Trivia of Kirk Douglas

Trivia of Kirk Douglas

*His family adopted the surname Demsky after his father's brother, who had immigrated earlier, began using the name. Issur Danielovitch became Isador Demsky, and he was nicknamed Izzy. Before entering the United States Navy during World War II, he legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas.Douglas decided to change his own name because it was “too unwieldy and too Semitic” for Hollywood at the time. He eventually made his acting debut in 1946, when he played an alcoholic husband in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.

*As an aspiring actor, Douglas scored himself a scholarship to New York’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which he attended alongside Betty Joan Perske and Diana Dill. Perske later changed her name to Lauren Bacall, while Dill became Douglas’ first wife and mother to their two sons, including Michael Douglas.

*Like many actors, Douglas turned down multiple roles in various films, some of which he’d later regret. Two of those roles were Kid Shelleen in Cat Ballou and Sgt. J.J. Sefton in Stalag 17. Incidentally, it worked out well for the actors who went on to play those parts — Lee Marvin and William Holden, respectively — as they both eventually won Oscars for the roles.

*Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster were old friends who starred in seven movies together, beginning with 1948's "I Walk Alone" and ending with 1986's "Tough Guys". Throughout their long-standing friendship, the two actors shared the screen in a variety of genres, from crime dramas to westerns. Their on-screen chemistry was undeniable, and their films remain beloved by fans to this day.

*If he had not heeded wife Anne Douglas's advice, he would have been on producer Mike Todd's private plane in 1958 when it crashed and killed all on-board. Todd's wife Elizabeth Taylor was also scheduled to be on the plane but canceled due to a bad cold.He also survived a helicopter crash on February 23, 1991, in which two fellow occupants were killed. He was left with a debilitating back injury.Long live, Kirk Douglas.

*He helped break the Hollywood blacklist by hiring Dalton Trumbo, a member of the "Hollywood Ten", to write the screenplay for Spartacus (1960). Despite widespread criticism from many in the industry, including John Wayne and Hedda Hopper, Douglas refused to back down and Trumbo received screen credit under his own name. When presenting Douglas with an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement at The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996), Steven Spielberg publicly thanked Douglas for his courage. However, Otto Preminger had already broken the blacklist by hiring Trumbo for Exodus (1960). Trumbo's family publicly said that Douglas greatly exaggerated his role in breaking the blacklist.

*Kirk Douglas was a legendary actor, appearing in over 90 films throughout his career. However, he only directed two movies - Scalawag in 1973 and Posse in 1975. Both films were westerns, and Scalawag was the first movie Douglas directed. Posse was released two years later, and was the last movie Douglas directed before returning to acting.