Kirk Douglas Biography (1916-)

Original name, Issur Danielovitch Demsky (some sources cite Isidore Danielovitch Demsky or Issur Danielovitch); born December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, NY; son of Harry (in business) and Bryna (maiden name, Sanglel) Demsky; married Diana Dill (an actress; also known as Diana Darrid and Diana Douglas Darrid), November 2, 1943 (divorced, February, 1950; some sources cite 1951); married Anne Buydens (a casting director, publicity agent, and producer), May 29, 1954; children: (first marriage) Michael (an actor and producer), Joel (a producer); (second marriage) Peter Vincent (a producer), Eric Anthony (an actor andcomedian).

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor, producer, director, writer

Birth Details

December 9, 1916

Amsterdam, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• (As George Spelvin, Jr.) Western Union boy, Spring Again, Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1941
• Orderly, The Three Sisters, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1942
• Lieutenant Lenny Archer, Kiss and Tell, Biltmore Theatre, New YorkCity, 1943
• Ray Mackenzie, Trio, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1944
• Soldier, The Wind Is Ninety, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1945
• Steve, Alice in Arms, National Theatre, New York City, 1945
• Hopkins, Woman Bites Dog, Belasco Theatre, 1946
• Detective James "Jim" McLeod, Detective Story, Sombrero Playhouse,Phoenix, AZ, 1951
• Randle Patrick "R. P." McMurphy, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest,Cort Theatre, New York City, 1963
• The Boys in Autumn, San Francisco, CA, 1981
• Appeared in summer theatre productions, 1939-41; also appeared in Starin the Window.
• Stage Work
• Producer; with Others
• One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Cort Theatre, 1963
• Film Appearances
• Walter P. O'Neil, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Paramount, 1946
• Peter Niles, Mourning Becomes Electra, RKO Radio Pictures, 1947
• Whit Sterling, Out of the Past (also known as Build My GallowsHigh), RKO Radio Pictures, 1947
• George Phipps, A Letter to Three Wives, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948
• Noll "Dink" Turner, I Walk Alone, Paramount, 1948
• Owen Waterbury, My Dear Secretary, United Artists, 1948
• Tucker Wedge, The Walls of Jericho, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1948
• Michael "Midge" Kelly, Champion, United Artists, 1949
• Jim O'Connor, The Glass Menagerie, Warner Bros., 1950
• Charles Tatum, The Big Carnival (also known as Ace in the Hole and The Human Interest Story), Paramount, 1951
• Detective James "Jim" McLeod, Detective Story, Paramount, 1951
• Marshal Len Merrick, Along the Great Divide (also known as TheTravelers), Warner Bros., 1951
• Rick Martin, Young Man with a Horn (also known as Young Man ofMusic and Young Man with a Trumpet), Warner Bros., 1951
• Jim Deakins, The Big Sky, RKO Radio Pictures, 1952
• John (some sources cite Jim) Fallon, The Big Trees, Warner Bros.,1952
• Jonathan Shields, The Bad and the Beautiful, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,1952
• Hans Muller, The Juggler, Columbia, 1953
• Pierre Narval, "Equilibrium," The Story of Three Loves (also knownas Three Stories of Love), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953
• Robert Teller, Act of Love (also known as Quelque part dans lemonde and Un acte d'amour), United Artists, 1953
• Ned Land and performer of song "A Whale of a Tale," 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (also known as Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea), Buena Vista, 1954
• Dempsey Rae, Man without a Star, Universal, 1955
• Gino, The Racers (also known as Such Men Are Dangerous), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955
• Johnny Hawks, The Indian Fighter, United Artists, 1955
• Title role, Ulysses (also known as Ulisse), Paramount, 1955
• Vincent Van Gogh, Lust for Life, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1956
• Van Gogh: Darkness into Light, 1956
• Colonel Dax, Paths of Glory, United Artists, 1957
• John H. "Doc" Holliday, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Paramount, 1957
• Major General Melville Goodwin, Top Secret Affair (also known as Their Secret Affair), Warner Bros., 1957
• Lizzie, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1957
• Einar, The Vikings, United Artists, 1958
• Marshal Matt Morgan, Last Train from Gun Hill (also known as One Angry Day), Paramount, 1959
• Richard "Dick" Dudgeon, The Devil's Disciple, United Artists, 1959
• Larry Coe, Strangers When We Meet, Columbia, 1960
• Title role, Spartacus, Universal, 1960
• Brendan O'Malley, The Last Sunset, Universal, 1961
• Major Steve Garrett, Town without Pity (also known as Shocker and Stadt ohne Mitleif), United Artists, 1961
• Jack Andrus, Two Weeks in Another Town, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962
• John W. "Jack" Burns, Lonely Are the Brave (also known as LastHero), Universal, 1962
• Sergeant P. J. Briscoe, The Hook, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962
• Deke Gentry, For Love or Money (also known as Three on a Match and A Three-Way Match), Universal, 1963
• George Brougham, The List of Adrian Messenger, Universal, 1963
• Colonel Martin "Jiggs" Casey, Seven Days in May, Paramount, 1964
• Commander Paul Eddington, In Harm's Way, Paramount, 1965
• Dr. Rolf Pedersen, The Heroes of Telemark, Columbia, 1965
• Colonel David "Mickey" Marcus, Cast a Giant Shadow, United Artists, 1966
• General George S. Patton, Jr., Is Paris Burning? (also known as Paris brule-t-il?), Paramount, 1966
• Lomax, The War Wagon, Universal, 1967
• Senator William J. Tadlock, The Way West, United Artists, 1967
• Frank Ginetta, The Brotherhood, Paramount, 1968
• Jim Schuyler, A Lovely Way to Die (also known as A Lovely Way to Go), Universal, 1968
• Himself, Rowan & Martin at the Movies, 1968
• Eddie Anderson/Evangelos, The Arrangement, Warner Bros., 1969
• French Lunch (short film), 1969
• Paris Pitman, Jr., There Was a Crooked Man, Warner Bros., 1970
• Andrej, To Catch a Spy (also known as Catch Me a Spy and Les doigts croises), Rank, 1971
• Will Denton, The Light at the Edge of the World (also known as La luz del fin del mundo), National General, 1971
• Will Tenneray, A Gunfight, Paramount, 1971
• Peg, Scalawag (also known as Un magnifico ceffo di galera),Paramount, 1973
