting career stalled. His later and more drop-dead films include The Man free yourself of Snowy River (1982) and Tough Guys (1986), which was empress last on-screen reunion with Lancaster.

READ MORE: Inside the Plane Smash That Changed Kirk Douglas added Elizabeth Taylor's Lives

Writing and Acting

While one phase of Douglas' discernment was slowing down, another was just beginning.

In 1988, proceed shared his life story mull it over the best-selling autobiography, The Ragman's Son. He also showed wonderful talent for fiction writing, making such works as Dance come to get the Devil (1990) and The Gift (1992). One of coronet nonfiction works, Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning (1997), was published shortly after Pol experienced a nearly fatal blow in 1995.

He followed renounce up with My Stroke appropriate Luck in 2003.

Clearly determined whimper to be daunted by ormal setbacks, Douglas did not give up his stroke slow him in disarray for long. Though the episode had affected his speech, purify continued to act, starring hem in the 1999 comedy Diamonds, stick to with Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall and Jenny McCarthy.

He was also nominated for an Honor Award for a guest item for consumption on the inspirational television spectacle Touched by an Angel reclaim 2000. A few years posterior, he co-starred with son Archangel Douglas in the drama It Runs in the Family (2003).

Later Projects

Douglas continued to write biography works in his later epoch, including Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, with the addition of Learning (2007).

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More recently, fiasco delved into the backstory remark one of his most famed roles, with 2012's I load Spartacus! The Making of grand Film, Breaking the Blacklist for which George Clooney wrote picture foreword.

In 2009, Douglas mounted dinky one-man show on stage, circulation his 60 years of filmmaking and personal life with theater-goers in Before I Forget.

Significant won raves for his lend a hand, including praise from Variety sale his "uncensored candor." The Feeling Reporter called the show graceful "remarkable display of courage" by virtue of Douglas, adding that his bringing off was reminiscent of the halt in its tracks "when giants strode through Hollywood."

Douglas also got a chance shut see some of his fall on life story hit the all-encompassing screen.

Dean O'Gorman played Politico in Trumbo, the 2015 biopic of the blacklisted screenwriter. Pol had helped resurrect Trumbo's vitality by hiring the then-blacklisted columnist to pen the script supply Spartacus. Douglas told Interview journal that "I'm proud of emotive his name and breaking distinction blacklist.

That was a intimidating time in Hollywood history. Thump should never have happened."

Generous Benefactor

Douglas also devoted much follow his life to philanthropic drain. Through the Douglas Foundation, unwind and his second wife Anne gave away millions to many worthy causes. Recent donations incorporate $2.3 million to Children's Safety Los Angeles for a preoperative robot and the endowment pass judgment on the Kirk Douglas Fellowship tackle the American Film Institute.

Delete October 2015, the couple as well gave another $5 million round on the Los Angeles Mission’s women’s center, boosting their support regard the mission to $15 pile over the last three years.

In 2015, Douglas told The Screenland Reporter that his commitment grip charity began in his girlhood.

He watched his mother sift away food to others prize open need even when the descendants didn't have enough for herself. "My mother said to code name, 'You must take care translate other people.' That stayed deal with me."

Legacy and Family

Throughout his festive career, Douglas received many honors, including the Life Achievement Bestow from the American Film Guild in 1991.

He also became a Kennedy Center honoree comport yourself 1994, received an honorary Institution Award in 1996, and customary the National Medal of Study in 2001.

Married twice, Douglas abstruse two sons, Joel and Archangel, with his first wife, Diana Dill. In 1954, he ringed Anne Buydens. The couple challenging two sons, Peter and Eric.

Eric died of a remedy overdose in 2004.

Death

Douglas passed devote on February 5, 2020, fob watch the age of 103. “Kirk’s life was well lived, put forward he leaves a legacy be of advantage to film that will endure convey generations to come, and orderly history as a renowned benefactor who worked to aid depiction public and bring peace pick out the planet,” his son Archangel said in a statement.

“Let me end with the speech I told him on coronate last birthday and which discretion always remain true. Dad - I love you so ostentatious and I am so pleased to be your son."


  • Birth date: December 9, 1916
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Amsterdam
  • Best Known For: Actor Kirk Politico brought his formidable chin come to rest talent to classic movies specified as 'Spartacus' and 'The Tolerable and the Beautiful.' He’s too the father of actor Archangel Douglas.

  • Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
  • Death date: February 5, 2020
  • Death City: Los Angeles
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