--- name: "Kirk Douglas" canonical: "https://film.one/person/kirk-douglas" fi1m_id: "kirk-douglas" imdb_id: "nm0000018" tmdb_id: 2090 wikidata_id: "Q104027" roles: ["Actor","Producer"] born: "9 December 1916" died: "5 February 2020" reviewed_on_fi1m: 7 average_fi1m_score: 84 average_as: "actor" average_over: 6 updated: "2026-09-26T16:03:25.685815+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Kirk Douglas ## Identity Kirk Douglas - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/kirk-douglas - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** kirk-douglas - **IMDb ID:** nm0000018 - **TMDB ID:** 2090 - **Wikidata ID:** Q104027 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Douglas, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104027, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000018/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2090 Actor and producer. Born 9 December 1916 in Amsterdam, New York, USA. Died 5 February 2020. ## Details - **Work:** Actor, Producer - **Born:** 9 December 1916, Amsterdam, New York, USA - **Died:** 5 February 2020 - **Active:** 1947–1966 - **Also known as:** Issur Danielovitch, Issur Danielovitch Demsky, Isador Demsky, Izzy Demsky, Кёрк Дуглас, Керк Даґлас, کرک داگلاس - **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 6 acting, 1 producing - **Golden Globes:** 2 Golden Globes (2 won · 1 nominated) - **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as actor, over 6 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 84 (2), 1950s 84 (4), 1960s 84 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 86 to 83 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 4 of 6 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 4, Romance 3, Adventure 1, Crime 1, Mystery 1, Thriller 1 - **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $11m across 4 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Douglas, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104027, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000018/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2090 ## Streaming the US now - **MUBI:** [*Paths of Glory*](https://film.one/film/paths-of-glory.md) (93) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Ace in the Hole*](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md) (87) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Kirk Douglas > Kirk Douglas makes decency look strenuous, with clenched teeth and anger that never quite settles. In *Paths of Glory*, that force makes him an unusually convincing good man, though the speeches sometimes labour the point. Even when Kirk Douglas is playing a decent man, he looks capable of losing his temper. His Colonel Dax in *Paths of Glory* (1957) is a particularly fine use of that tension: we believe in him as a soldier and in his anger at the officers above him. The character needs to be decent without becoming dull, and Douglas keeps him restless. His goodness never makes him seem harmless. The breakthrough was *Champion* (1949), in which he played a ruthless boxer. Billy Wilder's *Ace in the Hole* (1951) gave him the cynical, ambitious journalist Charles Tatum. These men suit an actor whose restless energy can make ambition seem unpleasant without making it uninteresting. Playing Vincent van Gogh in *Lust for Life* (1956) took that intensity into an artist's distress. Dax then let him direct the anger towards people who deserved it. In Stanley Kubrick's *Paths of Glory*, Douglas's presence does nothing to make the military hierarchy less frightening. We were moved by his anger on behalf of the soldiers, because he makes their treatment feel intolerable without making their protection seem assured. Ralph Meeker's Corporal Philippe Paris and Joe Turkel's Private Pierre Arnaud matter here too. Both have enough individual presence to keep the soldiers distinct, despite the attention Douglas draws. The reservation is how readily that anger can become a speech telling us what we already know. Kubrick sometimes gives Dax indignation to express after the situation has made the point, and Douglas briefly sounds like a spokesman. He remains convincing, but we wished the script would leave him less to say. The fault is brief, and it does not undo the performance. The collaboration with Kubrick continued with *Spartacus* (1960), which Douglas also produced and led. We would still begin with Dax. Start with *Paths of Glory* for the soldier whose toughness makes his decency credible, allowing for those over-insistent speeches. Then try *Ace in the Hole* for a journalist whose ambition gives that same intensity a less reassuring use. ## Biography Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; 9 December 1916 – 5 February 2020) was an American actor and producer. He grew up as Izzy Demsky and changed his name to Kirk Douglas before serving in the United States Navy during the Second World War. Douglas appeared in more than 90 films. He is credited as Col. Dax and executive producer on *Paths of Glory* (1957). He established Bryna Productions in 1955, which produced that film and *Spartacus* (1960), in which he also starred. Other notable roles include those in *Ace in the Hole* (1951), *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (1954) and *Out of the Past* (1947). *Sources: catalog.afi.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, cnn.com.