Kirk Douglas

Birth Name:

Issur Danielovitch

Birth Date:

December 9, 1916

Birth Place:

Amsterdam, New York

Death Date:

February 5, 2020

Place of Death:

805 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California

Age:

103

Cause of Death:

Natural causes

Cemetery Name:

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

The story of Kirk Douglas is the story of how an epitome of underprivilege had become world famous – recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur, fulfilling the roles of Van Gogh, Spartacus, Doc Holliday, a one-eyed Viking chieftain, and Jonathan Shields in The Bad and the Beautiful, that model of Hollywood confidence, arrogance and alchemy who knows that being bad has its own fatal allure. Kirk Douglas was a legendary American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Douglas soon developed into a leading box-office star throughout the 1950s, known for serious dramas, including westerns and war films. Douglas played an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion (1949), which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. His other early films include Out of the Past (1947); Young Man with a Horn (1950), playing opposite Lauren Bacall and Doris Day; Ace in the Hole (1951); and Detective Story (1951), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. He received his second Oscar nomination for his dramatic role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), opposite Lana Turner, and earned his third for portraying Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956), a role for which he won the Golden Globe for the Best Actor in a Drama. He also starred with James Mason in the adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), a large box-office hit. During his career, he appeared in more than 90 films and was known for his explosive acting style. He was named by the American Film Institute the 17th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema.

Fun Facts

Kirk Douglas admitted to affairs with Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Patricia Neal, Ann Sothern and Gene Tierney. Most Hollywood historians find this to be a very small sampling of the women who passed through Kirk Douglas’ arms.

And yes, Michael Douglas is the son of Kirk Douglas.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park

1218 Glendon Avenue

Los Angeles, California, 90024

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California courtesy and copyright 2012 Jeannette Hartman

Grave Location:

Chapel Garden Estate

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery gates drive straight ahead towards the office. Turn left and drive to the end and park. The grave of legendary actor is buried just feet from the road on your right.