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89-493: Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch ; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck . Douglas soon developed into a leading box-office star throughout the 1950s, known for serious dramas, including westerns and war films. During his career, he appeared in more than 90 films and

178-456: A depth charge . He rose to the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade) . After the war, Douglas returned to New York City and found work in radio, theater, and commercials . In his radio work, he acted in network soap operas and saw those experiences as being especially valuable, as skill in using one's voice is important for aspiring actors; he regretted that later the same avenues became no longer available. His stage break occurred when he took over

267-412: A 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes , based on 10 reviews. Glenn Erickson , reviewing the film for DVD Talk , complimented its psychological complexity, writing: "Many noirs create moods of corruption but Robert Rossen's script for The Strange Love of Martha Ivers gives us characterizations of uncommon depth... [it] isn't a detective movie or a standard crime thriller, which helps support

356-529: A Giant Shadow (1966), Is Paris Burning (1966), The Final Countdown (1980), and Saturn 3 (1980). His acting style and delivery made him a favorite with television impersonators such as Frank Gorshin , Rich Little , and David Frye . His role as Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), directed by Vincente Minnelli and based on Irving Stone 's bestseller , was filmed mostly on location in France. Douglas

445-569: A bit" on set, but that he had never been out with her. Spangler's girlfriends told police that she was three months pregnant when she disappeared, and scholars such as Jon Lewis of Oregon State University have speculated that she may have been considering an illegal abortion . In 1951, Douglas starred as a newspaper reporter anxiously looking for a big story in Ace in the Hole , director Billy Wilder 's first effort as both writer and producer. The subject and story

534-582: A cast including Charles Durning and Eli Wallach . It marked the final collaboration between Douglas and Lancaster, completing a partnership of more than 40 years. That same year, he co-hosted (with Angela Lansbury ) the New York Philharmonic 's tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty . The symphony was conducted by Zubin Mehta . In 1988, Douglas starred in a television adaptation of Inherit

623-499: A decade of being unable to find a producer he gave the rights to his son, Michael . In 1975, the film version was produced by Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz , and starred Jack Nicholson , as Douglas was then considered too old to play the character as written. The film won all five major Academy Awards , only the second film to do so (after It Happened One Night in 1934). Douglas made seven films over four decades with actor Burt Lancaster : I Walk Alone (1947), Gunfight at

712-407: A drama directed by Elia Kazan and based upon his novel of the same title , Douglas starred as a tormented advertising executive, with Faye Dunaway as costar. The film did poorly at the box office, receiving mostly negative reviews. Dunaway believed many of the reviews were unfair, writing in her biography, "I can't understand it when people knock Kirk's performance, because I think he's terrific in

801-470: A fluent French speaker, portrayed a sympathetic French officer during World War I who tries to save three soldiers from facing a firing squad. Biographer Vincent LoBrutto describes Douglas's "seething but controlled portrayal exploding with the passion of his convictions at the injustice leveled at his men." The film was banned in France until 1976. Before production of the film began, however, Douglas and Kubrick had to work out some large problems, one of which

890-412: A half-hearted attempt to kill Sam himself but is easily disarmed. Walter inadvertently blurts out his fears of blackmail, only to learn that Sam had not witnessed the death. Through old newspapers Sam learns that Walter Sr. had presented Martha's version of the 1928 accidental murder to the police: that an intruder murdered Martha's aunt. With that leverage, Walter Sr. had made Martha marry his son. When

979-521: A hard-nosed film producer who manipulates and uses his actors, writers, and directors. In 1954 Douglas starred as the titular character in Ulysses , a film based on Homer 's epic poem Odyssey , with Silvana Mangano as Penelope and Circe , and Anthony Quinn as Antinous . In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Douglas showed that in addition to serious, driven characters, he was adept at roles requiring

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1068-466: A helicopter crash in 1991 and then suffering a stroke in 1996, he focused on renewing his spiritual and religious life. He lived with his second wife, producer Anne Buydens , until his death in 2020. A centenarian , Douglas was one of the last surviving stars of the film industry's Golden Age. Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York , on December 9, 1916, the fourth of seven children and

