Diana Douglas, Actress and First Wife of Kirk Douglas, Dies at 92

Diana Douglas, an actress for six decades and a model who was Kirk Douglas’s first wife and Michael Douglas’s mother, has died in Los Angeles. She was 92.

The cause was cancer, according to Michael Douglas’s production company, Furthur Films, citing Ms. Douglas’s husband, Donald A. Webster. Sources vary as to whether she died on Friday or Saturday.

Born Diana Love Dill on Jan 22, 1923, in Bermuda, where her father was the attorney general, Ms. Douglas moved to New York and met Kirk Douglas while they were both studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

She later went to California on a $200-a-week contract with Warner Bros. against Mr. Douglas’s advice that she try for Broadway instead.

She went on to have a long career as an actress and model, appearing in dozens of movies, including the 1987 Steve Martin film “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” On television, she had recurring roles in “The Waltons,” “Dynasty” and “The Paper Chase,” and appeared in “ER” and “The West Wing.” She also did stage roles, including some on Broadway.

In May 1943, she appeared on the cover of Life magazine, modeling spring fashions.

She married Kirk Douglas that November and went on to have two sons, Michael and Joel, before the couple divorced in 1951.

“We had brought to marriage such different concepts of what it constituted, what was expected due,” she wrote in her memoir, “In the Wings and Beyond.” The two remained on amicable terms. She even appeared with him in several movies, including her last film, “It Runs in the Family” (2003), which also starred Michael Douglas and one of her grandsons, Cameron.

Kirk Douglas American actor and producer

Kirk Douglas, original name Issur Danielovitch also called Isadore Demsky   (born December 9, 1916, Amsterdam, New York, U.S.), American film actor and producer best known for his portrayals of resolute, emotionally charged heroes and antiheroes.



The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Douglas worked as an usher, a bellhop, a waiter, and a professional wrestler while attending St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York (B.A., 1939) and the American Academy of Dramatic Art (1939–41) in New York City. He played mostly minor roles on Broadway before and soon after service in the U.S. Navy (1943–44) and then was drawn to Hollywood. After his first film, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck, Douglas played supporting roles in several notable films, including Out of the Past (1947), Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), and I Walk Alone (1948). He emerged as a star with an Oscar-nominated performance as a ruthless boxer in Champion (1949). In this film, Douglas established a screen persona of a cocky, intense, self-absorbed individual. His on-screen charisma made him an audience favourite despite numerous such roles in which he portrayed men with an abundance of tragic flaws. “I’ve made a career of playing sons-of-bitches,” he once said.



A robust, athletic man with a distinctive, much-imitated voice and a deeply cleft chin, Douglas worked with several renowned directors on some of the most highly regarded films of the 1950s. He portrayed a self-destructive jazz musician, loosely based on cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, in Michael Curtiz’s Young Man with a Horn (1950); an unscrupulous reporter who attempts to capitalize on real-life tragedy in Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole (1951, also released as The Big Carnival); a western marshal consumed with guilt over his father’s death in Raoul Walsh’s Along the Great Divide (1951); a volatile and vengeful cop in William Wyler’s Detective Story (1951); and a corrupt motion-picture executive in Vincente Minnelli’s The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), for which Douglas received his second Oscar nomination. One of Douglas’s most memorable performances was also one of his most atypical: his intense portrayal of tormented genius Vincent van Gogh in Minnelli’s Lust for Life (1956) earned another Oscar nomination.



Douglas maintained his status as a top box-office draw for the next decade with such quality films as Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), The Devil’s Disciple (1959), Lonely Are the Brave (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), and In Harm’s Way (1965). Thereafter, the quality of Douglas’s films declined, although he remained highly active, averaging at least one film per year until the late 1980s. The better films of his later career include The Brotherhood (1968), There Was a Crooked Man (1970), The Fury (1978), The Man from Snowy River (1982), and Tough Guys (1986), Douglas’s seventh and last film with his close friend Burt Lancaster. Douglas also directed two films, the ill-conceived pirate comedy Scalawag (1973), and the cynical western adventure Posse (1975), which has become a cult favourite.

Douglas is the author of a well-received autobiography, The Ragman’s Son (1989), and of two best-selling novels, Dance with the Devil (1990) and The Gift (1992). He suffered a life-threatening stroke in 1995, but, befitting his scrappy image, he was back on screen four years later to portray the leading role in the comedy Diamonds (1999). Douglas received a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1991 and an honorary Academy Award in 1996.

Kirk Douglas

Douglas, Kirk 1916–

Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television | 2008

COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group, Inc.

Douglas, Kirk 1916–

(Issur Danielovitch; George Spelvin, Jr.)

