Actor, producer, director, philanthropist, and writer Kirk Douglas (Dec. 9, 1916 – Feb. 5, 2020) was an iconic superstar during Hollywood’s Golden Age, from the 1940s through the 1950s and early 1960s. He appeared in more than 90 movies — usually in “tough guy” roles — including the following: Champion (1949), Young Man with a Horn (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1956), to name just a few. Perhaps his most renowned role was when he portrayed the Roman slave Spartacus (see photo) in the 1960 film by the same name.
Douglas was also greatly respected for his political courage in helping destroy the infamous Hollywood blacklist during the anti-communist hysteria of the McCarthy era. In 1996 he suffered a stroke that impaired his speech for the rest of his life. Douglas became increasingly dedicated to his Jewish heritage and religion in his later years.
Quotes: “I was living in a terrible time when people were being accused of being communists, and they attacked the movie industry, especially the writers. People couldn’t work if they were on the blacklist. The studios banned them. It was the most onerous period in movie history. I don’t think we have ever had a period so dark as that.”
Sources: Wikipedia, BrainyQuote
Learn more about Kirk Douglas on Wikipedia. >>
Watch a retrospective about Kirk Douglas on ABC [3:20]. >>
Watch a 1973 appearance by Kirk Douglas on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson [10:13]. >>
Photo: biography.com
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