1157-678: A horse trader in Russia , got himself a horse and a small wagon, and became a ragman, buying old rags, pieces of metal, and junk for pennies, nickels, and dimes ... Even on Eagle Street, in the poorest section of town, where all the families were struggling, the ragman was on the lowest rung on the ladder. And I was the ragman's son. Douglas had an unhappy childhood, living with an alcoholic, physically abusive father. While his father drank up what little money they had, Douglas and his mother and sisters endured "crippling poverty". Douglas first wanted to be an actor after he recited "The Red Robin of Spring",

1246-629: A lighter, comic touch. In this adaptation of the Jules Verne novel, he played a happy-go-lucky sailor who was the opposite in every way to the brooding Captain Nemo ( James Mason ). The film was one of Walt Disney 's most successful live-action movies and a major box-office hit. Douglas managed a similar comic turn in the western Man Without a Star (1955) and in For Love or Money (1963). He showed further diversity in one of his earliest television appearances. He

1335-696: A near-fatal helicopter crash at the age of 74. His father's brother, who had immigrated earlier, used the surname Demsky , which Douglas's family adopted in the United States. Douglas grew up as Izzy Demsky and legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the United States Navy during World War II . In his 1988 autobiography, The Ragman's Son , Douglas notes the hardships that he, along with his parents and six sisters, endured during their early years in Amsterdam: My father, who had been

1424-578: A poem by the English poet John Clare , while in kindergarten and received applause. Growing up, he sold snacks to mill workers to earn enough to buy milk and bread to help his family. He later delivered newspapers, and he had more than forty jobs during his youth before becoming an actor. He found living in a family with six sisters to be stifling: "I was dying to get out. In a sense, it lit a fire under me." After appearing in plays at Amsterdam High School , from which he graduated in 1934, he knew he wanted to become

1513-440: A pre-nuptial agreement. She signed the document, but Douglas, because he held Norton as both his best friend and a father figure, was unwilling to get involved in his wife's subsequent attempts to obtain a copy. Anne Douglas went behind her husband's back, engaging lawyer Greg Bautzer and suing to obtain a copy from Norton successfully. Her distrust of Norton grew, especially as he had been granted power of attorney, and she found that

1602-528: A professional actor. Unable to afford the tuition, Douglas talked his way into the dean's office at St. Lawrence University and showed him a list of his high school honors. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1939. He received a loan which he paid back by working part-time as a gardener and a janitor. He was a standout on the school's wrestling team and wrestled one summer in a carnival to make money. He later became good friends with world-champion wrestler Lou Thesz . Douglas's acting talents were noticed at

1691-527: A reunion with Lancaster, and in the television version of Inherit the Wind (1988) plus in an episode of Touched by an Angel in 2000, for which he received his third nomination for an Emmy Award . As an actor and philanthropist, Douglas received an Academy Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Presidential Medal of Freedom . As an author, he wrote ten novels and memoirs. After barely surviving

1780-554: A sailor who hitches a ride with Sam. Filming of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers took place at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Director Lewis Milestone left the film for several days in sympathy with a set decorators' strike which was going on at the time. In his absence, the film was directed by Byron Haskin , who did not receive screen credit. The film's shooting schedule was vigorous, with shoots often lasting 12 hours each day. Stanwyck had considerable influence on how she

1869-528: A woman repeatedly whispering, "Martha Ivers". Herbert Cohn of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote: "It is a complex story, but [director] Milestone used each detail to make his characters seem real, their actions not too far-fetched," and went on to praise the leading performances. John L. Scott of the Los Angeles Times praised the performances as raw and "geared toward the material," and added that

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1958-431: A young, insecure man stung by jealousy, whose life was dominated by his ruthless wife, and who hid his feelings with alcohol. It would be the last time that Douglas portrayed a weakling in a film role. Reviewers of the film noted that Douglas already projected qualities of a "natural film actor", with the similarity of this role with later ones explained by biographer Tony Thomas: His style and his personality came across on

2047-568: Is a town in Mogilev Region , Belarus . It serves as the administrative center of Chavusy District . In 2009, its population was 10,692. As of 2024, it has a population of 9,817. It once was a substantial Jewish shtetl , which dated from the 17th century, as appears from a charter granted to the Jews January 11, 1667, by Michał Kazimierz Pac , castellan of Wilno , and confirmed by King Augustus III of Poland . March 9, 1739. In 1780, at