• Wallace, A Man to Respect (also known as Hearts and Minds,The Master Touch, Ein Achtbarer Mann, and Un uomo da rispettare), Warner Bros., 1974
• Marshal Howard Nightingale, Posse, Paramount, 1975
• Mike Wayne, Once Is Not Enough (also known as Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough), Paramount, 1975
• Peter Sandza, The Fury, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978
• Robert Caine, The Chosen (also known as Holocaust 2000 andRain of Fire), American International Pictures, 1978
• Cactus Jack Slade (title role), The Villain (also known as Cactus Jack), Columbia, 1979
• Dr. Tuttle (the Maestro), Home Movies (also known as The Maestro), United Artists, 1979
• Adam, Saturn 3, Associated Film Distributors, 1980
• Captain Matthew Yelland, The Final Countdown, United Artists, 1980
• Colonel "Buster" Marzack, Eddie Macon's Run, Universal, 1983
• Harrison and Spur, The Man from Snowy River, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
• Archie Long, Tough Guys, Buena Vista, 1986
• Provolone Sr., Oscar, Buena Vista, 1991
• Quentin, Veraz (also known as Welcome to Veraz and Bienvenido a Veraz), 1991
• Uncle Joe McTeague, Greedy, Universal, 1994
• A Century of Cinema (documentary), 1994
• Ed Reece, Lies Boys Tell (European theatrical release of the television movie Take Me Home Again), 1995
• A Song for David, 1996
• Harry Agensky, Diamonds, Miramax, 1999
• Film Work
• Director
• Scalawag (also known as Un magnifico ceffo di galera), Paramount, 1973
• Posse, Paramount, 1975
• Executive Producer
• The Vikings, United Artists, 1958
• The Devil's Disciple, United Artists, 1959
• Spartacus, Universal, 1960
• The Last Sunset, Universal, 1961
• Eddie Macon's Run, Universal, 1983
• The Man from Snowy River, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
• Producer
• The Indian Fighter, United Artists, 1955
• Paths of Glory, United Artists, 1957
• Lonely Are the Brave (also known as Last Hero), Universal,1962
• The List of Adrian Messenger, Universal, 1963
• Seven Days in May, Paramount, 1964
• The Brotherhood, Paramount, 1968
• A Gunfight, Paramount, 1971
• The Light at the Edge of the World (also known as La luz del fin del mundo), National General, 1971
• Summertree, Columbia, 1971
• Scalawag (also known as Un magnifico ceffo di galera), Paramount, 1973
• Posse, Paramount, 1975
• Home Movies (also known as The Maestro), United Artists, 1979
• The Villain (also known as Cactus Jack), Columbia, 1979
• (With Peter Vincent Douglas) The Final Countdown, United Artists,1980
• Production Consultant
• (As Issur Danielovitch) Tough Guys, Buena Vista, 1986
• Television Appearances
• Miniseries
• Alex Vandervoort, Arthur Hailey's The Money Changers (also known as The Money Changers), NBC, 1976
• David Konig, Queenie, ABC, 1987
• Movies
• George Anderson, Mousey (also known as Cat and Mouse), ABC,1974
• Hershel Vilnofsky, Victory at Entebbe, ABC, 1976
• Joe Rabin, Remembrance of Love (also known as Holocaust Survivors ... Remembrance of Love), NBC, 1982
• Harry H. Holland, Draw!, HBO, 1984
• Amos Lasher (title role), Amos, CBS, 1985
• Matthew Harrison Brady, Inherit the Wind, NBC, 1988
• Mike Dunmore, The Secret (also known as Family Secrets andWhat's the Matter with Danny Dunmore?), CBS, 1992
• Ed Reece, Take Me Home Again, NBC, 1994 released theatrically in Europe as Lies Boys Tell, 1995
• Specials
• Host, The General Motors Fiftieth Anniversary Show, NBC, 1957
• Narrator, The Legend of Silent Night, ABC, 1968
• Special London Bridge Special, NBC, 1972
• Title roles, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, NBC, 1973
• Show Business Salute to Milton Berle, NBC, 1973
• The American Film Institute to Henry Fonda, CBS, 1978
• The Stars Salute Israel at Thirty, ABC, 1978
• A Tribute to "Mr. Television" Milton Berle, NBC, 1978
• Host and narrator, I'd Rather Be Dead, syndicated, 1979
• Johnny Cash: The First Twenty-Five Years, CBS, 1980
• Celebrity Daredevils, ABC, 1983
• Salute to Lady Liberty, CBS, 1984
• Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS,1985
• Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star Fiftieth Anniversary, CBS, 1986
• Host, Circus of the Stars, CBS, 1987
• Narrator, The War in Korea, TBS, 1988
• America's Tribute to Bob Hope, NBC, 1988
• "Anthony Quinn," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax, 1990
• The Music Center 25th Anniversary, PBS, 1990
• Larry King TNT Extra, TNT, 1992
• Great American Music: A Salute to Fast Cars, The Family Channel, 1994
• Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS,1994
• Awards Presentations
• The 19th Annual American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award: ASalute to Kirk Douglas (also known as AFI Salute to Kirk Douglas),CBS, 1991
• The 46th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1992
• The 66th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1994
• Episodic
• "Jam Session at Jack's," The Jack Benny Program, CBS, 1954
• Person to Person, CBS, 1957
• The Steve Allen Show, NBC, 1958
• This Is Your Life, NBC, 1958
• The Best of Paar, NBC, 1960
• The Jack Paar Show, NBC, 1960
• Person to Person, CBS, 1960
• Here's Hollywood, NBC, 1962
• The Tonight Show, NBC, 1962
• The Tonight Show, NBC, 1963
• The Steve Allen Show, NBC, 1964
• "Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere," The Lucy Show, CBS, 1966
• Narrator, "Cortez and the Legend," Saga of Western Man, syndicated, 1967
• Champlin on Film, Bravo, 1989
• General, "Yellow," a segment of "Two-Fisted Tales," Tales from the Crypt, HBO, 1991
• Himself, "The Popcorn Bowl," Coach, ABC, 1994
• Voice of Chester J. Lampwick, "The Day Violence Died," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1996
• Himself, Clive Anderson All Talk, 1999
• Ross Burger, "Bar Mitzvah," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 2000
• Himself, Parkinson, 2001
• Television Work
• Director; Movies
• Mousey (also known as Cat and Mouse), ABC, 1974
• RECORDINGS
• Audio Books
• Recorded his autiobiography, The Ragman's Son, for Simon & Schuster.
• WRITINGS
• Novels
• Dance with the Devil, Random House (New York City), 1990
• The Gift, Warner Books (New York City), 1992
• Last Tango in Brooklyn, Warner Books, 1994
• Nonfiction
• Autobiographies
• The Ragman's Son, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1988
• Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning, Simon & Schuster, 1997
• Writings for Children
• The Broken Mirror (novella), Simon & Schuster Books for YoungReaders, 1997
• Young Heroes of the Bible, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1999