PERSONAL

Original name, Issur Danielovitch Demsky (some sources cite name variously as Issur Danielovitch or Isadore Danielovitch Demsky); born December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, NY; son of Harry (in business; some sources cite name as Jacob Danielovitch) 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 and comedian). Education: St. Lawrence University, A.B., English, 1938; American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduated, 1941. Religion: Jewish. Avocational Interests: Collecting art, travel.

Addresses:

Agent—Creative Artists Agency, 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Publicist—Warren Cowan and Associates, 8899 Beverly Blvd., Suite 919, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Career:

Actor, producer, director, and writer. Greenwich House Settlement, New York City, drama coach, 1939-41; Bryna Productions (production company; also known as Bryna Company), founder, 1955, president, beginning 1955; Joel Productions, founder, 1962, president, beginning 1962; some sources state that Douglas has been affiliated with Brynapod Productions. Cannes International Film Festival, member of jury, 1970, and president of jury, 1980. Appeared in advertisements. Worked as a wrestler, janitor, waiter, usher, and bellhop. Heart Committee of the Motion Picture Industry, member; the Douglas Foundation, cofounder; Motion Picture Hospital and Country Home, endowed Harry's Haven (Alzheimer's wing) in honor of his father; affiliated with Access Theatre for the Handicapped, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Anne Douglas Center for Women at Los Angeles Mission; contributed money to various organizations, institutions, and causes, including to St. Lawrence University, the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Culver City, CA, and for the creation of parks and playgrounds; active in the fight against the blacklisting of entertainment industry figures with suspected ties to communism, 1950s-60s. Military service: U.S. Navy, beginning c. 1942; became lieutenant.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Directors Guild of America, Friars Club, United Nations Association (member of board of directors of Los Angeles chapter), National Student Federation of America, Honorary Society of Kixioc, Delta Kappa Alpha.

Awards, Honors:

Golden Apple Award, most cooperative actor, Hollywood Women's Press Association, 1949; Academy Award nomination, best actor in a leading role, 1950, for Champion; Golden Laurel awards, Golden Laurel awards, Producers Guild of America, 1951, 1952, and 1956; Golden Globe Award nomination, best actor in a motion picture drama, 1952, for Detective Story; Academy Award nomination, best actor in a leading role, 1953, for The Bad and the Beautiful; Heart and Torch Award, American Heart Association, 1956; New York Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, 1956, Golden Globe Award, best actor in a motion picture drama, 1957, and Academy Award nomination, best actor in a leading role, 1957, all for Lust for Life; Special Award, Sant Jordi awards, 1957, for The Juggler; Splendid American Award of Merit, George Washington Carver Memorial Fund, 1957; Zulueta Prize, best actor, San Sebastian International Film Festival, 1958, for The Vikings; Golden Laurel Award nomination, top male action star, 1958, for Gunfight at the O. K. Corral; honorary D.F.A., St. Lawrence University, 1958; some sources cite a Golden Scissors Award, c. 1958; Golden Laurel Award nominations, top male star, 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1968; Golden Laurel Award, third place, top male dramatic performance, 1961, for Spartacus; Golden Laurel Award nomination, top action performance, 1962, for The Last Sunset; Golden Laurel Award, top action performance, and Film Award nomination, best foreign actor, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, both 1963, for Lonely Are the Brave; named U.S. goodwill ambassador to the United Nations, 1964 and 1983; Cecil B. DeMille Award, Golden Globe awards, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1968; nomination for Golden Berlin Bear, Berlin International Film Festival, 1975, for Posse; subject of Kirk Douglas: An American Film Institute Seminar on His Work, American Film Institute, 1970s; honorary Cesar Award, Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema, 1980; Saturn Award nomination, best actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, 1981, for The Final Countdown; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1981; S. Roger Horchow Award, Jefferson awards, greatest public service by a private citizen, American Institute for Public Service, 1983; inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 1984; decorated knight of French Legion of Honor, 1985, designated an officier, 1990; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or special, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a miniseries or motion picture made for television, both 1986, for Amos; German Goldene Kamera Award, 1987; Career Achievement Award, National Board of Review, 1988; Robert F. Meltzer Award, Writers Guild of America, 1991; Chaim Weizmann Award in Sciences and Humanities, for services to Israel, 1991; Lifetime Achievement awards, American Film Institute, 1991 and 1999; Douglas's performance in The Secret named the year's best performance by critics of the Los Angeles Times, c. 1992; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actor in a drama series, and Annual CableACE Award nomination, National Cable Television Association, both 1992, for "Two-Fisted Tales," Tales from the Crypt; Einstein awards, National Dyslexia Research Foundation, 1992 and 1995; Lifetime Achievement Award, ShoWest Convention, National Association of Theatre Owners, 1994; Kennedy Center Honors, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1995, for contributions to U.S. cultural life; honorary Academy Award, lifetime achievement, 1996; Carl Foreman Prize, American Cinema Foundation, 1996; Lifetime Achievement Award, Hollywood Film Festival, 1997; named one of the top 100 movie stars of all time, Empire magazine, 1997, and Entertainment Weekly; Golden Boot Award (affiliated with the Motion Picture and Television Fund), 1998; Life Achievement Award, Screen Actors Guild, 1999; Spencer Tracy Award for outstanding achievement in drama, University of California, Los Angeles, 1999; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding guest actor in a drama series, 2000, for "Bar Mitzvah," Touched by an Angel; Lifetime Achievement awards, Wine Country Film Festival and Jerusalem Film Festival, both 2000; honorary Golden Berlin Bear, 2001; Milestone Award, Golden Laurel awards, Producers Guild of America, 2001; American National Medal of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, 2001; Medal of Honor, University of California, Los Angeles, 2002; Lifetime Achievement Award, Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2005; Kirk Douglas Way in Palm Springs, CA named in his honor, 2005; Excellence in Film Award, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2006; American Cinema Award, distinguished achievement in film; received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; named one of the fifty greatest screen legends, American Film Institute; named Friars Club man of the year; Distinguished Contribution Award, American Labor Council; Bill of Rights Award, American Civil Liberties Union; other honors include the naming of a school in California in his honor.