2136-418: Is caught and taken home, where Martha's tutor, Walter O'Neil Sr., presents his timid son, Walter Jr., as the one responsible for Martha's capture. Walter privately tells Martha that despite what his father said, he was not the one who sent authorities on her track, and would never betray her. His father claimed this in order to ingratiate himself with the aunt. Scolded by her aunt, Martha defiantly states her name

2225-576: Is just a cameo appearance , while Douglas plays the film's villain), their roles were usually of a similar size. Both actors arrived in Hollywood at about the same time and first appeared together in the fourth film for each, albeit with Douglas in a supporting role. They both became actor-producers who sought out independent Hollywood careers. John Frankenheimer , who directed the political thriller Seven Days in May in 1964, had not worked well with Lancaster in

2314-483: Is nicely done." John Patrick received an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Original Motion Picture Story . In 1974, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication. Because of its public domain status, the film has received numerous home media releases in various formats since. Paramount Home Entertainment released

2403-424: Is not Ivers, but Smith, her father's name. During a power failure, Sam comes for her, but Martha's aunt hears her calling to him from downstairs. While Sam slips out unnoticed, Mrs. Ivers starts beating Martha's kitten with her cane. Martha wrestles the cane away from her aunt and strikes her across the head, causing her to fall down the stairs, accidentally killing her. When the power comes back on, Martha lies about

2492-488: Is portrayed by Dean O'Gorman . Douglas bought the rights to stage a play of the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest from its author, Ken Kesey . He mounted a play from the material in 1963 in which he starred and that ran on Broadway for five months. Reviews were mixed. Douglas retained the movie rights due to an innovative loophole of basing the rights on the play rather than the novel, despite Kesey's objections, but after

2581-649: Is seen rolling a coin on his fingers several times in several scenes. Kirk Douglas later wrote that Stanwyck was indifferent to him at first, until at one point she focused on him and told him, "Hey, you're pretty good." Douglas, smarting from having been ignored previously, replied, "Too late, Miss Stanwyck," but the two got on well after that. Six months after the film's release, Milestone gave an interview in which he said he would never work for producer Hal B. Wallis again, because Wallis had wanted re-shoots in order to get more closeups of Lizabeth Scott. Milestone refused, telling Wallis to shoot them himself, and, according to

2670-755: Is the film's sole credited director, Byron Haskin temporarily took over directorial duties during production while Milestone participated in a Hollywood set decorators' strike , and the film's producer, Hal B. Wallis , also directed reshoots with Milestone's approval. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival and premiered in London in June 1946, before opening in New York City on July 25, 1946. It received largely favorable reviews from critics, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Original Motion Picture Story . In 1974,

2759-532: The AFI Life Achievement Award in 1991, said of him: "No other leading actor was ever more ready to tap the dark, desperate side of the soul and thus to reveal the complexity of human nature." Also in 1951, Douglas starred in Detective Story , nominated for four Academy Awards, including one for Lee Grant in her debut film. Grant said Douglas was "dazzling, both personally and in the part. ... He

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2848-640: The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City , which gave him a special scholarship. One of his classmates was Betty Joan Perske (later known as Lauren Bacall ), who would play an important role in launching his film career. Bacall wrote that she "had a wild crush on Kirk", and they dated casually. Another classmate, and a friend of Bacall's, was aspiring actress Diana Dill , who would later become Douglas's first wife. During their time together, Bacall learned Douglas had no money and that he once spent

2937-509: The Don Henley song " The Garden of Allah ". In 1996, after suffering a severe stroke at age 79 which impaired his ability to speak, Douglas still wanted to make movies. He underwent years of voice therapy and made Diamonds in 1999, in which he played an old professional boxer who was recovering from a stroke. It co-starred his longtime friend from his early acting years, Lauren Bacall. In 2003, Michael and Joel Douglas produced It Runs in

3026-595: The 1950s and 1960s, Douglas was a major box-office star, playing opposite some of the leading actresses of that era. He portrayed a frontier peace officer in his first western, Along the Great Divide (1951). He quickly became very comfortable with riding horses and playing gunslingers, and he appeared in many Westerns. He considered Lonely Are the Brave (1962), in which he plays a cowboy trying to live by his own code, his personal favorite. The film, written by Dalton Trumbo ,

