Kirk Douglas: The Actor Trivia Quiz

Answer: Issur Danielovitch

Although born in New York his parents were immigrants from Russia and the family spoke Yiddish at home. They adopted the name of Demsky from a relative and Kirk grew up as Issur Demsky. He legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the Navy during WWII.
Alphonso d'Abruzzo was the birth name of Alan Alda. Archibald Alexander Leach was the birth name of Cary Grant and Leroy Harold Schere Jr. was the birth name of Rock Hudson.

Answer: The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

Kirk played the role of Walter O'Neil, a District Attorney and the husband of Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck). The marriage is a one-sided affair as he loves her, but she does not love him as she had been compromised into the marriage by Walters' father.

This was the result of an incident that had happened when they were both young. The other three movies mentioned were the next three in which Kirk appeared, "Out of the Past" (1947), "Mourning Becomes Electra" (1947) and "I Walk Alone" (1948). Barbara Stanwyck had already received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in 1938 "Stella Dallas", 1942 "Ball of Fire" and 1945 "Double Indemnity".

She received another nomination in 1949 "Sorry, Wrong Number".

Answer: Champion

In "Champion" (1948) he plays the role of Michael "Midge" Kelly, a boxer who struggles and pushes himself to reach the top in the boxing world. Along the way he deceives his wife, family, friends and foes and eventually double-crosses his manager, the man who found him and helped pave his way to glory.

The Best Actor Award went to Broderick Crawford for his role in "All the King's Men". He received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) but lost out to Gary Cooper in "High Noon".

Answer: Vincent van Gogh

"Lust for Life" (1956) is about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Kirk's powerful performance in this movie is considered to be one of his best acting performances. The movie also portrays the relationship between van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, a painter whom he admired greatly, but their relationship deteriorated.
Vincent van Gogh (1859-1890) was a post-impressionist painter whose works included landscapes, portraits, self-portraits and still lifes. He struggled with a number of bouts of mental illness and died as a result of an infected gunshot wound. Today his paintings are among the most expensive that are sold.
Anthony Quinn played the role of Paul Gauguin and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Kirk Douglas portrayed Spartacus in the movie of the same name in 1960 and he portrayed Rick Martin in "Young Man with a Horn" (1950).

Answer: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) was co-produced by Michael Douglas and it won five Academy Awards. Kirk Douglas purchased the rights of the story from the author Ken Kesey. The movie takes place in a mental institution and follows the battle of wits between the patients and staff of the institute. "The China Syndrome" (1979) was produced by and starred Michael Douglas, and received four Academy Award nominations. Michael Douglas also produced and starred in "Romancing the Stone" (1984). Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role of Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" (1987).

Answer: Diana Dill

Diana Dill (1923-2015) was a Bermuda-born, American actress who was the first wife of Kirk Douglas and the mother of Michael and Joel Douglas. She and Kirk were married in 1943 but divorced in 1951. In 1999, she had a book published about her life titled "In the Wings: A Memoir".
Anne Buydens is the mother of Peter and Eric Douglas. In 2014 she and Kirk celebrated their 60th wedding Anniversary.
Diandra Lukka was the first wife of Michael Douglas. They were married in 1977 but divorced in 1995. Joan Tetzel played the role of Nurse Ratched in the 1963-64 play on Broadway "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest".

Answer: Tough Guys

"Tough Guys" (1986) was an action comedy with Kirk and Burt as former gangsters who are released after serving 30 years for armed robbery. They finally realise how the world has changed between 1956 and 1986. They try to adjust to modern times but eventually revert back to their old ways.

The other six movies they starred in together are: "I Walk Alone" (1948), "The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957), "The Devil's Disciple" (1959), "The List of Adrian Messenger" (1963), "Seven Days in May" (1964) and "Victory at Entebbe" (1976). Burt Lancaster (1913-1994) was an American actor noted for his athletic physique, blue eyes and smile.

He usually took the tough guy roles and was nominated four times for Academy Awards winning once for his role in "Elmer Gantry" (1960).

Answer: General George Patton

General George Patton (1885-1945) was a wartime leader who led the US Third Army in France and Germany after the D-Day in June 1944. During the war he acquired the nickname of Old Blood and Guts, basically due to his enthusiasm for war. The film is an adaption of the book of the same name by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.

The film is about the liberation of Paris, in August 1944, by the French Resistance and the Free French Forces. General Choltitz is appointed by Hitler as the military governor of Paris, with instructions not to let the Allies recapture the city without destroying it first, as a last resort. Glenn Ford portrayed General Omar Bradley, Gert Fröbe portrayed General Dietrich von Choltitz and Alain Delon played the role of Jacques Chaban-Delmas.

Answer: The Man from Snowy River

Kirk plays the role of two brothers (Harrison and Spur) in the movie "The Man from Snowy River". The story is an Australian drama based on farmers who attempt to tame wild horses (brumbies) in the Australian bush. The brothers, Harrison and Spur do not see eye-to-eye and Jessica, the daughter of Harrison, falls in love with one of the neighboring farmers, Jim Craig.

Her father does not approve of the relationship. All turns out well in the end when Jim proves himself to be a true mountain man. The movie "Ned Kelly" (1970) starred Mick Jagger as Australia's most notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly. "Clancy of the Overflow" is another poem by Andrew "Banjo" Patterson. "The Thorn Birds" was a novel by the Australian author Colleen McCullough and a TV mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Barbara Stanwyck and Christopher Plummer.

Answer: All had their Star stolen.

Each Star on the walkway weighs about 300 pounds (136 kg) and in 2000 Kirk's and James's' were stolen, however, they were found but were badly damaged. They were repaired and replaced. Gene Autry's and Gregory Peck's were never found but were replaced. The stars on the walkway are divided into five categories, film, television, radio, music and live performance. Gene Autry is the only celebrity to have stars in all five categories.
Julia Roberts and Clint Eastwood are two stars who have declined the nomination for their star to be on the walkway.
Both Stewart and Peck won Academy Awards. None of the four were ever married to the same women.