Fun Trivia : Douglas, Kirk

Structure Sub-topic of: Celebrities C-D Quizzes Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 10 general entries.

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

Douglas, Kirk

What is Kirk Douglas's birth name?

Kirk Douglas


Issur Danielovitch. Kirk was born Issue Danielovitch in New York of Russian immigrant parents in 1916, and changed his name to Isadore Demsky before changing it again to Kirk Douglas. Mladen Sekulovich is Karl Malden's birth name. Malden appeared with Michael Douglas on the television series "Streets of San Francisco". Emanuel Goldenberg became Edward G. Robinson and Maurice Micklewhite is better known to film audiences as Michael Caine.



"It Runs in the Family" is the second co-starring appearance for Michael and Kirk Douglas. In what Kirk Douglas movie did Michael make his film debut as an uncredited bit player?

Kirk Douglas


Cast a Giant Shadow. Michael was 22 when he had a bit part in 1966 as a jeep driver in "Cast a Giant Shadow". His 'official' film debut came three years later in "Hail, Hero".



What legendary Hollywood leading man appeared with Kirk in seven different movies?

Kirk Douglas


Burt Lancaster. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas co-starred in seven different movies ("I Walk Alone", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", "The Devil's Disciple", "The List of Adrian Messenger", "Seven Days in May", "Tough Guys" and the made-for-TV movie "Victory at Entebbe"). The most unusual of these pairings was "The List of Adrian Messenger", in which Kirk played a murderer who was also a master of disguise, and Burt had a cameo appearance as a middle-aged woman. Kirk appeared with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum three times each and with Henry Fonda twice.



In what 1964 thriller did Kirk help foil a military plot to overthrow the United States government?

Kirk Douglas


Seven Days in May. In "Seven Days in May" the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by their chairman (Burt Lancaster), plan a military coup because the feel the President of the United States (Fredric March) is too weak. Kirk plays Burt Lancaster's top aide who figures out what is going on and tries to stop it. The film was directed by John Frankenheimer, who had earlier directed "The Manchurian Candidate", from a screenplay by Rod Serling.



In the 1980 science fiction movie, The Final Countdown, a time warp sends Kirk into the past. What historic event does he try to prevent from occurring?

Kirk Douglas


The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Kirk played the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, which winds up going through a time warp and emerging in the waters off Hawaii on December 6, 1941. Kirk orders his aircraft to intercept the Japanese attack force but is eventually unsuccessful when the Nimitz is returned to the present day.



One of Kirk's few villainous roles was in the 1951 drama "Ace in the Hole" (also known as "The Big Carnival"), directed by Billy Wilder. What was Kirk's profession in this movie?

Kirk Douglas


Newspaper reporter. "Ace in the Hole" was a commercial failure when first released but has since been widely acclaimed as a very prescient look at sleazy journalism. Kirk plays a down-on-his-luck reporter who stumbles onto a big story, a miner trapped in a cave-in. He manipulates the local authorities into delaying the rescue and putting the miner in greater jeopardy in order to get increasingly dramatic exclusive stories.



One of Kirk's favorite roles was in a 1962 modern day Western as an aging cowboy who tries, on horseback, to elude a massive manhunt that uses helicopters and jeeps to track him down. Which film is this?

Kirk Douglas


Lonely are the Brave. Kirk finds out a pal of his has been arrested and lets himself be arrested as well in order to break the friend out of jail. When the friend refuses to go, Kirk escapes by himself and finds himself the object of a huge manhunt. Walter Matthau plays the sheriff, who is somewhat sympathetic to Douglas's plight. A good bit of the film's plot was mirrored in the first Rambo movie "First Blood". Kirk was actually signed to play Richard Crenna's role in "First Blood" but dropped out of the project due to differences over the final script.



In the 1985 TV movie "Amos" Kirk plays a man committed to a nursing home run by a sadistic head nurse. What actress, better known for her roles in light television sitcoms, plays Kirk's nemesis in this movie?

Kirk Douglas


Elizabeth Montgomery. Kirk got a Golden Globe nomination for his role in this taut drama, which has been compared by some critics to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Ironically, Kirk originated the role of Randall McMurphy in the stage production of "Cuckoo's Nest" and owned the film rights. He tried unsuccessfully for a number of years to get the film made with himself in the lead role. When the film was eventually made in 1975, Kirk was too old for the role, which earned Jack Nicholson his first Oscar. Kirk turned the producers' reins for "Cuckoo's Nest" over to son Michael Douglas (and Saul Zaentz) and the movie won five Oscars, including Best Picture.