Kirk Douglas (1916-2020)
Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 8:45AM by Nathaniel R
By now you've heard that one of the last* true superstars of Classic Hollywood has left the Earth. Three-time Oscar nominee Kirk Douglas, best known to modern audiences as "Spartacus" and the father of Oscar winner Michael Douglas has passed away at the age of...103 (!). We've written about his films before for his centennial (you know how we like centennials here at TFE) so if you're interested we have pieces on Spartacus, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Lust for Life, and multiple pieces on The Bad and the Beautiful.
*This leaves only Sidney Poitier and several female stars -- De Havilland, Novak, Johns, Saint, Lansbury, Moreno -- standing from Hollywood's Golden Age which is roughly considered to be the very late 1920s through the early 1960s stretching from the chaotic advent of sound through the tumultous time frame when "New Hollywood" took over. "Oldest living screen actors" post here.
Kirk Douglas, Old Hollywood, RIP
Reader Comments (68)
Nathaniel, I know you are a big fan of Natalie Wood's, so I'm genuinely curious as to how you feel about Douglas and the hearsay surrounding him?
I’m with Tyler. It took far too long, and he admittedly had some great performances, but hell should be hot and ready enough for him to burn now.
Tyler -- i think hearsay brings out the worst in everyone. I wasn't alive in the golden age of hollywood. And i only heard the rumor about Douglas and Natalie a few years ago. Regardless, i think we should be respectful when someone passes even if we suspect the worst of them or believe rumors or whatnot. The alternate to me feels like mobs gathering to watch public executions with glee. Or people burning effegies of political figures or what not and it always leaves me feeling queasy and hopeless about human nature no matter how vile i think the political figure or the person being executed is.
When I heard this news I instantly thought about Natalie :(
We love you, Natalie.
Nathaniel;
It's shit like this that makes space for the current excuse for a president.
I had never heard of this before this morning. Not only disrespectful of the deceased and their families, but to the possible victims and their families. None of those whining give a fuck about victims. And my thoughts on all those types I'm going to keep to myself because here and now not the thing to do.
A truly great actor. My Dad's favorite actor (split his pants when he saw him in the street).
@Nathaniel - Very fair. Thank you for your response.
I'm so sad. I really thought he was going to outlive all of us. It would have been fair.
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I'm inclined to actually go with him for the win for THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.
Nathaniel is right. All there is out there is hearsay. Nobody is stepping forward and saying: I know for a fact what went down. All there is are articles not even pointing to a proper source. So to those who believe the rumors are true: can you please point me to a reliable source, and not an article pointing to another article pointing to another article?
He possessed the kind of charisma on screen that few do. A Movie Star in the grand tradition.
He was a FORCE and it took performers of equal magnitude, Lancaster, Stanwyck, Susan Hayward, Tony Curtis, John Wayne etc, to wrest a scene from him.
He made a lot of great films....and a lot of not great ones too. But all benefited from his presence.
Keep going strong Miss de Havilland!!!
My top ten of his films in order:
Ace in the Hole
Out of the Past
The Devil's Disciple
Spartacus
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Lonely Are the Brave
Champion
The Final Countdown-Not a great movie but I love it anyway.
Lust for Life
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Nathaniel- The same sentiment wasn’t kept for Kobe Bryant. Douglas was 103 he lived his life.
@Nikki
People do not keep the same energy, Nathaniel is a hypocrite bc when MJ passed he mentioned his allegations etc. Someone on this site brought up Kobe Bryant being a rapist in a post that had nothing to do with him. No one said a damn thing! So let's keep the same energy for all those White abusers in the film community that you have for the Black ones. Charlie Chaplin, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Kirk Douglas ( If you've read in great detail about the alleged incident there is no way in hell he is innocent)..
Again: Can everyone who "knows" without a shadow of a doubt say why they know? I haven't yet read a single sentence on the topic that identifies any source.
How about we take Mike's advice and apply it to absolutely everything.
