Kirk Douglas, the muscular actor with the dimpled chin who starred in “Spartacus,” “Lust for Life” and dozens of other films and helped fatally weaken the...
LOS ANGELES — Kirk Douglas, the intense, muscular actor with the dimpled chin who starred in “Spartacus,” “Lust for Life” and dozens of other films, helped fatally weaken the blacklist against suspected Communists and reigned for decades as a Hollywood maverick and patriarch, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 103.
But in 1996, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him an honorary Oscar. His other awards included a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.In his latter years, he was a final link to a so-called “Golden Age,” a man nearly as old as the industry itself.
Douglas, who years earlier had reluctantly signed a loyalty oath to get the starring role in “Lust for Life,” provided a crucial blow when he openly credited the former Communist and Oscar winner Dalton Trumbo for script work on “Spartacus,” the epic about a slave rebellion during ancient Rome that was released in 1960.
Douglas’ personal favorite was the 1962 Western “Lonely are the Brave,” which included a line of dialogue from a Trumbo script he called the most personal he ever spoke on screen: “I’m a loner clear down deep to my very guts.”In “Spartacus,” Roman officials tell a gathering of slaves their lives will be spared if they identify their leader, Spartacus.
Douglas was a performer as early as kindergarten, when he recited a poem about the red robin of spring. He was a star in high school and in college he wrestled and built the physique that was showcased in many of his movies. He was determined, hitchhiking to St. Lawrence as a teen and convincing the dean to approve a student loan. And he was tough. One of his strongest childhood memories was of flinging a spoonful of hot tea into the face of his intimidating father.
He had long desired creative control and “Champion” was followed by a run of hits that gave him the clout to form Bryna Productions in 1955, and a second company later. Douglas also became one of Hollywood’s leading philanthropists. The Douglas Foundation, which he and Anne Douglas co-founded, has donated millions to a wide range of institutions, from the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
He had been married to Diana Dill, but they divorced in 1951. Three years later, he married Anne Buydens, whom he met in Paris while he was filming “Act of Love” and she was doing publicity.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Kirk Douglas, Hollywood Icon and Spartacus Star, Dies at 103BREAKING: Kirk Douglas, Hollywood icon and Spartacus star, dies at 103
Baca lebih lajut »
Actor Kirk Douglas Dead at 103Kirk Douglas has died at the age of 103.
Baca lebih lajut »
Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas dies at 103Kirk Douglas 'acted like a star when he was a nobody,' producer Stanley Kramer once remarked. 'He came at you,…
Baca lebih lajut »
Kirk Douglas, Legendary ‘Spartacus’ Star, Dies at 103Kirk Douglas, the dimple-chinned “Spartacus” star with the larger-than-life persona, died Wednesday. He was 103. He was the father of actor Michael Douglas and paterfamilias of a Hollyw…
Baca lebih lajut »
Kirk Douglas Dead at 103Three-time Academy Award nominee and winner of a lifetime achievement Oscar was slowed by a stroke in 1995 but continued acting and carried on as a philanthropist with his wife Anne Douglas
Baca lebih lajut »
Kirk Douglas, longtime influential movie star, dies at 103LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kirk Douglas, the muscular actor with the dimpled chin who starred in 'Spartacus,' 'Lust for Life' and dozens of other films and helped fatally weaken the Hollywood blacklist,...
Baca lebih lajut »