3115-578: The Beautiful four years earlier, for which he received a Best Actor Oscar nomination. For approximately 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 additional 10%. On the day of his wedding in 1958 his bride Anne had been quietly pulled aside by Norton and been presented by Norton (without Kirk Douglas's knowledge) with

3204-514: The Brave (1962) and Seven Days in May (1964), the latter opposite Burt Lancaster , with whom he made seven films. In 1963, he starred in the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , a story that he purchased and later gave to his son Michael Douglas , who turned it into an Oscar-winning film . Douglas continued acting into the 1980s, appearing in such films as Saturn 3 (1980), The Man from Snowy River (1980), Tough Guys (1986),

3293-455: The Brave (1962), and Seven Days in May (1964). In 1958, Douglas formed the music publishing company Peter Vincent Music Corporation , a Bryna Productions subsidiary. Peter Vincent Music was responsible for publishing the soundtracks of The Vikings and Spartacus . While Paths of Glory did not do well at the box office, it has since become one of the great anti-war films, and it is one of director Stanley Kubrick 's early films. Douglas,

3382-456: The Family , which along with Kirk starred various family members, including Michael, Michael's son Cameron, and his wife from 50 years earlier, Diana Dill , playing his wife. His final feature-film appearance was in the 2004 Michael Goorjian film Illusion , in which he depicts a dying film director forced to watch episodes from the life of a son he had refused to acknowledge. His last screen role

3471-576: The Hole (1951); and Detective Story (1951), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. He received his second Oscar nomination for his dramatic role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), opposite Lana Turner , and earned his third for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), a role for which he won the Golden Globe for the Best Actor in a Drama. He also starred with James Mason in

3560-528: The Ivers milling empire. Their marriage is one-sided; he loves her, but Walter knows she does not love him, and knows that all she wants is control. Sam, having been a soldier and itinerant gambler while he was away, drives into the small town by chance and, after an accident, leaves his car to be repaired. While waiting, he goes to his old home, now a boarding house. He meets Antonia "Toni" Marachek, who has just been released from jail. She misses her bus, and they spend

3649-447: The O.K. Corral (1957), The Devil's Disciple (1959), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Victory at Entebbe (1976), and Tough Guys (1986), which fixed the notion of the pair as something of a team in the public imagination. Douglas was always billed under Lancaster in these movies, but, with the exception of I Walk Alone and, even more so, The List of Adrian Messenger (where Lancaster's part

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3738-492: The Past was released, I Walk Alone , the first film teaming Douglas with Burt Lancaster , presented Douglas playing a supporting part quite similar to his role in Out of the Past in 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 boxer. In accepting

3827-450: The Wind , opposite Jason Robards and Jean Simmons . The film won two Emmy Awards . In the 1990s, Douglas continued starring in various features. Among them was The Secret in 1992, a television movie about a grandfather and his grandson who both struggle with dyslexia. That same year, he played the uncle of Michael J. Fox in a comedy, Greedy . He appeared as the Devil in the video for

3916-578: The adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), a 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 director Stanley Kubrick , taking lead roles in both films. Douglas helped to break the Hollywood blacklist by having Dalton Trumbo write Spartacus with an official on-screen credit. He produced and starred in Lonely Are

4005-484: The canvas to capture a moment in time. Douglas was nominated for an Academy Award for the role, with his co-star Anthony Quinn winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as Paul Gauguin , van Gogh's friend. Douglas won a Golden Globe award, although Minnelli said Douglas should have won an Oscar: "He achieved a moving and memorable portrait of the artist—a man of massive creative power, triggered by severe emotional stress,

4094-482: The commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz , which travels through time to the day before the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. It was produced by his son Peter Douglas . He also played in a dual role in The Man from Snowy River (1982), an Australian film which received critical acclaim and numerous awards. In 1986, he reunited with his longtime co-star, Burt Lancaster , in a crime comedy, Tough Guys , with