It is possible to care for victims without assuming guilt. It was a fact beforehand, from which people would deviate. Now the opposite is the norm, and Robert Downey, Jr. is posting anonymously and acknowledging who he must be, giving out the phone number of the deceased victim's Daughter, and never saying it in real life.
All the best to all.
Nnnvgnn there is a lot of information about this that can easily be found and no it’s not just Robert Downy jr. Natalie’s sister spoke about this again just a year and a half ago.
@ Nnnvgnn
This is not exactly what you're asking for, but here's an item from 2012. I believe it's what "Me" is referring to above.
I was a friend of Doris Day in Carmel. She told me Years ago that Douglas had violated Wood.
How is Melissa Leo holding up is the question?
But Natalie's sister also didn't point blank name Kirk. The issue I have is that we're in a situation where people aren't necessarily believing a survivor but a rumor. First it was a blogger, then maybe RDJ, then again an anonymous blogger... Natalie cannot tell her side of the story so where is the person that will name Kirk by name and doesn't do it from an anonymous corner of the internet?
We should all reflect truthfully and honestly on his passing, with respect given to not eliminate any heinous misdeeds from his record. Great actor, several times fantastic, but god what a trash pile. RIP Natalie, bye bitch Kirk.
Nikki -- i am not responsible for the internet's reaction to Kobe Bryant's death. I never even mentioned it here except to point to an article about animators paying tribute to him due to his oscar winning short about basketball.
Me -- everyone pointing to anonymous people online is a mob mentality. That's my point. Mob mentality is dangerous no matter what the mob is on about. Robert Downey Jr himself has denied being the "Robert Downey Jr" in those 'anonymous' articles. People can be angry and hate other people they don't know all they like but I'm just not going to join in. It won't bring my beloved Natalie back to life.
but I'm not sure what you mean by this. How is this related to Trump? Wait never mind. way off topic and i dont wanna get into that here. It's so depressing how fast this country is swirling down the toilet with a would be dictator in charge.Nnnbgnn. Believe what you wish.
Nathaniel;
You're right, if we get into that conversation here then we are steering off-course and lacking in discretion. Maybe another time.
And re-reading what I wrote, I definitely didn't make the RDJ thing clear. I find it weird that he would refer to a movie that is literally him and two women, say he's the guy, then never account for it in real life. Especially since he co-starred with Michael Douglas in Wonder Boys and it appeared they were friends. So I meant I don't think it was him and find it creepy -not to mention aimless and dumb- that people cling to that online.
And that's before accounting for the person giving out her number..eww, how is that protecting or caring for victims?
Nathanielr , I didn’t say you mentioned it. I’m just saying in general that same sentiment wasn’t kept for him. To be honest I just can’t feel too sad for someone who lives to be 103 years old allegations or not.
THREE time Oscar nominee (Champion, The Bad And The Beautiful, Lust For Life). Plus an Honorary Oscar.
It's sad that someone can live for 103 years and, when they pass, this thread is dominated by this allegation. We need to honour the whole of a person's life. Otherwise, as Nathaniel says, it's just mob mentality.
May he RIP.
t's only a mob mentality when White men are involved.
Not for me it isn't. Mob mentality is mob mentality. I would defend Kobe Bryant the same way. Honour the entire life.
It's not only Natalie Wood - there's also a lot of speculation about his possible involvement in the disappearance of Jean Spangler.
Oh and Robert Wagner is innocent?
Stop with stupid mob mentality of self-righteousness. It just makes you much worse than the people you accuse of. That person did this, that person did that. Who fucking cares! Like we all haven't done awful shit in our lives and what makes you better than all of us?
Kirk Douglas is a legend and one of the greats. He was one of my dad's favorite actors along with Burt Lancaster. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was one of those films that still holds up as it was one of the first things I saw him in and he proved that he could do so much and display a lot of charm. Ace in the Hole I think is one of his great performances along with Spartacus and Paths of Glory. I also enjoyed him in The Fury and Tough Guys as I think the latter is an underrated film as the sight of him and Burt Lancaster being old guys still kicking ass and evading Eli Wallach is just all good fun. Thank you Kirk. You rule!
