This is a golden interview. Kirk was gracious, knowledgable, entertaining and honest. One of Parky's best guests - Kirk Douglas was also enjoying himself immensely!
The great skill Michael Parkinson had as an interviewer was to fade into the background and just let his guests answer his questions, without interrupting them. His interviews with the Hollywood greats are masterclasses in the art of interviewing.
RIP Kirk Douglas (December 9, 1916 - February 5, 2020), aged 103 And RIP Sir Michael Parkinson (March 28, 1935 - August 16, 2023), aged 88 You both will be remembered as legends.
A magnificent interview, of one of America's great actors. Just look how at at ease Kirk is during the interview, no difficult or challenging questions, just the occasional prompt by Parkinson, to reveal Kirks upbringing, and then he beautifully narrates his life. Thats great interviewing
@@prophetsnake I read that Natalie family were going to publish a book naming him after his death (presumably waiting so they couldn't be sued)......He's been dead 3 and a half years now, still waiting for that book. Possibilities: 1) there is no book. 2) it's not true. 3)it wasn't him that Natalie told her sister about. 4)it was him but there's no proof Either way, I feel uncomfortable condemning someone over an incident which a) we don't know happened and b) the possible perpetrators just speculation as the names never been put into the public realm and c) the possible perp is dead, as is the accuser.
Two absolute legends. What an amazing guest. Indeed Kirk Douglas continued to make movies into his 90s.Great stories and top singing too. One of Michael Parkinson’s many classic Interviews. R.I.P. Parky🙏🙏
I’m binging on Michael Parkinson’s interviews with all the legends of classic Hollywood...one is better than the next...and of course, they don’t come any better than Kirk Douglas. Requiescat In Pace.
Kirk Douglas was one of the most intense actors on the screen. He could not just carry a movie, he threw it at you, and you felt it. Same with Charlton Heston, and many more classic Hollywood stars.
i c kirk douglas as a hard man amongst actors straight forward kind of guy , may he rest in peace , and defently belongs to the classic era of the movie land .
I never got around to finish watching this interview up until now, I've gotten the shock of my life, as well as being a actor Kirk Douglas should have also taken up a singing career too, a brilliant voice for singing, god love him
Most of the actors of that era could make a passable attempt at singing dancing playing a musical instrument etc. For sure he was no Bing Crosby or Mario Lanza though. @@JamesRichards-mj9kw
The days when interviews were great and really revealed something of the person, and parkinson was the best. Many tried few achieved it. KD was an actor of the golden age. They should do a movie of his life.
I'm 58 and I feel old, but knowing when kirk did this interview in 1978 he was 62 and I was 14 and knowing he only past away a couple of years ago ,I suddenly don't feel so old anymore,
people live longer now in the uk we have 100 year olds still driving if you live healthy dont drink or smoke eat greens and walk everyday you should reach 100 easy today every generation is living on average an extra 10 plus years so next gen will live 105 easy because of advancements in meds and stuff and better diets also people vape more today so less deaths from smoking related causes
Kirk Douglas morreu em 2020 com 103 anos. Tem um filme dele que eu sempre assisto. Floresta maldita de 1952. E o vilão Cactus Kid em 1978, junto com Arnold Swazenegher. Kirk Douglas! Uma verdadeira lenda!
natural? yep, but not completely some of his answers were his favorite, well prepared sentences repeated many times before and after. look at his interview from 1970 cbc same thing with all that 'shy actor' story
@skiathoss. - With all due respect… Why does that matter? He knew, obviously, that a few of the stories would really delight/interest, etc. the audience. More than any other. So.
Recitaban, luchaban, bailaban, hacían acrobacias, llenaban el escenario, atraían a la cámara y encima cantaban y entonaban bien. Grandes!! No volverán a repetirse ni en mil años que pasen. Únicos!!
Kirk Douglas has become one of my favourite actors. I actually remember seeing this interview when it first broadcast. It's interesting - clearly he's a very bright man - very curious, very interested in what he has seen. Also, today, we'd note more clearly that he came from a childhood of difficulty, isolation and abuse. When he talks about children going hungry - as he did - you can see the anger in his eyes. But it also reveals why he was such a good actor - he's very tuned in. He did have a reputation for being difficult (which the interviewer mentions and he doesn't deny) and also "egotistical" I've read - but what an arresting individual. (Among films I really like - Champion, Young Man with a Horn, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lust for Life, Lonely are the Brave.)
@@HolgerRuneFan Some say that his violent nature drove him even further than raping a 15 year old girl; many believe him to be a murderer, but who knows for sure? The rich can buy a lot of protection.
What a lovely, lovely man Kirk Douglas was. I've been watching In Harms Way, which was such a great story, with an amazing cast. It brought back many memories of my youth as a young Navy Brat growing up in Hawaii and San Diego.
One of Hollywood's giants very rarely if ever made a bad film He and Burt Lancaster made a perfect Duo on the big screen Brilliant entertaining interview , a time when TV was actually worth watching
@@frankiefelinesalwayswelcom5825 Sorry I didn't really know but all I can see now is assholes talking abut having sex. Raping and all forms of violence are horrible. I love Dick Cavett too.
I always liked Kirks character in the Viking movie. Interesting fact because Kirk killed Tony Curtis in Spartacus they thought the reverse would be good in the Vikings which was against the studios wishes
Douglas comes from that tough, resilient generation that fought in WWII and returned to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Watch how frequently he clenches those powerful hands during this interview when expressing himself. A driven, fiery Sagittarius who dealt with loss of a son, never retired and eventually outlived every single enemy and critic, leaving this life only once he'd made it past 100 years old. followed a year later by his wife. A force of nature.
absolute legend , iv recently rewatched 10 of his classic films again , i think people sometimes forget how good he was and how versatile an actor he was . He made great choices with the films he made because he was independent and never owner by any studios , i really respect him for that
One thing springs to mind when listening to Kirk Douglas. He was completely unpretenous and very likeable. He made jokes about himself and exuded charm. Not only was he a wonderful actor but a very humble one. He issorely missed. RIP
Like so many of Parkinson's interviews with Hollywood greats, this was really interesting and amusing. What I particularly liked about these was that they weren't all about the guest's latest book/film/show, they were about their lives and careers
What a charismatic and sympathetic guy, Kirk Douglas…! Cheerful, sympathetic and witty. The interviewer, whose job becones dead easy, almost disappears from the scene when Kirk Douglas begins to sing.
A true much missed great interviewer, he certainly met some amazing stars I wonder if they signed a souvenir book for him imagine that it'd be priceless
On why Kirk Douglas haven't write so far a book about his life: "When you want to tell the truth you write a novel. When you want to lie you write a biography". Something to think about. Even so, Douglas published his memoirs "The Ragman's Son" in 1988. Great actor and such a wise man. And do not sing bad.
@@bobbyhanly3466 That serial rapist was a _fine_ actor. One thinks of _Final Countdown_ (1980) when one says that. Truly fabulous movie, with Martin Sheen and James Farentino.
"If you want to tell the truth you write a novel…" Obviously KD had read a lot of excellent novels to make this statement … because novels can go in depth about a person where biography or history can't. Novel is both a looking glass and a magnifier … even a strong microscope. This comes from a deep man. I really liked the man.