4183-572: The director, Wallis did. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers premiered in London on June 14, 1946. The audience at the London premiere was reportedly so taken by actress Lizabeth Scott's appearance that they began to mob her before the screening. The film opened in New York City on July 24, 1946, and its release expanded wide on September 13, 1946. The film's advertising campaign consisted only of teasers before its release: Newspapers ran advertisements reading, "Whisper her name!", while radio spots had

4272-956: The fear and horror of madness." Douglas himself called his acting role as Van Gogh a painful experience: "Not only did I look like Van Gogh, I was the same age he was when he committed suicide." His wife said he often remained in character in his personal life: "When he was doing Lust for Life , he came home in that red beard of Van Gogh's, wearing those big boots, stomping around the house—it was frightening." In general, however, Douglas's acting style fit well with Minnelli's preference for "melodrama and neurotic-artist roles", writes film historian James Naremore . He adds that Minnelli had his "richest, most impressive collaborations" with Douglas, and for Minnelli, no other actor portrayed his level of "cool": "A robust, athletic, sometimes explosive player, Douglas loved stagy rhetoric, and he did everything passionately." Douglas had also starred in Minnelli's film The Bad and

4361-658: The film "is not a pretty tale but it holds the attention down to the last scene." A review published in The New York Times noted: "reminding one of a jigsaw puzzle, there are long stretches in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers when it seems as though the director, Lewis Milestone, and Robert Rossen, the author, will not be able to gather in all the pieces of the rambling plot. But they manage it expeditiously, if with less finesse and surprise than one could wish." The film has received acclaim from modern critics. It holds

4450-692: The film earned six nominations in all. Variety called it "a stark, realistic study of the boxing rackets." After Champion he decided that, to succeed as a star, he needed to ramp up his intensity, overcome his natural shyness, and choose stronger roles. He later stated, "I don't think I'd be much of an actor without vanity. And I'm not interested in being a 'modest actor'". Early in his Hollywood career, Douglas demonstrated his independent streak and broke his studio contracts to gain total control over his projects, forming his own movie company, Bryna Productions (named after his mother) in September 1949. Throughout

4539-399: The film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication. On a rainy night in 1928 in a Pennsylvania factory town called Iverstown, thirteen-year-old Martha Ivers tries to run away from the guardianship of her wealthy aunt, Mrs. Ivers, with her friend, the street-smart, poor Sam Masterson. She

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4628-526: The film on DVD on October 25, 2002. The independent distributor HDClassics issued a restored DVD and Blu-ray combination set in 2012, though this edition was noted for having middling picture quality and featuring digital noise reduction . On September 22, 2022, Kino Lorber released a new Blu-ray edition featuring a 4K restoration from the original film elements. Chavusy Chavusy or Chausy ( Belarusian : Чавусы , romanized :  Čavusy ; Russian : Чаусы ; Polish : Czausy )

4717-425: The film was released, Douglas gave full credit to its screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo , who was on the Hollywood blacklist , and thereby effectively ended it. During a 2012 interview Douglas said, "I've made over 85 pictures, but the thing I'm most proud of is breaking the blacklist." The film's producer, Edward Lewis, and the family of Dalton Trumbo publicly disputed Douglas's claim. In the film Trumbo (2015), Douglas

4806-434: The film's star and protagonist, Douglas is credited for the intensity of his acting. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote, "his focus and energy ... is almost scary. There is nothing dated about Douglas' performance. It's as right-now as a sharpened knife." Biographer Gene Philips noted that Wilder's story was "galvanized" by Douglas's "astounding performance" and no doubt was a factor when George Stevens , who presented Douglas with

4895-423: The gun and Walter picks it up. Walter thinks she still loves Sam. Martha says she was afraid Walter would leave her. He embraces and kisses her. Just like nothing ever happened. Walter pulls out the gun and points at her midriff. She puts her thumb over his finger on the trigger and presses. As she is dying, she defiantly states her name is not Martha Ivers, but Martha Smith. Outside, Sam hears the shot. He runs toward

4984-444: The incident to Walter Sr. Even though Walter Jr. saw everything, he backs her up. The greedy Walter Sr. makes it clear to both Walter Jr. and Martha that he knows what happened but that as long as he and his son stand to benefit, he will play along. Sam leaves town. Seventeen years later, in 1946, Walter Sr. is now dead, and Walter Jr. is now Iverstown's district attorney and is married to Martha, who has used her inheritance to expand