CREDITS

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 Gallows High), 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 "Chuck" Tatum, The Big Carnival (also known as Ace in the Hole and The Human Interest Story), Paramount, 1951.

Detective James "Jim" McLeod, Detective Story (also known as The Detective Story), Paramount, 1951.

Marshal Len Merrick, Along the Great Divide (also known as The Travelers), Warner Bros., 1951.

Rick Martin, Young Man with a Horn (also known as Young Man of Music and Young Man with a Trumpet), Warner Bros., 1951.

Jim Deakins, The Big Sky, RKO Radio Pictures, 1952.

Jim (some sources cite John) Fallon, The Big Trees (also known as Big Trees), Warner Bros., 1952.

Jonathan Shields, The Bad and the Beautiful (also known as Memorial to a Bad Man and Tribute to a Badman), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952.

Hans Muller, The Juggler, Columbia, 1953.

Pierre Narval, "Equilibrium," The Story of Three Loves (also known as Equilibrium and Three Stories of Love), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953.

Robert Teller, Un acte d'amour (also known as Act of Love and Quelque part dans le monde), United Artists, 1953.

Ned Land, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (also known as Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" and Walt Disney's "20,000 Leagues under the Sea"), Buena Vista, 1954.

Dempsey Rae, Man without a Star, Universal, 1955.

Gino Borgesa, The Racers (also known as Such Men Are Dangerous), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955.

Johnny Hawks, The Indian Fighter, United Artists, 1955.

Ulysses, Ulisse (also known as Ulysses), Paramount, 1955.

(Uncredited) Himself, Van Gogh: Darkness into Light (short documentary), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1956.

Vincent van Gogh, Lust for Life, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1956.

Colonel Dax, Paths of Glory, United Artists, 1957.

John H. "Doc" Holliday, Gunfight at the O. K. Corral, Paramount, 1957.

Major general Melville A. Goodwin, Top Secret Affair (also known as Their Secret Affair), Warner Bros., 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.

Himself, Premier Khrushchev in the USA (documentary), 1959, Gala Film Distributors, 1960.
Larry Coe, Strangers When We Meet, Columbia, 1960.

Title role, Spartacus (also known as Spartacus: Rebel against Rome), Universal, 1960.
Brendan "Bren" O'Malley, The Last Sunset, Universal, 1961.

Major Steve Garrett, Town without Pity (also known as Shocker, Stadt ohne Mitleid, and Ville sans pitie), 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 Last Hero), Universal, 1962.
Sergeant P. J. Briscoe, The Hook, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962.

Donald Kenneth "Deke" Gentry, For Love or Money (also known as Three on a Match and A Three-Way Match), Universal, 1963.

George Brougham, Vicar Atlee, Mr. Pythian, and Arthur Henderson, The List of Adrian Messenger, Universal, 1963.

(In archive footage) Himself, Hollywood without Make-Up (documentary), 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 (also known as Anthony Mann's "The Heroes of Telemark"), Columbia, 1965.

Colonel David "Mickey" Marcus, Cast a Giant Shadow, United Artists, 1966.

General George S. Patton, Jr., Paris brule-t-il? (also known as Is Paris Burning?), 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, Once upon a Wheel (documentary), 1968.

Himself, Rowan & Martin at the Movies (short), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968.

Eddie Anderson (also known as Evangelos Arness and Evans Arness), 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, Keep Your Fingers Crossed, 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 (also known as Gunfight), Paramount, 1971.

