American actor Kirk Douglas died on Feb. 5, 2020, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at age 103. Douglas was prolific during his over 60 years acting career, accumulating nearly 100 acting credits in film and television and establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s golden age biggest stars.
Among Douglas’s earliest film roles were those in what are now considered classic film noirs, including “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” and “Out of the Past,” in the latter of which he appeared alongside Robert Mitchum. He appeared in the Oscar-winning “A Letter to Three Wives” in 1949, and in 1950, he received a nomination for his lead role in the boxing film “Champion” — one of three nominations he’d receive throughout his career.
Though the actor never won an Oscar in competition, he received an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1996 “for his 50 years as a creative and moral force in the film community.”
While introducing Douglas for the award, director Steven Spielberg praised the Hollywood icon for helping “hammer the blacklist to pieces” — a reference to Douglas’s insistence on hiring blacklisted writer and Communist Party member Dalton Trumbo to work on “Spartacus” and crediting them for their work.
“Spartacus,” perhaps the actor’s most recognizable role, marked the second time Douglas worked with director Stanley Kubrick, following World War I film “Paths of Glory” (1957). Over the years, Douglas would work with numerous prestigious filmmakers, including Billy Wilder, Jacques Tourneur, John Sturges, Howard Hawks, Otto Preminger, and Elia Kazan. Here is who won the Oscar for Best Director the year you were born.
In honor of Kirk Douglas’s life and career, 24/7 Tempo has identified 20 of his greatest movies based on reputation amongst critics and filmgoers, and online user ratings from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
1. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
> Role: Walter O’Neil
> Genre: Romance, drama
> Directed by: Lewis Milestone
> Also starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin
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2. Out of the Past (1947)
> Role: Whit
> Genre: Drama, film-noir
> Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
> Also starring: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer
3. A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
> Role: George Phipps
> Genre: Drama, romance
> Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
> Also starring: Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell
4. Champion (1949)
> Role: Midge
> Genre: Sports, film-noir
> Directed by: Mark Robson
> Also starring: Marilyn Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy
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5. Young Man With a Horn (1950)
> Role: Rick Martin
> Genre: Drama, romance
> Directed by: Michael Curtiz
> Also starring: Lauren Bacall, Doris Day
6. Ace in the Hole (1951)
> Role: Chuck Tatum
> Genre: Drama, film-noir
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
> Also starring: Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur
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7. Detective Story (1951)
> Role: Det. James McLeod
> Genre: Drama, film-noir
> Directed by: William Wyler
> Also starring: Eleanor Parker, William Bendix
8. The Big Sky (1952)
> Role: Jim Deakins
> Genre: Western, drama
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
> Also starring: Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt
9. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
> Role: Jonathan Shields
> Genre: Romance, drama
> Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
> Also starring: Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon
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10. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
> Role: Ned Land
> Genre: Adventure, science fiction
> Directed by: Richard Fleischer
> Also starring: James Mason, Paul Lukas
11. Lust for Life (1956)
> Role: Vincent Van Gogh
> Genre: Biography, drama
> Directed by: Vincente Minnelli, George Cukor
> Also starring: Anthony Quinn, James Donald
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12. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
> Role: Doc Holliday
> Genre: Biography, Western
> Directed by: John Sturges
> Also starring: Burt Lancaster, Rhonda Fleming
13. Paths of Glory (1957)
> Role: Col. Dax
> Genre: Drama, war
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Also starring: Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou
14. The Vikings (1958)
> Role: Einar
> Genre: Action, adventure
> Directed by: Richard Fleischer
> Also starring: Orson Welles, Janet Leigh
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15. Last Train From Gun Hill (1959)
> Role: Marshal Matt Morgan
> Genre: Romance, Western
> Directed by: John Sturges
> Also starring: Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones
16. The Devil’s Disciple (1959)
> Role: Richard Dudgeon
> Genre: Romance, comedy
> Directed by: Guy Hamilton, Alexander MacKendrick
> Also starring: Laurence Olivier, Burt Lancaster
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17. Spartacus (1960)
> Role: Spartacus
> Genre: History, drama
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Also starring: Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons
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18. Lonely Are the Brave (1962)
> Role: John W. “Jack” Burns
> Genre: Drama, Western
> Directed by: David Miller
> Also starring: Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau
19. Seven Days in May (1964)
> Role: Col. Martin ‘Jiggs’ Casey
> Genre: Drama, thriller
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
> Also starring: Burt Lancaster, Fredric March
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20. The Man From Snowy River (1982)
> Role: Harrison / Spur
> Genre: Romance, drama
> Directed by: George Miller
> Also starring: Tom Burlinson, Terence Donovan
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