5073-554: The mansion and sees Walter holding Martha's body. Walter then shoots himself. In the final scene, Sam and Toni drive away from Iverson. Sam says to Toni, "Don't look back." The film was adapted from the short story "Love Lies Bleeding" by playwright John Patrick , the rights to which were acquired by screenwriter Robert Rossen for a sum of $ 35,000. Barbara Stanwyck was cast in the title role following her lead in Billy Wilder 's film noir Double Indemnity (1944). The film marked

5162-403: The meeting. When Walter drunkenly falls down the stairs, Martha urges Sam to kill her unconscious husband. Sam instead brings Walter around. Martha pulls out a gun and threatens to shoot Sam in "self-defense" as an intruder. Sam tells her it would work if she could get Walter to corroborate her story. Saying he does not believe she will shoot him, Sam turns his back on her and leaves. Martha drops

5251-438: The night in adjoining rooms in a hotel. She is later picked up for violating her probation by not returning to her hometown. Sam asks Walter to use his influence to get Toni released. Walter is convinced Sam has blackmail in mind. When Martha reacts joyfully to seeing Sam, a jealous Walter forces Toni to set him up. Sam is beaten up and driven out of town, but he is too tough to be intimidated. When all else fails, Walter makes

5340-558: The night in jail since he had no place to sleep. She once gave him her uncle's old coat to keep warm: "I thought he must be frozen in the winter ... He was thrilled and grateful." Sometimes, just to see him, she would drag a friend or her mother to the restaurant where he worked as a busboy and waiter. He told her his dream was to someday bring his family to New York to see him on stage. During that period she fantasized about someday sharing her personal and stage lives with Douglas, but would later be disappointed: "Kirk did not really pursue me. He

5429-439: The notion that film noir is a style and not a genre. It's one of the best noirs around." Dave Kehr from Chicago Reader wrote in a glowing review that the film "is pervaded by [Rossen’s] guilty-liberal fascination with power and money." And continued by saying "Director Lewis Milestone does little more than accent the hysteria of Rossen's script, though his portrait of the company town, bound in factory grime and feudal loyalty,

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5518-469: The only son of Bryna "Bertha" ( née Sanglel) and Herschel "Harry" Danielovitch. His parents were immigrants from Chavusy , Mogilev Governorate , in the Russian Empire (present-day Belarus ), and the family spoke Yiddish at home. His sisters were: Pesha "Bessie", Kaleh "Katherine", Tamara "Mary", Siffra "Frieda", Haska "Ida", and Rachel "Ruth". Douglas was Jewish, and embraced his Jewish heritage after

5607-410: The original script. I think the movie is a classic, one of the most important pictures—possibly the most important picture—Stanley Kubrick has ever made." Douglas played military men in numerous films, with varying nuance, including Top Secret Affair (1957), Town Without Pity (1961), The Hook (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Heroes of Telemark (1965), In Harm's Way (1965), Cast

5696-433: The part and absolutely nailed it." Frederick Romano, another sports film historian, described Douglas's 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. Douglas received his first Academy Award nomination, and

5785-461: The past and originally did not want him in this film. However, Douglas thought Lancaster would fit the part and "begged me to reconsider," said Frankenheimer, and he then gave Lancaster the most colorful role. "It turns out that Burt Lancaster and I got along magnificently well on the picture," he later said. In 1967 Douglas starred with John Wayne in the western film directed by Burt Kennedy titled The War Wagon . In The Arrangement (1969),

5874-789: The picture," adding that "he's as bright a person as I've met in the acting profession." She says that his "pragmatic approach to acting" would later be a "philosophy that ended up rubbing off on me." In the 1970s, he starred in films such as There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), A Gunfight (1971), The Light at the Edge of the World (1971). and The Fury (1978). He made his directorial debut in Scalawag . (1973), and subsequently also directed Posse (1975), in which he starred alongside Bruce Dern . In 1980, he starred in The Final Countdown , playing