* ## On Fi1m (7) ### Performed in (6) — the average rests on these - *Paths of Glory* (1957), Fi1m 93, as Col. Dax — [page](https://film.one/film/paths-of-glory.md) - *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), Fi1m 84, as Jonathan Shields — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bad-and-the-beautiful.md) - *The Big Sky* (1952), Fi1m 73, as Jim Deakins — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-sky.md) - *Ace in the Hole* (1951), Fi1m 87, as Charles Tatum — [page](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md) - *A Letter to Three Wives* (1949), Fi1m 79, as George Phipps — [page](https://film.one/film/a-letter-to-three-wives.md) - *Out of the Past* (1947), Fi1m 89, as Whit Sterling — [page](https://film.one/film/out-of-the-past.md) ### Produced (1) - *Seconds* (1966), Fi1m 84, Co-Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/seconds.md) ## Complete filmography (111) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Vincent van Gogh Superstar* (2019), as Vincent van Gogh (archive footage) - *Mike Wallace Is Here* (2019), as (archive footage) - *Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen* (2012), as (archive footage) - *Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France* (2009), Actor - *Empire State Building Murders* (2008), as Jim Kovalski - *Illusion* (2004), as Donald Baines - *The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway* (2003), Actor - *It Runs in the Family* (2003), as Mitchell Gromberg - *Diamonds* (1999), as Harry Agensky - *Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection* (1999), as General Kalthrob - *The Lies Boys Tell* (1994), as Ed Reese - *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Ross Berger - *Greedy* (1994), as Uncle Joe - *The Secret* (1992), as Grandpa Mike Dunmore - *Two-Fisted Tales* (1992), as General Calthrop - *Welcome to Veraz* (1991), as Quentin - *Oscar* (1991), as Eduardo Provolone - *Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea* (1990), as Ned Land (archive footage) - *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Chester J. Lampwick (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md) - *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Gen. Kalthrob - *Inherit the Wind* (1988), as Matthew Harrison Brady - *Queenie* (1987), series, as David Konig - *Tough Guys* (1986), as Archie Long - *Amos* (1985), as Amos Lasher · Executive Producer - *A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape* (1984), as Narrator - *Draw!* (1984), as Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry Holland - *Salute to Lady Liberty* (1984), Actor - *Something Wicked This Way Comes* (1983), Executive Producer - *Eddie Macon's Run* (1983), as Carl 'Buster' Marzack - *Remembrance Of Love* (1982), as Joe Rabin - *Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid* (1982), as (in "I Walk Alone") (archive footage) - *The Man from Snowy River* (1982), as Harrison / Spur - *Home Movies* (1980), as Dr. Tuttle - *Saturn 3* (1980), as Major Adam - *The Final Countdown* (1980), as Capt. Matthew Yelland - *The Villain* (1979), as Cactus Jack - *The Fury* (1978), as Peter Sandza - *Holocaust 2000* (1977), as Robert Caine - *Victory at Entebbe* (1976), as Herschel Vilnofsky - *Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers* (1976), series, as Alex Vandervoort - *Once Is Not Enough* (1975), as Mike Wayne - *Posse* (1975), as Howard Nightingale · Director, Producer - *Mousey* (1974), as George Anderson - *Scalawag* (1973), as Peg · Director, Writer - *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* (1973), as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde - *The Master Touch* (1972), as Steve Wallace - *The Special London Bridge Special* (1972), as The Indian Fighter - *Catch Me a Spy* (1971), as Andrej - *A Gunfight* (1971), as Will Tenneray · Executive Producer - *The Light at the Edge of the World* (1971), as Will Denton · Producer - *Summertree* (1971), Producer - *Once Upon a Wheel* (1971), series, Actor - *There Was a Crooked Man...* (1970), as Paris Pitman, Jr. - *The Arrangement* (1969), as Eddie Anderson - *The Brotherhood* (1968), as Frank Ginetta · Producer - *A Lovely Way to Die* (1968), as Jameson Schuyler - *The War Wagon* (1967), as Lomax - *The Way West* (1967), as Sen. William J. Tadlock - *Grand Prix* (1966), Executive Producer - *Is Paris Burning?* (1966), as General Patton - *Seconds* (1966), Co-Executive Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/seconds.md) - *Cast a Giant Shadow* (1966), as Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus - *The Heroes of Telemark* (1965), as Dr. Rolf Pedersen - *In Harm's Way* (1965), as Commander Paul Eddington, Jr. - *Seven Days in May* (1964), as Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey · Co-Executive Producer - *For Love or Money* (1963), as Deke Gentry - *The List of Adrian Messenger* (1963), as George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur Henderson · Executive Producer - *The Hook* (1963), as Sgt. P.J. Briscoe - *The Lucy Show* (1962), series, as Kirk Douglas - *Two Weeks in Another Town* (1962), as Jack Andrus - *Lonely are the Brave* (1962), as John W. "Jack" Burns · Executive Producer - *Town Without Pity* (1961), as Major Garrett - *The Last Sunset* (1961), as Brendan 'Bren' O'Malley · Executive Producer - *Spartacus* (1960), as Spartacus · Executive Producer - *Strangers When We Meet* (1960), as Larry Coe · Executive Producer - *Tales of the Vikings* (1959), series, Producer - *The Devil's Disciple* (1959), as Richard Dudgeon - *Last Train from Gun Hill* (1959), as Marshal Matt Morgan - *The Vikings* (1958), as Einar · Executive Producer - *Ride Out for Revenge* (1957), Executive Producer - *Paths of Glory* (1957), as Col. Dax · Producer — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/paths-of-glory.md) - *Gunfight at the O.K. Corral* (1957), as Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday - *Lizzie* (1957), Executive Producer - *Top Secret Affair* (1957), as Maj. Gen. Melville A. Goodwin - *Lust for Life* (1956), as Vincent van Gogh - *The Indian Fighter* (1955), as Johnny Hawks · Executive Producer - *Man Without a Star* (1955), as Dempsey Rae - *The Racers* (1955), as Gino Borgesa - *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (1954), as