Peg, Scalawag (also known as Jamie's Treasure Hunt, Protuva, and Un magnifico ceffo di galera), Paramount, 1973.

Steve Wallace, Un uomo da rispettare (also known as Hearts and Minds, A Man to Respect, The Master Touch, and Ein Achtbarer Mann), 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, Holocaust 2000 (also known as The Chosen, The Hex Massacre, and Rain 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 (also known as Saturn City and Saturn Three), Associated Film Distributors, 1980.

Captain Matthew Yelland, The Final Countdown (also known as U.S.S. Nimitz: Lost in the Pacific), United Artists, 1980.

(In archive footage) Boss of three thugs, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (also known as Bogart Jr. and Dead Men Wear No Plaid), Universal, 1982.

Harrison and Spur, The Man from Snowy River (also known as Snowy River, Czlowiek znad snieznej rzeki, El hombre del rio nevado, L'homme de la riviere d'argent, L'uomo del fiume nevoso, Lumisen joen mies, and Mannen fraan Snowy River), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1982.

Carl "Buster" Marzack, Eddie Macon's Run, Universal, 1983.

Archie Long, Tough Guys, Buena Vista, 1986.

Host, A Day in the Country: Impressionism and the French Landscape (short documentary), c. 1989.

Eduardo Provolone, Sr., Oscar (also known as A mala das trapalhadas, L'embrouille est dans le sac, Oscar czyli 60 klopotow na minute, Oscar—Minha filha quer casar, Oscar, quita las manos, Oscar—un fidanzato per due figlie, and Oscar—Vom Regen in die Traufe), Buena Vista, 1991.

Quentin, Veraz (also known as Welcome to Veraz and Bienvenido a Veraz), 1991.

(In archive footage) Rock Hudson's Home Movies (documentary), Couch Potato Productions, c. 1993.
Himself, A Century of Cinema (documentary), Miramax, 1994.

Uncle Joe McTeague, Greedy, Universal, 1994.

Ed Reece, Lies Boys Tell, 1995, originally broadcast as the television movie Take Me Home Again, NBC, 1994.

Harry Agensky, Diamonds (also known as Der Gauner mit dem Diamantenherz), Miramax, 1999.

Mitchell Gromberg, It Runs in the Family (also known as Family Business), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2003.

Donal Baines, Illusion (also known as The Illusion), 2004, Awakened Media, 2006.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Einar, Cineastes contra magnats (documentary), Canonigo Films, 2005.

Himself, Trumbo (documentary), Samuel Goldwyn Films, c. 2008.

Film Director:

Scalawag (also known as Jamie's Treasure Hunt, Protuva, and Un magnifico ceffo di galera), Paramount, 1973.

Posse, Paramount, 1975.

Film Executive Producer:

The Vikings, United Artists, 1958.

The Devil's Disciple, United Artists, 1959.

Spartacus (also known as Spartacus: Rebel against Rome), Universal, 1960.

The Last Sunset, Universal, 1961.

Grand Prix, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966.

The Man from Snowy River (also known as Snowy River, Czlowiek znad snieznej rzeki, El hombre del rio nevado, L'homme de la riviere d'argent, L'uomo del fiume nevoso, Lumisen joen mies, and Mannen fraan Snowy River), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1982.

Eddie Macon's Run, Universal, 1983.

Film 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 (also known as 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 Jamie's Treasure Hunt, Protuva, and 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 (also known as U.S.S. Nimitz: Lost in the Pacific), United Artists, 1980.

Film Work; as Issur Danielovitch:

Production consultant, Tough Guys, Buena Vista, 1986.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Alex Vandervoort, The Moneychangers (also known as Arthur Hailey's "The Moneychangers," Arthur Hailey's "The Money Changers," and The Money Changers), NBC, 1976.

David Konig, Queenie, ABC, 1987.

Television Appearances; 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. "Handsome Harry" 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 and What'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.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Host and narrator, The General Motors Fiftieth Anniversary Show, NBC, 1957.

Narrator, The Legend of Silent Night, ABC, 1968.

Performer, The Special London Bridge Special, NBC, 1972.

Title roles, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, NBC, 1973.

The Stars Salute Israel at Thirty, ABC, 1978.

Host and narrator, I'd Rather Be Dead, syndicated, 1979.

Himself, Homage for the Duke, ABC, 1979.

Johnny Cash: The First 25 Years, CBS, 1980.

(In archive footage) Himself, Margret Duenser, auf der Suche nach den Besonderen, 1981.

Himself, Celebrity Daredevils, ABC, 1983.

Himself, James Bond: The First 21 Years, 1983.

Himself, Salute to Lady Liberty, CBS, 1984.

