Today, I’m not giving you “Try this flick …” because it is a sad, sad day for Hollywood: Kirk Douglas passed at 103 on Feb. 5, 2020. All these words of praise apply to Mr. Douglas: Icon, legend and star. Although his career spanned seven decades, Kirk had just 95 acting credits beginning with “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” in 1946. Although not as prolific as some of his contemporaries, Kirk stood above most.
Of course, the three-time Oscar nominee would become best known as the title character as the slave-turned-gladiator in “Spartacus” in a role that didn’t even earn him a nomination, but is itself an iconic, legendary film that won four Oscars and two other nominations.
Douglas was a legend and an icon not only because of what he showed audiences on screen – or on TV, as he even voiced “Chester J. Lampwick” on “The Simpsons.” He was nominated for “Champion,” “The Bad and the Beautiful” and “Lust for Life.” He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1996 for “For 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community.” All words well-deserved, Kirk. Again, thank you!
Throughout his career, Douglas remained a total class act in an industry that bears as many lowlifes as pro sports. Not Kirk. Despite a debilitating stroke, he continued to appear at times through his personal centennial and continued to show all the class that a star of his stature was expected to show to the world.
He made his mark in my mind with his spectacularly unrewarded work in “Spartacus” and he was also in later films of the ’70s and the ’80s that are not so well-remembered, such as the sci-fi/WWII flick “Final Countdown” in 1980 (click here for my review) or the sci-fi flick “The Fury” from 1978. I’d like to report that my final review of his films would be positive, but the effort with fellow legend Burt Lancaster called “Tough Guys” fell short (click here for my review).
So, rest in peace Kirk. Your image will live on … and in a positive way. Prayers to you and your family.
I’m doing a sometimes recommendation of a movie or TV show … and they’re all movies or TV shows that I’ve reviewed on this blog.
Click here to read the Hollywood Reporter’s obituary for Kirk Douglas
Click here to see a list of all the movies I’ve reviewed
Click here for my movie reviews in chronological order by release date
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