The great Kirk Douglas has died at age 103. Not only did
Douglas have a stellar Hollywood career as an actor, receiving three Oscar
nominations, he also produced some important films. During a period in
Hollywood when studios were still afraid to use blacklisted writers,
Douglas defied the ban and put Dalton Trumbo's name at the top of the credits
for Spartacus, along with his own and director Stanley Kubrick.
That took guts.
Douglas and Stanley Kubrick also made the very
fine anti-war film Paths of Glory (1957. Here is a clip from that
film: Douglas's character, Colonel Dax, commanding officer, 701st Infantry
Regiment (WW1), an attorney by profession, is desperately trying to save
the lives of three of his men who have been unjustly accused of
cowardice and will face a firing squad if convicted.
Kirk Douglas was much more than just a tough guy; he was
a fine actor, a talented producer, and a man of principle. We'll not see
his likes again.