Highest rated as cast or director
Kirk Douglas's 5 titles from the 1940s have a median Balasaur Score of 80, led by Out of the Past (82) and A Letter to Three Wives (81), against 73 for those from the 1950s.
Biography
Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor, producer, director and author. He grew up as Izzy Demsky and legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the United States Navy during World War II. During his career, Douglas appeared in more than 90 movies and was known for his explosive acting style. He became an international star for his leading role as an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion (1949), which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Other early films include Young Man with a Horn (1950), Ace in the Hole (1951), and Detective Story (1951), a film for which he received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Actor in a Drama. He received a second Oscar nomination for his role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and his third nomination for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), which landed him a second Golden Globe nomination. In 1955, Douglas established Bryna Productions, which produced films as varied as Paths of Glory (1957) and Spartacus (1960). He took the lead roles in both films. Douglas has been praised for helping to break the Hollywood blacklist by having Dalton Trumbo write Spartacus with an official on-screen credit. In 1963 Douglas starred in the Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a story that he purchased and later gave to his son Michael Douglas, who turned it into an Oscar-winning film. As an actor and philanthropist, Douglas received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As an author, he wrote ten novels and memoirs. He is No. 17 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema. Kirk Douglas died at age 103.
Acted in 101
2010s
- 2019
Vincent van Gogh Superstar
Vincent van Gogh (archive footage)
- 2012
2000s
- 2009
Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France
Movie
- 2004
- 2003
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
Movie
1990s
- 1999
Diamonds
Harry Agensky
Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection
General Kalthrob
- 1994
The Lies Boys Tell
Ed Reese
- 1992
The Secret
Grandpa Mike Dunmore
Two-Fisted Tales
General Calthrop
- 1991
Welcome to Veraz
Quentin
- 1990
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
Ned Land (archive footage)
1980s
- 1989
- 1988
Inherit the Wind
Matthew Harrison Brady
- 1987
Queenie
David Konig · 2 episodes
- 1986
- 1985
Amos
Amos Lasher
- 1984
Draw!
Harry H. Holland aka Handsome Harry Holland
- 1983
Eddie Macon's Run
Carl 'Buster' Marzack
- 1982
Remembrance Of Love
Joe Rabin
- 1980
Home Movies
Dr. Tuttle
1970s
- 1979
- 1978
- 1977
- 1976
Victory at Entebbe
Herschel Vilnofsky
Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers
Alex Vandervoort · 4 episodes
- 1975
- 1974
Mousey
George Anderson
- 1973
Scalawag
Peg
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
- 1972
The Special London Bridge Special
The Indian Fighter
- 1971
A Gunfight
Will Tenneray
The Light at the Edge of the World
Will Denton
Once Upon a Wheel
TV
- 1970
1960s
- 1969
The Arrangement
Eddie Anderson
- 1968
The Brotherhood
Frank Ginetta
A Lovely Way to Die
Jameson Schuyler
- 1967
- 1966
- 1965
- 1964
- 1963
For Love or Money
Deke Gentry
The List of Adrian Messenger
George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur Henderson
- 1962
Two Weeks in Another Town
Jack Andrus
Lonely are the Brave
John W. "Jack" Burns
- 1961
Town Without Pity
Major Garrett
- 1960
Strangers When We Meet
Larry Coe
1950s
- 1959
- 1958
- 1957
Top Secret Affair
Maj. Gen. Melville A. Goodwin
- 1956
- 1955
Man Without a Star
Dempsey Rae
- 1954
- 1953
Act of Love
Robert Teller
The Juggler
Hans Muller
The Story of Three Loves
Pierre Narval
- 1952
- 1951
Along the Great Divide
Marshal Len Merrick
- 1950
The Glass Menagerie
Jim O'Connor
1940s
- 1949
Champion
Midge Kelly
- 1948
The Walls of Jericho
Tucker Wedge
- 1947
Mourning Becomes Electra
Peter Niles
- 1946
Produced 20
1980s
- 1985
Amos
Executive Producer
- 1983
1970s
- 1975
- 1971
A Gunfight
Executive Producer
The Light at the Edge of the World
Producer
1960s
- 1968
The Brotherhood
Producer
- 1966
- 1964
- 1963
The List of Adrian Messenger
Executive Producer
- 1962
Lonely are the Brave
Executive Producer
- 1961
- 1960
Strangers When We Meet
Executive Producer
1950s
- 1958
- 1957
Ride Out for Revenge
Executive Producer
Lizzie
Executive Producer
- 1955
Directed 2
1970s
- 1975
- 1973
Scalawag
Director
Wrote 1
1970s
- 1973
Scalawag
Writer
Appearances70
2020s
- 2026
My Life As Roger Moore
Self (Archive film material)
- 2024
From Roger Moore with Love
Self (archive footage)
- 2021
Morceaux de Cannes
Self (archive footage)
- 2020
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty
Self (archive footage)
2010s
- 2018
- 2017
The Untameable Kirk Douglas
Self - Actor
- 2015
Johnny Cash: American Rebel
Self (archive photo)
- 2014
Discovering: Robert Mitchum
Self (archive footage)
- 2010
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Self – Interviewee
2000s
- 2009
Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget
Self
Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Self
- 2008
Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices
Self
- 2007
Trumbo
Self - Interviewee
- 2005
A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Self
- 2003
- 2001
Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir
Self
1990s
- 1998
- 1997
Completely Cuckoo
Self
Scene by Scene
Self · 1 episode
- 1996
The Universal Story
Self (archive footage)
- 1994
A Century of Cinema
Self
- 1993
- 1991
Movie Tough Guys
Self (archive footage)
1980s
- 1989
- 1986
Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick
Self
Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary
Self
- 1985
- 1983
James Bond: The First 21 Years
Self
- 1982
Let Poland Be Poland
Self
- 1980
1970s
- 1978
- 1976
- 1975
- 1974
- 1973
- 1972
Kirk Douglas
Himself
1960s
- 1969
- 1968
Rowan & Martin at the Movies
Self
- 1966
Kirk Douglas
Self
- 1964
Pour le plaisir
Self · 1 episode
- 1962
1950s
- 1957
- 1956
Walt Disney's Where Do the Stories Come From?
Self
- 1954
Operation Undersea
Self
The Disneyland Story
Self
- 1953
- 1952
- 1950
1940s
- 1948
- 1944
No release date
Monsters of the Deep
Himself