KIRK DOUGLAS, ALTHOUGH HE IS A GENOROUS MAN, HE DOESN’T SHARE HIS WEALTH WITH HIS CHILDREN

The legendary actor of the 20th century, Kirk Douglas was born in 1916, in Amsterdam, New York. He was coming from a Russian Jewish family, with seven children. As he stated, his family was the poorest family, on a street of poor families.

“Even on Eagle Street, in the poorest section of town, where all the families were struggling, the ragman was on the lowest rung on the ladder,” said Douglas.

“And I was the ragman’s son.”

He had described the location he had grew as, “living in the East End, the opposite side of town from the rich people on Market Hill. It meant living at 46 Eagle Street, a run-down, two-story, gray clapboard house, the last house at the bottom of a sloping street, next to the factories, the railroad tracks, and the Mohawk River.”

As he said, he worked at 40 different jobs, “I also was a hard worker. I’d invent jobs, like selling soda and candy to workers at the mill at the end of our street. Amsterdam was one of the largest mill towns in the country. There were dozens of factories but no jobs for Jews.”

For his education he had went to the Wilbur Lynch High School, and his teacher, Louise Livingston had one of the factors that he chosed the acting.

“I would have been run out of town if I had ever admitted to liking poetry or said out loud, ‘I want to be a great actor.’ Because of her, I sent away for college and drama school catalogs and saved every penny so I could get there,”

“Mrs. Livingston was cool and detached when she walked into the classroom. She never raised her well-modulated voice. Emotion crept in only when she read poetry. She thought I was wonderful. She encouraged me and kept me after school. What a sparkle came into her eyes as she read poem after poem with me sitting by her side.”

He then attended to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

He got a scholarship from there, thanks to his teacher, Mrs. Livingston.

After studying, on summer breaks, he had worked on Tamarack Playhouse on Lake Pleasant. And at that period of time he had changed his name to Kirk Douglas, from Issur Danielovitch.

“One day, a few of my friends insisted I needed a more American name. Someone suggested Douglas,”

“My new first name took longer. Someone finally said, Kirk. My new name sounded masculine and strong.”

In 1941, he had seen in his first broadway role in Spring Again. As he had started to gain fame, the World War II had arrived and he signed up immediately, since he stated that he felt, “a wave of patriotism and a wave of Jewishness.”

As he was attended to a submarine, in 1943, he had an accident, and was diagnosed with, amoebic dysentery. Then he sent back home as a junior grafe lieutenant.

On his return, he continued on his career as an actor. Even though his diagnosis almost took his voice, he had a role in The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers by Hal Willis, in 1946.

He had his breakthrough three years later from that movie, in Boxer, as Midge Kelly in 1946. He had nominated for Oscar, as Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Then he had two more nominations with, The Bad and the Beautiful in 1952 and Lust for Life in 1956.

He had never got an Oscar, but in 1996, the Academy had awarded Kirk for, “50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community.”

From 1943 to 1951, Kirk was married to Diana Dill, and he had his children, Joel and Michael from that marriage.

He met with Anne Buydens, as he was in Paris for a movie.

“I had been a big movie star with two Oscar nominations by the time I met Anne, and I believed that any woman would be flattered if I asked her out,”

“Anne was the one who turned me down,”

“Of course, he was charming and sexy, but I had seen too many young women in Paris fall in love with American movie stars who went home to their lives and wives when their pictures wrapped,” Anne said.

“I certainly didn’t want to be another location romance casualty. I had survived war in occupied Paris and knew instinctively how to protect myself from dangerous situations.”

In 1953, they worked on Act of Love together, and in 1954, they had married. Together, they welcomed their children, Peter and Eric.

All four of his sons had followed his footsteps, and worked in the industry. Michael Douglas is the most successful child of Kirk Douglas. Michael had received two Oscars, and appeared on Wall Street, Falling Down, and Wonder Boys.

But his relationship with his most successful son was never great, as Michael never said “dad” for Kirk in his interviews.

“In those key years, when Kirk was doing five movies a year… Kirk was all-consumed, was overworked. Probably like myself at a certain time in my life.”

Their conflict grew larger, in 1975, when Michael had bought the rights of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

For the lead, Michael didn’t cast his father, as Kirk was the man who played the character on Broadway.

“So Michael asked me if he could try to produce it, and I said: ‘Sure!’ Next thing I know, he has a director lined up, and it’s all go. So I said to him: ‘Great! When do we start rehearsing?’” asked Kirk.

“Not you, Dad,” Michael had stated.

“You’re too old.”

“I couldn’t believe it! So I said: ‘Who’s playing my part? Jack Nicholson? Never heard of him. Well, at least it will be a flop.”

Nicholson received the Best Actor with the movie, while Michael received The Best Picture from the Academy.

At the age of 103, Kirk Douglas had passed away in 2020. He had a net worth of $61 million, and none of his children could touch it, as he donated all his wealth.

He left $50 million to St. Lawrance University, and shared the rest of it between The Sinai Temple of Westwood, the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“Kirk’s life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet,” stated Michael Douglas.

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