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Kirk Douglas has died at age 103.
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No!!! Not Kirk. We were saying just the other day how fantastic it was he was still going. Incredible age.
One last piece of childhood gone.... i will always see him on his horse in Lonely are the brave....and skiing in heroes of telemark... or fighting draba at the gladiator school.
Top actor. 75 movies. Incredible life.
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I didn't even know he was still alive.
Well, I hope he had a good life, considering how long he was around.
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After acting in plays in high school in New York City, Kirk Douglas knew he wanted to become a professional actor. Unable to afford tuition, Douglas talked his way into St. Lawrence University and received a loan, which he paid back by working part-time as a gardener and a janitor. Douglas' acting talents were noticed at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and he received a special scholarship. One of his classmates was Betty Joan Perske (later to become better known as Lauren Bacall). Another classmate, and a friend of Bacall, was aspiring actress, Diana Dill, who would later become Douglas’ wife.
After his service during World War II, Kirk Douglas returned to New York City, and found work in radio, theater, and commercials. In his radio work, he acted in a number of network soap operas, and saw those experiences as being especially valuable, since skill in using one's voice is important for aspiring actors. His stage break occurred in “Kiss and Tell,” which led to other roles. Douglas had planned to remain a stage actor, until his friend, Lauren Bacall, helped him get his first film role by recommending him to producer Hal Wallis, who was looking for a new male talent.
Kirk Douglas made his feature film debut co-starring in the 1946 film noir THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS. Douglas played a young, insecure district attorney, stung with jealousy, whose life was dominated by a ruthless older woman. He hid his feelings with alcohol, as he ran for political office at the urging of “Martha Ivers” (Barbara Stanwyck), who is his wife. In her comments on the film, columnist Louella Parsons said that Paramount had "unearthed themselves another wonder boy," and the Los Angeles Daily News review said that Douglas' part "should establish [him] in Hollywood permanently." The Hollywood Reporter reviewer remarked that Douglas' "acting has qualities of more than passing interest, but there is a danger that he may be typed," while the Daily Variety review stated, he "evinces high promise for future as a dramatic actor."
Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, and Kirk Douglas in THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS
Lewis Milestone directed the film. Miklos Rozsa’s score was issued by Kritzerland in 2012. "The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on June 30, 1947 with Kirk Douglas reprising his film role.
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In the classic film noir OUT OF THE PAST, Douglas played “Whit Sterling” a gambler who hires private detective “Jeff Bailey” (Robert Mitchum) to track down his girlfriend (Jane Greer), who had shot him and then disappeared with $40,000 of his money. RKO borrowed Kirk Douglas from Paramount for the picture. RKO stalwart Roy Webb scored the 1947 film.
Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas in OUT OF THE PAST
By all accounts, it was obvious that an undeniable tension developed between Douglas and Mitchum early on during the filming. Certainly the acting styles of the two men could not have been more different. Mitchum's relaxed, laconic manner contrasted with the aggressive, grandstanding Douglas. In the first scenes to be shot with the two actors, Douglas attempted some scene stealing by manipulating distracting props, such as swinging a key chain or flipping a coin, George Raft-style. Director Jacques Tourneur saw through these ploys and put a stop to them. For his part, Mitchum would retaliate by making faces when the camera was behind his head, so as to throw off Douglas' reaction shots. Eventually the one-upmanship faded, and the two let their natural styles complement each other.
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Kirk Douglas had his first lead role in the 1949 boxing film CHAMPION. The Stanley Kramer-produced film recounted the career of a popular champion boxer, “Midge Kelly” (Douglas). In accepting the role, Douglas took a gamble, since he had to turn down an offer to star in a big-budget MGM film, THE GREAT SINNER, which would have earned him three times the income. Film historian, Ray Didinger says "he saw CHAMPION as a greater risk, but also a greater opportunity. . . Douglas took the part and absolutely nailed it." Frederick Romano, another sports film historian, described Douglas’ acting as "alarmingly authentic":
“Douglas shows great concentration in the ring. His intense focus on his opponent draws the viewer into the ring. Perhaps his best characteristic is his patented snarl and grimace. . . . he leaves no doubt that he is a man on a mission.”
Marilyn Maxwell and Kirk Douglas in CHAMPION
Variety called the film "a stark, realistic study of the boxing rackets." The film won an Academy Award for editing (Harry Gerstad) and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Arthur Kennedy), Black and White Cinematography (Frank Planer), Screenplay (Carl Foreman) and Music (Dimitri Tiomkin). Douglas was nominated as Best Actor, losing to Broderick Crawford for ALL THE KING’S MEN.
Mark Robson directed the picture. Tiomkin’s score was released on the Screen Archives Entertainment label in 2010. "The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 13, 1949 with Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell reprising their film roles. "Screen Director's Playhouse" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 17, 1950 with Douglas again reprising his film role.
Douglas’ gamble paid off, with his portrayal of the ruthless boxer making him a major star. His dynamic and realistic character portrayal in the film, combined with his strong acting style, set the course for his future film career, allowing him to avoid working under the studio system and henceforth choose his own films.
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In 1950’s YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN, Douglas played a legendary trumpet player named “Rick Martin,” a role loosely based on the life of cornet player Bix Beiderbecke, a renowned jazz musician of the 1920s and 1930s. Composer-pianist Hoagy Carmichael, playing the sidekick role, added realism to the film and gave Douglas insight into the role, being a friend of the real Beiderbecke. Warner Bros. studio musician Larry Sullivan coached Douglas so that his trumpet playing would look realistic on screen. Harry James played Douglas' trumpet solos off screen. Co-star Doris Day wrote that she was unhappy making this film, which brought back stressful memories of her early career as a band singer, and also because Kirk Douglas and other co-star Lauren Bacall (having dated at one time in real life) seemed to intentionally shut her out, making her feel unwelcome.
Doris Day, Kirk Douglas and Lauren Bacall in YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN
Michael Curtiz directed the film, and all of the jazz and pop standards on the soundtrack were conducted by Ray Heindorf. Thirteen tracks from the soundtrack were released on a Columbia/Legacy CD in 1999. "Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60-minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 3, 1952 with Douglas reprising his film role.
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