John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO OBITUARY IN THE INDEPENDENT
"Kirk Douglas: Hollywood star whose commanding presence lit up scores of screen roles"
He was a remarkable actor.
In "Paths of Glory," 1957, perhaps the greatest anti-war film ever made, Douglas is so moving, you may just get a lump in your throat.
"Lonely Are the Brave," 1962, a terrific, offbeat film for the time. Douglas was perfect.
A number of wonderful film noir roles, including one as a gangster boss with a young Robert Mitchum working reluctantly for him, "Out of the Past," 1947. Douglas was genuinely menacing.
"Spartacus," 1960, was less than successful in many ways, yet somehow, it is cited first in the write-ups I’ve seen. Many critics felt Douglas had too big an influence on Stanley Kubrick in directing the film. Acting was what he was absolutely gifted at.
Still, he was capable of being almost silly at times, as in “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” 1954.