Himself, Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary (also known as Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary), CBS, 1986.

Liberty Weekend, ABC, 1986.

Host, Circus of the Stars (also known as The 12th Annual Circus of the Stars), CBS, 1987.

Narrator, Korea: War at the 38th Parallel (also known as The War in Korea), TBS and BBC, 1988.

The Music Center 25th Anniversary, PBS, 1990.

Himself, Larry King TNT Extra, TNT, 1992.

(In archive footage) Himself, Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-In" 25th Anniversary (also known as Laugh-In's 25th Anniversary and Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-In" 25th Anniversary Reunion), NBC, 1993.

(In archive footage) Himself, The Best of the Don Lane Show, 1994.

Great American Music: A Salute to Fast Cars, Family Channel, 1994.

Himself, To Life! America Celebrates Israel's 50th, CBS, 1998.

(In archive footage) Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies, 2001.

Himself, FBI contre Hollywood, 2001.

Himself, Lana Turner … a Daughter's Memoir, 2001.

Himself, Darkness at High Noon: The Carl Foreman Documents, PBS, 2002.

(In archive footage) Himself, Kirk Douglas and Vincente Minnelli, 2002.

Himself, AFI's 100 Years … 100 Heroes & Villains (also known as AFI's 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains: America's Greatest Screen Characters), CBS, 2003.

(In archive footage) Himself, Anthony Quinn and Kirk Douglas, 2003.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Jonathan Shields, Watch the Skies! Science Fiction, the 1950s, and Us (also known as Watch the Skies!), TCM, 2005.

Himself, … A Father … a Son … Once upon a Time in Hollywood, HBO, 2005.

(In archive footage) Himself, La marato 2005, 2005.

Himself, AFI's 100 Years … 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies, CBS, 2006.

(In archive footage) Himself, Camara negra. Teatro Victoria Eugenia, Television Espanola (TVE, Spain), 2007.

(In archive footage) Himself, Ein Leben wie im Flug, 2007.

(In archive footage) Himself, 100 Years of John Wayne, Encore Westerns, 2007.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The 26th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1954.

Presenter, The 29th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1957.

The 30th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1958.

The 31st Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1959.

Presenter, The 21st Annual Tony Awards, ABC, 1967.

Show Business Salute to Milton Berle, NBC, 1973.

The American Film Institute Salute to James Cagney (also known as The AFI Salute to James Cagney and American Film Institute Salutes James Cagney), CBS, 1974.

Salute to Lew Grade, 1975.

Presenter, The 50th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1978.

The American Film Institute Salute to Henry Fonda (also known as The AFI Salute to Henry Fonda and American Film Institute Salutes Henry Fonda), CBS, 1978.

A Tribute to "Mr. Television," Milton Berle, NBC, 1978.

Presenter, The 52nd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1980.

Presenter, The 57th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1985.

The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (also known as The Seventh Annual Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts), CBS, 1985.

The 43rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, 1986.

America's Tribute to Bob Hope, NBC, 1988.

The 14th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 1988.

Guest of honor, The 19th Annual American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award: A Salute to Kirk Douglas (also known as The AFI Salute to Kirk Douglas and American Film Institute Salutes Kirk Douglas), CBS, 1991.

Presenter, The 46th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1992.

Presenter, The 66th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1994.

Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (also known as The 16th Annual Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts), CBS, 1994.

Presenter, The 68th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1996.

Fifth Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as Screen Actors Guild Fifth Annual Awards), TNT, 1999.

Presenter, The 75th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2003.

Presenter, World Music Awards 2004, ABC, 2004.

Presenter, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Al Pacino, USA Network, 2007.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Himself, Floor Show (also known as Eddie Condon's "Floor Show"), NBC, 1949.

Himself, The Colgate Comedy Hour (also known as Colgate Summer Comedy Hour, The Colgate Variety Hour, Michael Todd Revue, and The NBC Comedy Hour), NBC, 1952.

Himself, The Ken Murray Show, CBS, 1952.

Himself, The Name's the Same, ABC, 1953.

Himself, What's My Line?, CBS, 1953.

Himself, "The Disneyland Story," Disneyland (also known as Disneylandia, The Disney Sunday Movie, Disney's Wonderful World, The Magical World of Disney, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and The Wonderful World of Disney), ABC, 1954.

Himself, "Jam Session at Jack's" (also known as "The Jam Session Show"), The Jack Benny Program (also known as The Jack Benny Show), CBS, 1954.

Himself, Toast of the Town (also known as The Ed Sullivan Show), CBS, 1954.

Himself, "Monsters of the Deep," Disneyland (also known as Disneylandia, The Disney Sunday Movie, Disney's Wonderful World, The Magical World of Disney, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and The Wonderful World of Disney), ABC, 1955.