A great actor and star- he was in some of my favorite movies and in probably the best movie ever made about studio era Hollywood- "The Bad and the Beautiful" - yeah the self righteous can bring up the Natalie Wood rumor. Wood who became a huge star never spoke of this and neither did Douglas- so right now this is all a rumor- humans are not perfect and great art is not created by saints
RIP 🙏
He shld've won for Lust for Life!!
I'm shocked to hear abt the rumors abt him n Wood!! 😱
But i agreed tt said topic shld b for ano article in ano time.
A fair bit of context amid the furor agst Douglas over the alleged incident:
https://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/kirk-douglas-natalie-wood-deconstructing-the-lie/
Ano fair article, I agreed tt we can't juz accused someone based on an article on a gossip site purportedly run by a celebrity, n treat the alleged info as facts!
https://www.wonkette.com/are-we-seriously-going-to-accuse-someone-of-rape-based-on-one-comment-on-a-shady-gossip-blog
So Douglas maybe a powerful Hollywood player back in 1954, but tt doesnt prove tt he IS the perpetrator!!
#JusticeforKirk
Gosh! All this because they called that athlete who died in the helicopter accident a rapist. There was a journalist - a woman - who was removed from her job because of this. We can deal with idols from any area, but never from sports - they are untouchable. And their fans, how vindictive!
I respect that, but you should say my liked actress instead of beloved. If someone is beloved their trauma, covered up by powers that be (Hollywood, money, patriarchy), is acknowledged. I see you are fond of Natalie as an actress, but for those of us who beloved her as actress, star and personality you are insulting us and her. Love you but language matters.
@ Claran you really think that’s the only reason reason people suspect he raped her ? Seriously ? There’s no mention of the book Natasha.
Frieda give it a rest Black men are certainly not untouchable in this country and you’d be ignorant to suggest they are. The untouchable ones are the White men. People are trying to brush off his rape claims to a gossip blog which is irresponsible.
The origin of the rape claims came from a biography that was written about her in 2002 not a gossip blog.
Frieda GTFO, you know damn well when a beloved White person is accused of something media doesn't say shit and try to cover it up. The only reason people brought it up is bc Natalie has tons of fans.
Juz to clarify one thing:
I'm not disputing tt the fact Natalie Wood was violated, but no whr in the bio did the author mentioned who is the perpetrator. Kirk Douglas was alleged but the author or Wood's family ever implied it was him.
I kno rape is a v serious n traumatic experience, but being maligned or accused of rape w/o proof is oso a v serious n traumatic experience!
Unless we hav credible source on who is the perpetrator, we shld not pin it on a beloved legend who juz passed on.
@Me there is evidence of what Trump has done, with Douglas it’s just allegations on a gossip site at the moment. Those have often horribly untrue stuff people make up just to be scandalous. That Woods was raped seems to be true since it’s her sister stating that and if she had named Douglas I would have believed her but now it’s not something we can blame on Douglas and cancel all memorials.
Nikki:
I didn't say that "Black Men" are untouchable. I referred to sports celebrities in general.
Mike:
Because of the #metoo movement, White Men (of film industry) have been singled out and accused, including the most powerful in his field, Harvey Weinstein, beloved by his fellas in a not so long past. Woody Allen, is persona non grata in Hollywood by now, and some others.
He would not be mentioned by name. Would have been sued. I have known for years and never used name
N
The people saying that Hell should be hot for Kirk after a rumour which isn't proven are the same people who believed Amber Heard that Johnny Depp is an evil abuser who hits women.
There are some very 'holier than thou' people on this blog who call out the worst in others whilst being exactly what they say other people are.
OJ Simpson , Mike Vick, Tiger Woods they sure weren’t untouchable.
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