Posted on 12/08/2011 12:35:37 PM PST by DemforBush
On Friday, the legendary actor Kirk Douglas celebrates his 95th year and almost a century of accomplishment. Best known for his iconic roles in "Spartacus," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," and "Lust for Life," the self-described "ragman's son" made his way from poverty to screen legend...
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Also loved him in Tough Guys with Eli Wallach and the late, great Burt Lancaster.
Happy Birthday, Kirk! You were a great actor and a brilliant producer. My husband just showed “Paths of Glory” to his film students. My favorite of yours was “Lonely are the Brave.”
(But, please, don’t go on the Oscars again...)
I had no idea he was still alive. I particularly liked his character in the Disney version of “20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea”.
Douglas is a great actor. I especially like some of the film noir films he did in the late 40s.
Best Burt Lancaster impersonation EVER!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEtDidm0pRE
YES! I’ve got that one on my hard drive. Gorshin was just an amazing talent. His impressions/impersonations were always just spot on.
BTW, here’s a clip of Gorshin on the Dean Martin show. Lancaster, Douglas, Brando and Rod Steiger all in the span of two minutes. Just amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-YX4d2s0xs
One of our last living American movie greats.
I am Spartacus!
A great Kirk Douglas was done by Phil Hartman in the SNL sketch “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.”
BTW web rumor claims that Phyllis Diller died today. Tracking that one down.
Its hard to forgive him for championing Dalton Trumbo.
Kirk Douglas is also a great philanthropist in the Old Hollywood style. He financed the Motion Picture Home facility for Alzheimer’s patients, named for his father, Harry’s Haven. Unfortunately, they’re not making stars like Kirk anymore.
The late, not-so-great gossip columnist, Sheilah Graham, used to call Burt and Kirk “the terrible twins.”
Very nice man in person as well. I met him one day when I in my 20’s and was walking my bosses dog downtown Palm Springs (where he lived) and ‘my’ dog attacked his dog. I apologized, offered to pay for any vet bills and gave him my card. A few hours later, I got called into my bosses office to be told that Kirk Douglas called to tell her how nice and polite I was and that the dog was fine.
For some reason, all of my ‘celebrity’ stories are embarrassing. LOL.
One of his greatest movies. But you almost want to open your veins after seeing it...
I’m certainly not a fan of the politics of Dalton Trumbo - and he deserved what he got - but he was an excellent writer. Lonely Are the Brave is a beautiful movie about the lone American spirit. Kirk and his horse, Whiskey, gave performances for the ages.
Agreed. And what about that truck driver...Carroll O’Connor?
They sell parody T-shirts that say “Behold, Fartacus” or “I am Fartacus” too.
I saw Kirk Douglas a few years ago at the Glendale Galleria. He was signing one of his books.
Oh! Carroll O’Connor before he became famous! You keep wondering why he’s driving that truck...and then, sadly, you find out.
An amazing talent, producer and business man. When will we see their likes again?
I'm thinking 'never'. The day is long past for manly stars like Kirk, Burt, Chuck Heston, et al. Probably why most of the films my wife and I watch are old ones.
Yes, brilliant storytelling. Too sad for me to love, though.
The Bad and the Beautiful” will always be my favorite. Just getting to watch the delicious Gilbert Roland, would have been joy enough.
“Last Train From Gun Hill”.... with Tony Quinn. One of the best westerns ever.
Interestingly (or not), Trumbo also co-wrote the screenplay for one of my favorite Steve McQueen films - Papillon.
And, of course, he wrote what I consider to be the single most terrifying novel ever written - Johnny Got His Gun. The first time I read it, there were times when I had to put the book down and go outside for air.
I’ve not seen that one before, but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks!
Ooh, I definitely have to check that one out! I love noir, and Billy Wilder is one of the greatest directors of all time in my book.
I’ve never read Johnny Get Your Gun - waaaaay too graphic for me. But then, I’ve seen “War Horse,” the B’way play about World War I that left me sleepless! And who can forget Kirk’s “Paths of Glory,” a movie that makes me as jittery as hell,lol.
I like Papillon very much although it doesn’t show McQueen at his most movie-star like. He is probably my very favorite movie star.
Wow! A freeper who knows who Gilbert Roland is! I’m super impressed!
I love it when Kirk tells Lana she’s nothing but a slut, lol. And the famous sequence where she loses control of herself (and the steering wheel) while she’s driving. Wild!
The best scene EVER! We need a club or t-shirts or tattoos.
My only problem with the movie is that we have to buy into the fact that Dick Powell is a graduate of the Sorbonne!
Happy birthday to Mr. Douglas.
One of my favorite was his starring with John Wayne in “The War Wagon.”
Two “toughs” are delivering a message from the head bad guy (played by Bruce Cabot) hiring Lomax (Douglas) to kill Tau Jackson (Wayne) and as they’re walking away they decide that they can kill Tau. They turn and draw their guns just to be shot down by Tau and Lomax.
Lomax says, “Mine hit the ground first.”
Tau Jackson replies, “Mine was taller.”
or “Man without a Star”.
Haven’t seen that one. Will have to check it out.
If I may jump in, on this side of the aisle Gloria Grahame was almost as delish as Ms. Turner and twice as seductive.
Not sure I agree on GG. She had no lips. However, the fact that she divorced Nick Ray and married his son makes her a HUGE heroine to me.
"Noes, meesa AM Spartacus."
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