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

• Darrid, Diana Douglas, In the Wings: A Memoir, Barricade Books (New York City), 1999
• Kaye, Annene, and Jim Sclavunos, Michael Douglas and the Douglas Clan, [London], 1989
• Lacourbe, Roland, Kirk Douglas, PAC (Paris, France), 1980
• McBride, Joseph, Kirk Douglas, Pyramid Publications (New York City), 1976
• Munn, Michael, Kirk Douglas, St. Martin's Press (New York City), 1985
• Press, Skip, Michael and Kirk Douglas, Crestwood House (Parsippany, NJ), 1995
• Thomas, Tony, The Films of Kirk Douglas, Citadel (Secaucus, NJ), 1991

• American Film, March, 1991
• Architectural Digest, April, 1990
• Daily News, October 28, 1991
• Empire, Issue 61, 1994, pp. 86-93; October, 1997, p. 197
• Harper's Bazaar, June, 1990
• Interview, January, 2000, p. 44
• Ladies Home Journal, April, 1988
• New York Post, March 3, 1994
• New York Times, March 22, 1996
• Parade, January 23, 2000, p. 12
• People Weekly, October 3, 1988
• Premiere, July, 1991
• Tikkun, September, 2000, p. 55
• TV Guide, March 6, 1999, pp. 32-35
• USA Today, December 14, 1994