Awards presenter, The Colgate Comedy Hour (also known as Colgate Summer Comedy Hour, The Colgate Variety Hour, Michael Todd Revue, and The NBC Comedy Hour), NBC, 1955.

(In archive footage) Ulysses, The Colgate Comedy Hour (also known as Colgate Summer Comedy Hour, The Colgate Variety Hour, Michael Todd Revue, and The NBC Comedy Hour), NBC, 1955.

Himself, "Where Do the Stories Come From?," Disneyland (also known as Disneylandia, The Disney Sunday Movie, Disney's Wonderful World, The Magical World of Disney, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and The Wonderful World of Disney), ABC, 1956.

Guest host, The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town), CBS, 1956.

Himself, The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town), CBS, 1956, 1957 (in archive footage), 1966.

Himself, "Hollywood around the World," The Seven Lively Arts, CBS, 1957.

Himself, Person to Person, CBS, 1957.

Himself, The Steve Allen Show (also known as The Steve Allen Plymouth Show), NBC, 1957, 1958.

Himself, "Kirk Douglas," This Is Your Life, NBC, 1958.

Mystery guest, What's My Line?, CBS, 1960.

The Best of Paar, NBC, 1960.

The Jack Paar Show, NBC, 1960.

Here's Hollywood, NBC, 1962.

Himself, Cinepanorama, 1962, 1964.

Himself, "Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere," The Lucy Show (also known as The Lucille Ball Show), CBS, 1966.

Himself, Reflets de Cannes, 1966.

Narrator, "Cortez and the Legend," Saga of Western Man, syndicated, 1967.

Himself, Rowan & Martin's "Laugh-In" (also known as Laugh-In), NBC, 1968 (multiple episodes).

Himself, The Johnny Cash Show, ABC, 1970.

Himself, "Film Night Special: Kirk Douglas," Film Night, BBC-2, 1971.

Himself, The Dick Cavett Show, ABC, 1971.

Himself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (also known as The Best of Carson), NBC, 1971.

Himself, "Don Rickles," This Is Your Life, 1972.

Himself, V.I.P.-Schaukel, 1972.

Himself, "Celebrity Roast: Kirk Douglas," The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1973.

Himself, Dinah's Place, NBC, 1973.

Himself, "Celebrity Roast: Don Rickles," The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1974.

Himself, Dinah! (also known as Dinah and Dinah and Friends), syndicated, 1975.

(In archive footage) Ned Land, "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," The Wonderful World of Disney (also known as Disneyland, Disneylandia, The Disney Sunday Movie, Disney's Wonderful World, The Magical World of Disney, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Presents, and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color), NBC, 1976.

Guest host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's "Saturday Night," Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1980.

Himself, Aspel & Company, London Weekend Television, 1985.

Himself, Good Morning Britain (also known as TV-am), 1988.

Himself, Mas estrellas que en el cielo, 1989.

Champlin on Film, Bravo, 1989.

"Anthony Quinn," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax, 1990.

General Calthrob, "Yellow," a segment of "Two-Fisted Tales," Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's "Tales from the Crypt"), HBO, 1991.
 
Himself, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1992.

(Uncredited) Himself, "The Popcorn Bowl," Coach, ABC, 1994.

Himself, Verstehen Sie Spass?, 1995.

(In archive footage) Spartacus, "Athens City Academy for the Performing Bards," Xena: Warrior Princess (also known as Xena), syndicated, 1996.

Voice of Chester J. Lampwick, "The Day the Violence Died," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1996.

Himself, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1997.

Himself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997.

Himself, "The Films of John Frankenheimer," The Directors, Encore, c. 1997.

Himself, Intimate Portrait: Lauren Bacall, Lifetime, 1998.

Himself, "Kirk Douglas: A Lust for Life," Biography (also known as A&E Biography: Kirk Douglas), Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

Himself, Clive Anderson All Talk, BBC, 1999.

Ross Burger, "Bar Mitzvah," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 2000.

Himself, "Jean Simmons: Picture Perfect," Biography (also known as A&E Biography: Jean Simmons), Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

Himself, Parkinson, 2001.

Himself, "Legends," 48 Hours (also known as 48 Hours Investigates and 48 Hours Mystery), CBS, 2002.

Himself, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 2002, 2005.

Himself, "Kirk Douglas," The Hollywood Greats (also known as Hollywood Greats), BBC, 2003.

Himself, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (also known as The Late Late Show), CBS, 2003.

Himself, The Oprah Winfrey Show (also known as Oprah), syndicated, 2003 (multiple episodes).

(In archive footage) Himself, Les 40 ans de la 2, 2004.

Himself, Entertainment Tonight (also known as Entertainment This Week, E.T., ET Weekend, and This Week in Entertainment), syndicated, 2006, multiple episodes in 2007.

