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Kirk Douglas: New York
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It was 90 years ago today, in the humble upstate New York town of Amsterdam, that Kirk Douglas was squeezed into life with that cleft chin and his Hollywood resolve fully-formed. authority:
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"My story is the American dream come true," Kirk Douglas says about his life. Some dream! He was born the son of a junk dealer, but he became one of those rare stars who are "as much institutions as actors, cultural icons who conjure up an entire era's worth of images" (The New York Times).
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Kirk Douglas wrote a book. Apparently, when a 90-year old does anything besides droll on himself, it’s news. This book, called Let’s Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning, is all about being old and wondering if this is all there is to The Ride. Ol’ Kirk has reached 90, and all of the sudden his words are important.
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Kirk Douglas was born on December 9, 1916, as Issur Danielovitch Demsky in Amsterdam, New York. His parents, Herschel Danielovitch and Bryna Sanglel were poor Belarusian Jews, orginally from Homel. Although, Douglas grew up in a poor ghetto, he was a good student and eventually attend St. Lawrence University. Douglas was first noticed as an actor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, where he obtained an acting scholarship. From 1941 to 1945, Douglas served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following the war, Douglas returned to New York and began doing commercials and radio theatre.
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Douglas was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey to celebrated American actor Kirk Douglas and Bermudian actress Diana Dill. His paternal grandparents, Herschel Danielovitch and Bryna Sanglel, were Jewish immigrants from Russia[1], while his mother and maternal grandparents, Lt. Col. Thomas Melville Dill and Ruth Rapalje Neilson, were natives of Devonshire, Bermuda;[2] his maternal grandfather served as the Attorney General of Bermuda and was a commanding officer of the Bermuda Militia Artillery. Douglas graduated from the prestigious Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts before going on to Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, which is the same school Glenn Close attended. Douglas graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1968 with a B.A. in dramatic arts where he is ... the Honorary President of the UCSB Alumni Association.
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Kirk Douglas knew from childhood that he wanted to be an actor. The child of Russian immigrants, his road to fame started in tiny Amsterdam, New York. BIOGRAPHY® takes a behind-the-scenes tour of his remarkable life, from his first role on Broadway to his emotional acceptance of the Oscar® for lifetime achievement. Longtime friends and co-stars Lauren Bacall, Anthony Quinn and Danny Devito share favorite memories and stories, while son Michael tells what it was like growing up in his father's Hollywood and following in his footsteps. See clips from his famous roles, and examine his important off-screen achievements he helped end the Hollywood blacklist and was one of the first actors to start his own production company.
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