“I wanted to be an actor ever since I was a kid in the second grade. I did a play, and my mother made a black apron, and I played a shoemaker. After the performance, [my father] gave me my first Oscar: an ice cream cone.”
Farewell to the Hollywood legend that was Kirk Douglas (1916 – 2020). As well as his acting talents (including starring in of my favourite ever films Paths of Glory), he was also known for his producing, directing and writing talents. The New-York born star was also widely recognised for his philanthropy and for helping end the Hollywood blacklist.
Alex Raphael 
Oh man. Legend for sure. Such a sad loss but a truly great life.
He had one hell of an innings and he sure lived them well
A god among actors. He was one of my father’s favorite actors. A true legend and to live that long only adds to that legendary status. Ace in the Hole is my favorite performance of his while I’m happy to own a DVD copy of Paths of Glory which I definitely love.
Yeah he never forgot the value of kindness. I was reading up about him and he really did make the world a better place. And for sure, one hell of an actor. Both in his incredible ability on screen and the versatility of roles he took.
Aw, that’s a cute quote. 🙂 I didn’t know he helped with ending the Hollywood blacklist. Apparently John Wayne was in on screwing people like Dalton Trumbo’s career. I skimmed through an interview with John Wayne a while back, God he was a dick! Crazy to think how old Michael Douglas is though, there must be an insane streak of longevity in that family.
Yeah John Wayne doesn’t look too good with his attitude during the McCarthy era, though he would’ve been far from alone. One of my favourite movies is Bridge on the River Kwai and the backstory to the screenwriters says it all. From the IMDb page:
“Screenwriters Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman had been blacklisted in Hollywood after having been accused of having Communist ties at the time that this movie was made, and went uncredited. The sole writing credit, and therefore the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, went to Pierre Boulle, who wrote the original French novel, but did not speak English.”
Vikings – Class. Paths of Glory – classic. Sparticus – Fantastic. 20,000 Leagues under the sea – Need I say more. Total legend.
103. Must have been all that exercise and clean living!
Total legend indeed. Quite the talent behind the screen too.
💕💕💕
Indeed. He led an amazing life.
106! He had two lives stuffed into one.
An inspiration to us all.
So lovely that his parents were so supportive.
He never forgot that. He even named a charity after each.
He was 103, what an amazing life he had!
He really did. That’s why he kept such a youthful look I think 🙂
I love the picture you chose, Alex. It shows the family resemblance. Good genes, right?!
For sure. And that warm, confident smile.
Very nice! I’ve noticed a lack of tributes to him on TV. Someone said people under 400 don’t even know who he was. I’m hoping he’ll get a mention in the Oscars tonight.
I’m sure he will 🙂