5963-698: The police identified a former employee of the aunt as the murderer, the two Walters and Martha helped convict him, and he was hanged. Only Walter junior has any qualms about this, which he still has, but the other two, particularly Martha, were too strong for him to go against them. Sam is torn between his old love and his new one with Toni. Although he eventually forgives Toni for betraying him, he and Martha spend an idyllic day together, rekindling his feelings for her. Martha breaks down and laments that he left without her all those years ago, taking her only chance for love and freedom with him. Walter gets drunk and arranges to meet Sam to settle matters. Martha finds out about

6052-688: The pre-nuptial agreement meant that she and their children had no claim on Douglas's estate until they had been married for five years. She could also find no documentation to prove Norton's assertion that Douglas was a millionaire. Her suspicions were further aroused when the Broadway play A Very Special Baby for which Norton had convinced Douglas to guarantee financing, closed after only a week. She shared her concerns first with Greg Bautzer and then Edward Lewis who advised her to hire Price Waterhouse to investigate her husband's finances. Douglas returned from filming The Devils Disciple in England in late 1958, and

6141-475: The role played by Richard Widmark in Kiss and Tell (1943), which then led to other offers. 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 B. Wallis , who was looking for a new male talent. Wallis's film The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck became Douglas' debut screen appearance. He played

6230-421: The role, he took a gamble, however, 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. Melvyn Douglas played the third-billed (above the title) part Kirk Douglas passed on. The Great Sinner flopped. Film historian Ray Didinger says Douglas "saw Champion as a greater risk, but also a greater opportunity ... Douglas took

6319-455: The role. Doris Day starred as Jo, a young woman who was infatuated with the struggling jazz musician. This 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". During filming, bit actress Jean Spangler disappeared, and her case remains unsolved. On October 9, 1949, Spangler's purse

6408-611: The screen debut of Kirk Douglas, who was recommended to producer Hal B. Wallis by Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , who suggested that Wallis attend a play which featured Bacall's old drama school classmate, Issur Demsky, who later took the name Kirk Douglas. Douglas later wrote in his autobiography that Van Heflin was very helpful to him in his first time on a film set. In contrast to his later, tougher roles, Douglas plays an alcoholic weakling. According to Tony Thomas, "it assured Douglas his future in films". Future film director and producer Blake Edwards had an uncredited bit part as

6497-656: The screen, something that does not always happen, even with the finest actors. Douglas had, and has, a distinctly individual manner. He radiates a certain inexplicable quality, and it is this, as much as talent, that accounts for his success in films. In 1947, Douglas appeared in Out of the Past (UK: Build My Gallows High ), playing a large supporting role in this classic noir thriller starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer . Douglas made his Broadway debut in 1949 in Three Sisters , produced by Katharine Cornell . The month after Out of

6586-702: The success of Spartacus . In 1960, Douglas played the title role in what many consider his career-defining appearance as the Thracian gladiator slave rebel Spartacus with an all-star cast in Spartacus (1960). He was the executive producer as well, which increased the $ 12 million production cost and made Spartacus one of the most expensive films up to that time. Douglas initially selected Anthony Mann to direct, but replaced him early on with Stanley Kubrick , with whom he had previously collaborated in Paths of Glory . When

6675-449: The time of a visit of Catherine II , there was a Jewish population of 355, in 1,057; and the town possessed one synagogue . In 1803 the Jewish population was 453, in 1,185; in 1870 it was 2,433, in 4,167; and in 1897, 2,775, in about 6,000. Some of the Jewish artisans were employed in the tanneries and in silk and woolen factories. The Jewish population in the district of Chaussy (including

6764-795: The town) in 1897 was 7,444, or 8.42 per cent of the total population. Chaussy was occupied during World War II by the Germans beginning in July 1941. Though a portion of the Jewish population was able to escape before the Germans arrived, the remaining Jews were registered, marked and subjected to forced labor under the German occupation. The first two round-ups of Jews occurred in August 1941, in which approximately 50 Jews were killed. Overall, approximately 675 Jews were executed in Chaussy. In 1952-53, thanks to funds collected from

6853-437: Was Kubrick's rewriting the screenplay without informing Douglas first. It led to their first major argument: "I called Stanley to my room ... I hit the ceiling. I called him every four-letter word I could think of ... 'I got the money, based on that [original] script. Not this shit!' I threw the script across the room. 'We're going back to the original script, or we're not making the picture.' Stanley never blinked an eye. We shot