Himself, Jimmy Kimmel Live! (also known as The Jimmy Kimmel Project), ABC, 2007.

(In archive footage) Himself, La tele de tu vida, 2007.

Himself, 20 heures le journal, 2007.

Appeared in other television programs, including Storytime, PBS.

Television Work:

Producer, Tales of the Vikings (series; also known as The Vikings), syndicated, c. 1959.

Director, Mousey (movie; also known as Cat and Mouse), ABC, 1974.

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, 1942-43.

Lieutenant Lenny Archer, Kiss and Tell, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, beginning c. 1943, also produced at the Bijou Theatre, New York City.

Star in the Window, c. 1944.

Ray Mackenzie, Trio, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1944-45.

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, 1963-64.

The Boys in Autumn, San Francisco, CA, 1981.

Appeared in other productions, including summer theatre productions, 1939-41.

Stage Producer; with Others:

One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1963-64.

Radio Appearances:

Appeared in radio programs, including appearances in radio soap operas.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Himself, The Racing Experience, 1988.

Tee Vee Treasures, Volume Two, Rhino Home Video, 1991.

(In archive footage) Himself, Kirk Douglas: Video Scrapbook, 1994.

Himself, Completely Cuckoo, re-edited version known as The Making of "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1997.

Himself, Frank Sinatra Memorial, Passport Video, c. 2000.

Himself, The Life and Times of Kirk Douglas (short), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2000.

(In archive footage) Himself, Pulp Cinema, 2001.

(In archive footage) Himself, The Definitive Elvis: The Hollywood Years—Part 1: 1956-1961, Passport International Entertainment, 2002.

Himself, The Making of "20,000 Leagues under the Sea," Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2003.

Audiobooks:

Kirk Douglas, The Ragman's Son, Audioworks, 1988.

WRITINGS

Nonfiction; Autobiographies:

The Ragman's Son, Simon & Schuster, 1988.

Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning, Simon & Schuster, 1997.

My Stroke of Luck, William Morrow, 2002.

Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning, John Wiley and Sons, 2007.

Novels:

Dance with the Devil, Random House, 1990.

The Gift, Warner Books, 1992.

Last Tango in Brooklyn, Warner Books, 1994.

Writings for Children:

The Broken Mirror (novella), illustrated by Jenny Vasilyev, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1997.

Young Heroes of the Bible: A Book for Family Sharing (nonfiction; also known as Kid Heroes of the Bible), illustrated by Dom Lee, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Dictionary of Twentieth Century Culture, Volume 1: American Culture after World War II, Gale, 1994.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, fourth edition, St. James Press, 2000.

Kaye, Annene and Jim Sclavunos, Michael Douglas and the Douglas Clan, 1989.

Lacourbe, Roland, Kirk Douglas, PAC, 1980.

McBride, Joseph, Kirk Douglas, Pyramid Publications, 1976.

Munn, Michael, Kirk Douglas: The Man—The Actor, St. Martin's Press, 1985.

Press, Skip, Michael and Kirk Douglas, Crestwood House, 1995.

Thomas, Tony, The Films of Kirk Douglas, Citadel, 1972.

Periodicals:

American Film, March, 1991.

Architectural Digest, April, 1990.

Cine Revue, July 12, 1984; September 27, 1984.

Daily News, October 28, 1991.

Empire, issue 61, 1994, pp. 86-93; October, 1997, p. 197.

Films and Filming, September, 1972.

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; December, 2002, p. 132.

Tikkun, September, 2000, p. 55.

Times (London), April 14, 2007.

TV Guide, March 6, 1999, pp. 32-35; August 7, 2005, pp. 34-35.

USA Today, December 14, 1994.

Washington Post, August 13, 2005.

Kirk Douglas reviews 'Trumbo'

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — How odd to watch history replayed on the big screen when it's your own.

That's where Kirk Douglas, 98, found himself when recently viewing Trumbo (in select theaters; opens nationwide Nov. 25), a new biopic of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (played by Bryan Cranston), who was forced to work under a pen name for more than a decade during the McCarthy years when he, along with hundreds of others, was blacklisted as a communist sympathizer.

Douglas' Spartacus plays a key role in the film: It was the first major movie to break the blacklist by putting Trumbo's real name back on the big screen in the credits in 1960. (Exodus, also written by Trumbo, followed suit shortly after.)

Douglas sits in a cardigan and slacks in his sun-drenched living room. "You know, I did a lot of movies with Dalton," he says in good spirits though he speaks slowly (his speech has been impaired since a stroke at age 80). "They were all good." (His favorite is 1962's Lonely Are the Brave.)