Ned Land - *Ulysses* (1954), as Ulysses - *Act of Love* (1953), as Robert Teller - *The Juggler* (1953), as Hans Muller - *The Story of Three Loves* (1953), as Pierre Narval - *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), as Jonathan Shields — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bad-and-the-beautiful.md) - *The Big Sky* (1952), as Jim Deakins — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-sky.md) - *The Big Trees* (1952), as Jim Fallon - *Detective Story* (1951), as Det. James McLeod - *Ace in the Hole* (1951), as Charles Tatum — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md) - *Along the Great Divide* (1951), as Marshal Len Merrick - *The Jack Benny Program* (1950), series, as Kirk Douglas - *The Glass Menagerie* (1950), as Jim O'Connor - *The Colgate Comedy Hour* (1950), series, as Ulysses (archive footage) - *Young Man with a Horn* (1950), as Rick Martin - *Champion* (1949), as Midge Kelly - *A Letter to Three Wives* (1949), as George Phipps — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/a-letter-to-three-wives.md) - *The Walls of Jericho* (1948), as Tucker Wedge - *My Dear Secretary* (1948), as Owen Waterbury - *I Walk Alone* (1947), as Noll "Dink" Turner - *Out of the Past* (1947), as Whit Sterling — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/out-of-the-past.md) - *Mourning Becomes Electra* (1947), as Peter Niles - *The Strange Love of Martha Ivers* (1946), as Walter O'Neil ## Gallery - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-edbd2d7f9315.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Kirk_douglas_photo_signed.JPG/1280px-Kirk_douglas_photo_signed.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Grave of Kirk Douglas. (2020)](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-4100e2f814e5.jpg) Grave of Kirk Douglas. (2020) — A1139530, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/206856695_a6cec446-32ee-47bb-917b-642a8a6debfd.jpg/1280px-206856695_a6cec446-32ee-47bb-917b-642a8a6debfd.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Barillari Rino, Archivio Barillari Story, Negativo a colori, GFDL](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-9874f1aa537b.jpg) Barillari Rino, Archivio Barillari Story, Negativo a colori, GFDL — Ziogiucas at Italian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/BARILLARI_RINO_KIRK_DOUGLAS_VIA_BORGOGNONA_ROMA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Kirk Douglas (1964)](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-df78b50c8e71.jpg) Kirk Douglas (1964) — Boris Carmi, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Cast_a_Giant_Shadow_%28997009326830705171%29.jpg/1280px-Cast_a_Giant_Shadow_%28997009326830705171%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-6bcf291ff530.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Image via TMDB - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-388dba9d41a3.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Image via TMDB - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-2622ba31c3f7.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Image via TMDB - ![Kirk Douglas (1964)](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-a648c657b94b.jpg) Kirk Douglas (1964) — Boris Carmi, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Cast_a_Giant_Shadow_%28997009326831005171%29.jpg/1280px-Cast_a_Giant_Shadow_%28997009326831005171%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Kirk Douglas' signature (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-ee8fb1c8f523.png) Kirk Douglas' signature (2011) — Kirk Douglas, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/KirkDouglas.png/1280px-KirkDouglas.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-729023dcc691.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Image via TMDB - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-62e1a9dc289f.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Image via TMDB - ![Kirk Douglas](https://film.one/media/person/102915/gallery-0067372194a1.jpg) Kirk Douglas — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated - 1957: Best Actor (nominated), for *Lust for Life* - 1953: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Bad and the Beautiful* - 1950: Best Actor (nominated), for *Champion* ### Golden Globes — 2 won, 1 nominated - 1967: Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award (won) - 1956: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (won), for *Lust for Life* - 1951: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (nominated), for *Detective Story* ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated - 2000: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (nominated), for *Touched by an Angel* - 1992: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (nominated), for *Tales from the Crypt* - 1986: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (nominated), for *Amos* ### SAG Awards — 1 won - 1999: Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (won) ### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won - 2001: Golden Bear (won) ### Other awards — 8 won, 1 nominated - Lucien Barrière Literary Award 1999: Lucien Barrière Literary Award (won) - Academy Honorary Award 1995: Academy Honorary Award (won) - Kennedy Center Honors 1994: Kennedy Center Honors (won) - AFI Life Achievement Award 1991: AFI Life Achievement Award (won) - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor 1981: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor (nominated), for *Saturn 3* - Presidential Medal of Freedom 1981: Presidential Medal of Freedom (won) - Honorary César 1980: Honorary César (won) - star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won) - Silver Shell for Best Actor 1958: Silver Shell for Best Actor (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/kirk-douglas