6942-468: Was a big, big star. Gorgeous. Intense. Amazing." To prepare for the role, Douglas spent days with the New York Police Department and sat in on interrogations. Reviewers recognized Douglas's acting qualities, with Bosley Crowther describing Douglas as "forceful and aggressive as the detective". In The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), another of his three Oscar-nominated roles, Douglas played

7031-489: Was a musical guest (as himself) on The Jack Benny Program (1954). In 1955, Douglas was finally able to get his film production company, Bryna Productions , off the ground. To do so, he had to break contracts with Hal B. Wallis and Warner Bros. , but he began to produce and star in his own films, starting with The Indian Fighter in 1955. Through Bryna, he produced and starred in the films Paths of Glory (1957), The Vikings (1958), Spartacus (1960), Lonely are

7120-408: Was able to get Rosenthal & Norton to give up their rights to any interest in his latest film The Vikings and any of his future income. Norton was dismissed as his agent, but as he had put nearly all of his assets in his wife's name, Douglas was only able to recover $ 200,000 from him. The profits from The Vikings allowed Douglas to pay off his IRS debt, with his financial future now dependent on

7209-522: Was controversial at the time, and U.S. audiences stayed away. Some reviews saw it as "ruthless and cynical ... a distorted study of corruption, mob psychology and the free press." Possibly it "hit too close to home", said Douglas. It won a Best Foreign Film award at the Venice Film Festival . The film's stature has increased in recent years, with some surveys placing it in their Top 500 Films list. Woody Allen considers it one of his favorite films. As

7298-576: Was found near the Fern Dell entrance to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. There was an unfinished note in the purse addressed to a "Kirk," which read: "Can't wait any longer, Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way while mother is away". Douglas, married at the time, called the police and told them he was not the Kirk mentioned in the note. When interviewed via telephone by the head of the investigating team, Douglas stated that he had "talked and kidded with her

7387-419: Was friendly and sweet—enjoyed my company—but I was clearly too young for him," the eight-years-younger Bacall later wrote. Douglas joined the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II , where he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare aboard USS PC-1139 . He was medically discharged in 1944 for injuries sustained from the premature explosion of

7476-616: Was known for his explosive acting style. He was named by the American Film Institute the 17th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema . Douglas played an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion (1949), which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor . His other early films include Out of the Past (1947); Young Man with a Horn (1950), playing opposite Lauren Bacall and Doris Day ; Ace in

7565-469: Was lit, and was not shy about putting her fellow actors on notice that she did not like to be upstaged. When she saw the coin trick Heflin had learned — at Milestone's suggestion, to show that Heflin's character was a professional gambler — she informed him he should make sure he did not do it during any of her important lines, since she had a bit of business that would upstage him, if she had to. With that she raised her skirt high and adjusted her garter. Heflin

7654-435: Was noted not only for the veracity of van Gogh's appearance but for how he conveyed the painter's internal turmoil. Some reviewers consider it the most famous example of the "tortured artist" who seeks solace from life's pain through his work. Others see it as a portrayal not only of the "painter-as-hero", but a unique presentation of the "action painter", with Douglas expressing the physicality and emotion of painting, as he uses

7743-452: Was presented with the results of Price Waterhouse's audit which detailed that the 18 months he had recently spent overseas on the advice of Norton did not qualify for a tax-free income break, that the investments he had been advised to make in fact had been channeled through dummy companies owned by his agent. As a result, Douglas had no money and owed the IRS $ 750,000. Douglas engaged a new lawyer and

7832-487: Was respected by critics but did not do well at the box office due to poor marketing and distribution. In 1950, Douglas played Rick Martin in Young Man with a Horn , based on a novel of the same name by Dorothy Baker based on the life of jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke . Composer and pianist Hoagy Carmichael , a friend of the real Beiderbecke, played the sidekick, adding realism to the film and giving Douglas insight into

7921-645: Was the TV movie Empire State Building Murders , which was released in 2008. In March 2009, at the age of 92, Douglas performed an autobiographical one-man show, Before I Forget , at the Center Theatre Group 's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, California . The four performances were filmed and turned into a documentary that was first screened in January 2010. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Though Milestone

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