In 'Trumbo' Bryan Cranston stars as Dalton Trumbo, a screenwriter who was blacklisted in Hollywood for being a Communist. VPC

An original copy of Trumbo's National Book Award-winning Johnny Got His Gun has been pulled from Douglas' shelf. The author sent it to Douglas as a token of gratitude after the actor pledged to use Trumbo's real name on Spartacus.

The June 1959 inscription reads:

"Dear Kirk,
Here, for what it is and for what I hope I still am, is the only existing copy of this book that's signed with the name to which I was born — and that other name you've enabled me to acquire under circumstances that blessedly permit me to respect and cherish both the new name and the new friend who made it possible.
Affectionately, Sam Jackson/Dalton Trumbo."

In Trumbo, Dean O'Gorman (a startling Douglas lookalike) plays the screen legend. O'Gorman wrote Douglas a letter last September seeking advice.

Bryan Cranston, left, is Dalton Trumbo and Dean O'Gorman is Kirk Douglas in "Trumbo." (Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gail, Bleecker Street)

Douglas' shares his response to the 38-year-old actor seen in The Hobbit franchise (as the dwarf Fili).
It's amusingly spare. "Playing Kirk Douglas, forget him ... just play the part and you will be fine," he wrote.

In his book I Am Spartacus! Making A Film, Breaking the Blacklist, Douglas details how he waited for a majority of the film to be shot as leverage to push Universal to allow Dalton's real name on screen.

"What I never understood, you know, a guy should be able to write something and be paid,"  Douglas says, pointing out that even President Kennedy supported Spartacus by crossing picket lines to see it.
In the book, Douglas wrote, "When I hired Dalton Trumbo to write Spartacus under the pseudonym Sam Jackson, we all had been employing the blacklisted writers. It was an open secret and an act of hypocrisy, as well as a way to get the best talent at bargain prices. I hated being part of such a system."

Douglas describes Trumbo as an egoless writer who wasn't precious about his work. And Trumbo was fast. "Dalton Trumbo, if you told him, 'I don't like that scene' — 'You don't like it?' " (Douglas mimics the screenwriter crumpling up a paper and tossing it.)

Kirk Douglas stars in 1960's "Spartacus." (Photo: Everett Collection)

Trumbo's many eccentricities are displayed in the film, aided by Cranston's portrayal, which Douglas praises. "Trumbo was a strange guy," says Douglas, happy that a parrot (nicknamed Sammy) he gifted the writer made the film.

The bird, Douglas recalls, used to sit on Trumbo's shoulder while he worked in the tub, where the prolific writer often held meetings. "He was a nut," Douglas says.

Douglas' overall impression of Trumbo? "It's a very good film," he says, "and its spirit is true to the man I admired."

A centennial year of celebration is in store for the three-time best actor nominee. "I'm going to be 99 years old (on Dec. 9). I don't like it," says Douglas who is working on a new book of letters from his life.

How does he feel? Douglas smiles and squints. "I think I'll make another picture."

Bryan Cranston stars as Dalton Trumbo in "Trumbo." (Photo: Hilary Bronwyn Gail, Bleecker Street)

Diana Douglas, 1st wife of Kirk Douglas, dies at 92

 

 

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FILE - In this Sept. 9, 1947 file photo, actors Kirk and Diana Douglas pose with their second son,... Read more

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Diana Douglas, the first wife of Kirk Douglas and mother of Michael Douglas, died Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 92.

Douglas died of cancer at a motion picture industry retirement home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, according to an obituary from Michael Douglas's production company, Furthur Films. It cited Diana Douglas's husband of fifteen years, Donald A. Webster of Washington, D.C.

Born Diana Love Dill in Bermuda, where her family had lived for centuries and her father was the attorney general, Douglas later moved to New York and met Kirk Douglas while they were both studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

She later went to California on a $200-a-week contract with Warner Bros. against Douglas's advice that she try for Broadway instead.

She went on to have a six-decade as an actress and model, appearing in dozens of movies and television episodes, including the 1987 Steve Martin film "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and the TV shows "ER" and "The West Wing."

She also did stage roles, including some on Broadway.

In May 1943, Douglas appeared on the cover of Life magazine, modeling spring fashions.

"Kirk Douglas, by then serving in the Navy during World War II, saw her on the cover and told his shipmates he would marry her," according to the obituary.

They wed that November and went on the have two sons, Michael and Joel, before divorcing in 1951.
"We had brought to marriage such different concepts of what it constituted, what was expected due," she wrote in her memoir, "In the Wings and Beyond."

The two remained on amicable terms. She even appeared with him in several movies, including her last film, 2003's "It Runs in the Family," which also starred Michael Douglas and one of her grandsons, Cameron.

Douglas was also married to actor Bill Darrid from 1956 until his death in 1992.