Summary
Kirk Douglas, a name synonymous withHollywood’s golden age, wasn’t always a larger-than-life leading man.Before his success on screen, he served his country in World War II. This experience, though leaving him wounded, would shape his cinematic choices, helping him create an impressive Hollywood legacy.
While his early roles hinted at his potential, it was the 1950s and 60s that sawDouglas solidify his Hollywood career.His powerful presence made him a natural fit for the war film genre. However, while his skills as an actor were impressive, there’s no doubt that Douglas' aptitude for war movies was informed by some tangible real-life experience.
Kirk Douglas' 10 Best Movies, Ranked
With a career spanning more than 60 years and over 90 movies, screen legend Kirk Douglas truly stood as one of Hollywood’s all-time greats.
Kirk Douglas Was A World War 2 Veteran
Before He Was A War Movie Star, Douglas Saw Real Action
Kirk Douglas enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor.As a communications officer, he helped hunt down enemy submarinesby relaying critical messages during anti-submarine warfare. While stationed in the Pacific, a premature depth charge explosion caused serious abdominal injuries that required hospitalization in San Diego for five months. He was also suffering from chronic amoebic dysentery. This resulted in his medical discharge from the Navy in 1944 with the rank of lieutenant (viaNavy Times). What followed was the making of a Hollywood legend.
He had already played minor roles on Broadway before he enlisted, but it was after his return that he achieved major success. He worked in radio and commercials until his big-screen debut withThe Strange Love of Martha Iversin 1946. His character was the polar opposite of the roles he would go on to play. Nonetheless,reviewers at the time identified his potential. In his peak years of success in the 1950s and 1960s, he also acted in many Westerns.
Kirk Douglas Starred In Multiple Great War Movies
The Variety Of Douglas’ War Roles Made Him A Hollywood Legend
Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, described Kirk Douglas as having“an overpowering physical presence”on the big screen – this lent itself to the multiple great war movies he starred in.Douglas played many military characters with diverse personalities. These includeTop Secret Affair(1957)Spartacus(1960),Town Without Pity(1961),The Hook(1963),Seven Days in May(1964),Heroes of Telemark(1965),In Harm’s Way(1965),Cast a Giant Shadow(1966),Is Paris Burning(1966), andThe Final Countdown(1980). One particular critical success is the anti-war filmPaths of Glory(1957).
Dax becomes a symbol of war’s brutality and the machinery that crushes humanity.
InPaths of Glory,directed by Stanley Kubrick, Colonel Dax (Douglas) leads a doomed French attack on the Anthill, a heavily defended German position. Torn between loyalty and compassion, Dax becomes a symbol of war’s brutality and the machinery that crushes humanity.Douglas commented,“I loved it even though I knew it would never be a commercial success”(viaArchive.org). The story of Humphrey Cobb’s novel of the same name draws inspiration from the real-life tragedy of the Souain corporals. In 1915, during World War I, four French soldiers were executed under General Réveilhac for disobeying orders.
Kubrick said of his decision to make a war film:
“One of the attractions of a war or crime story is that it provides an almost unique opportunity to contrast an individual or our contemporary society with a solid framework of accepted value.”
viaSalon
Despite facing fierce public backlash and government censorship for its anti-military implications,Paths of Gloryendures as a powerful and timeless exploration of war, society, and military discipline. While its critical stance limited its initial box office success, the film is a testament toKirk Douglas' ambition as an actor. His commitment to the project extended beyond simply playing the lead, as his production company, Bryna Productions, championed the film’s creation.
