Last Edit: Feb 6, 2020 0:15:59 GMT by BATouttaheck
a wise man once said "If someone doesn't want responses to his/her posts, then s/he shouldn't post them. If someone wants specific users to not respond...well, that's too bad." (link)
A genuine "movie star" if there ever was one. R.I.P.
A comparatively rare case of a major movie star also being a really great actor.
Curiously, his debut was as fourth-billed in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) dir: Lewis Milestone, so no decades-long climb into the limelight for him. He played a milquetoast. I doubt if he ever played such a passive role again (but stand to be corrected).
Next year he starred opposite Robert Mitchum in, for my money, the best American movie ever made: Out of the Past (1947) dir: Jacques Tourneur and his career really took off.
He had a splendid run.... Here's my five favourite Kirk movies - I plough a lonely furrow in liking the last, but I think he displayed a vulnerability he didn't usually demonstrate in that, so if you haven't seen it I'd recommend doing so - marvellous David Amram score (now available in an Amram box set which includes SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS and MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, plus several less celebrated films)another reason to give it a go...would make good double bill with Michael's FALLING DOWN, also about a white collar crack up.
EDIT - just noticed the odd billing configuration on the SEVEN DAYS advert - Burt got top billed on film's opening credits - here he's demoted to third !!! Guess Kirk had a friend in Marketing.....I suspect it is to get even number of letters in the two rows of "star" names
Last Edit: Feb 6, 2020 1:44:58 GMT by cynthiagreen
"How about I'm the only person in the whole darned place who's just trying to be happy"
A genuine "movie star" if there ever was one. R.I.P.
A comparatively rare case of a major movie star also being a really great actor.
Curiously, his debut was as fourth-billed in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) dir: Lewis Milestone, so no decades-long climb into the limelight for him. He played a milquetoast. I doubt if he ever played such a passive role again (but stand to be corrected).
Next year he starred opposite Robert Mitchum in, for my money, the best American movie ever made: Out of the Past (1947) dir: Jacques Tourneur and his career really took off.
Not exactly a "passive" role but in "A Letter To Three Wives" he plays a school teacher, a genuinely nice guy, who supports his career woman wife, Ann Southern.
I don't think you fully understand, Mr. Bigelow. You've been murdered.
Post by ZolotoyRetriever on Feb 6, 2020 1:42:46 GMT
I liked him in many things, but Lust for Life (1956), and Two Weeks In Another Town (1962) were two of my favorite Kirk Douglas films - TWIAT being really quite offbeat and even bizarre at times, which made it all the more enjoyable.
Don't mess with me, man! I know karate, judo, ju-jitsu... and several other Japanese words.
a wise man once said "If someone doesn't want responses to his/her posts, then s/he shouldn't post them. If someone wants specific users to not respond...well, that's too bad." (link)
a wise man once said "If someone doesn't want responses to his/her posts, then s/he shouldn't post them. If someone wants specific users to not respond...well, that's too bad." (link)
Curiously, his debut was as fourth-billed in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) dir: Lewis Milestone, so no decades-long climb into the limelight for him. He played a milquetoast. I doubt if he ever played such a passive role again (but stand to be corrected).
Not exactly a "passive" role but in "A Letter To Three Wives" he plays a school teacher, a genuinely nice guy, who supports his career woman wife, Ann Southern.
Yes, that is exactly what I was groping for. "Passive" was not the right word. Thanks.
The Juggler- an early Holocaust film made in 1953 Douglas was excellent as a survivor who has emigrated to Israel and is having trouble adjusting .smallblack and white gem.
Top Secret Affair - the one about tge tough lady editor ( Susan Hayward) out to embarrass a stiff as starch general in her magazine and ends up falling for him. Kirk’s performance is not by the numbers. He saves the general from being a cartoon . It’s one film where his gritty passion was just the ticket. There is an extraordinary scene where he is bullied into singing in a night club. He gets up and starts singing the Caissons Go Rolling Along, bringing the crowd ( and the audience ) to its feet.
The Devil’s Disciple - Another Black and White , produced by Douglas and Burt Lancaster , from a script by George Bernard Shaw. Although Lawrence Olivier steals the picture as General Johnny Burgoyne, Kirk has a lot of the best lines and some great physical moments.
Anyone can start an insane asylum with an empty room and the right kind of people
has any actor starred in so many excellent movies?
You might be onto something there - Just counting his 70 odd cinema movies (and I've seen more than 60) I reckon at least 20 are ones I'd "recommend" - that is around 28%....... off the top of my head I can only think of one actor from the classic era - Montgomery Clift - who had a higher "good film" ratio in their CV (around 80% since you ask). Maybe an idea for a future thread??? Actor/Director/Screenwriter/whatever with best CV/highest % of good movies/least number of bad films.
Kirk struggled in the 70s but who didn't from the golden age? Many worse than him (Fonda pere seriously devalued his CV in the 70s... all those presidents in disaster flics...) To quote Barry Detweiler, The men with beards had taken over....
Sank No Deeper? HOLOCAUST 2000 gets my vote.
Last Edit: Feb 6, 2020 3:10:07 GMT by cynthiagreen
"How about I'm the only person in the whole darned place who's just trying to be happy"
He was always at his best playing cynical/selfish/dark characters. Ace in the Hole may be his finest hour, from what I've seen - a great performance.
While there are a handful of fine actors and familiar faces from the Golden Age still with us, (Angela Lansbury, Margaret O'Brien etc) I guess Douglas's passing leaves Olivia de Havilland as the one true superstar of the era, or am I missing someone?
has any actor starred in so many excellent movies?
You might be onto something there - Just counting his 70 odd cinema movies (and I've seen more than 60) I reckon at least 20 are ones I'd "recommend" - that is around 28%....... off the top of my head I can only think of one actor from the classic era - Montgomery Clift - who had a higher "good film" ratio in their CV (around 80% since you ask). Maybe an idea for a future thread??? Actor/Director/Screenwriter/whatever with best CV/highest % of good movies/least number of bad films.
Kirk struggled in the 70s but who didn't from the golden age? Many worse than him (Fonda pere seriously devalued his CV in the 70s... all those presidents in disaster flics...) To quote Barry Detweiler, The men with beards had taken over....
Sank No Deeper? HOLOCAUST 2000 gets my vote.
Kirk struggled in the 70s but who didn't from the golden age?
True. The 70s was the end of the road for a lot of stars from the Golden Age. (Joan Crawford in Trog (1970) comes to mind.) As far as Kirk, There Was A Crooked Man (1970) was the last movie I really liked him in... until Tough Guys (1986) came out. That one was a charmer.
I don't know if I have ever seen anything Margaret O'Brien has done.
I'd like to see Death in Space.
An obscure Douglas movie that is quite an interesting one for him is CAT AND MOUSE. Basically it is FALLING DOWN, the Kirk version.
"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow." Frankenstein
