were one of my heartthrobs. Not the earliest, sorry, my dear, but so many women, so little time--
Posted on 02/06/2020 2:25:11 AM PST by Bender2
With the death of Kirk Douglas I cannot help but recall the creation of my screenplay I wrote for him and his son Michael.
Back in 1978 I was out in Hollywood trying to peddle two of my screenplays and auditioning for any acting jobs I could. One of those auditions was for as a day player on The China Syndrome of which I did not get but did get to read before Michael Douglas as he was the producer--
My agent at the time back in Dallas, called me a week or so after that, saying she had heard that Michael Douglas was looking for a screenplay to star in with his father, Kirk
"Would Pappy's Tree work?" she asked. I answered her a firm no and knew the other one I had with me would not be up their alley either.
About a year later I am back in Texas, up at Half-Priced Books in Dallas. I came across a dusty 1930ish edition of A Manual for Courts-Martial, U.S. Army,1928 for two dollars. As I held it in my hands, I just knew here was my story for Kirk & Michael. And the title appeared right out of thin air: Duty, Honor, Country.
I worked for about a month and came up with a bare bones plot about a well-known, highly decorated regular Army Officer, the son of a George Patton type General, who in 1954 out of the blue murders with a sub-machine gun his wife and lover who was the officer's long serving 1st Sergeant and the resulting Courts-Martial. I gave it to my agent to read and comment. She replied back it needed a female angle and the only female so far was the wife who got machine gunned on page three.
There it stood for about six months until I awoke one morning knowing just what female MacGuffin the plot need and the tweaking it for it to all come together. Another few months going back and forth from my agent to me for polish and the 3rd draft was ready to be sent on its way.
After a week, my agent called back that there was interest and they would get back to me. Another month passed and finally an offer for a six month option came. Yet it was not from Michael & Kirk's agents, but from another group entirely. We decided to await the yes or no from the Douglas camp.
Finally, they said while there was interest, the script need work. I did another re-write for two weeks and sent back the 4th Draft to them. Another month passed by and finally the Douglas answer was thanks but no thanks.
While I was down that the very people I wrote for did not buy my work, my agent said the six-moth option was still out there. I told her to take it.
When I finally go, all my writings will go to my cousin Henry P for inclusion in the family museum he is planning. Perhaps many years in the future, some one will come upon Duty, Honor, Country when an old fashioned murder mystery is needed.
All y’all two cents needed—
I also recall 1955's Ulysses when he blinded the cyclops and he made that arrow shot through all those holes in the ax handles to claim back his wife.
I have many, many favorite of his films such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Paths of Glory, The Vikings, Spartacus, The List of Adrian Messenger, Seven Days in May, The Heroes of Telemark, Cast a Giant Shadow, The Way West, The Brotherhood, The Final Countdown and 1986's Tough Guys his last film teamed with fellow tough guy Burt Lancaster.
Yet my all time favorite is Kirk in John Wayne's In Harm's Way
So, bye, bye, Kirk. There are no actors these days to hold your coattails--
Anyone remember the old movie he did with Arnold Schwarzenegger? “The Villain,” I think lol.
1979 screwball comedy. I loved it, also had Ann Margaret as the Damsel in distress
Fascinating story, thank you.
Tough business that show business. You’d have to be crazy to get into it. Or some sort of fangled robot. As hard as it was to sell your product then, imagine trying to sell it now.
Kirk was definitely a man of his times. I doubt he would do well coming up in Hollyweird today. Too much of an alpha male for the sissified entertainment industry. He was classy and they want crass.
RIP Kirk
20,000 Leagues is one of my first movie memories.
Petty Officer Doe was a reactor operator on the Nimitz. During work ups off the Virginia Capes in the late 70’s, he met an O-6 while going down an external ladder. He flipped a salute out of habit and kept going...for about three steps when he heard “Good morning, sailor” and turned around to look back. The “captain” was Kirk Douglas in costume for The Final Countdown , and he was grinning!
John ended up getting Douglas’ autograph on a training chit.
Many leave Lonely Are The Brave off their lists and should not.
Ace In The Hole is an absolute gem, as well as an indictment of the press.
But any Kirk Douglas performance is an experience. He had an intensity that probably goes beyond any other actor.
We don’t have that kind of actor anymore because we don’t have that kind of society. That’s why our present day larger than life heroes are fantasy superheroes.
Thanks for this cool memory, Bender! I am reminded of Macarthur’s last words at West Point: “Always there echoes and re-echoes - Duty, Honor, Country...”
Watched the Simpsons the other day the one where Kirk Douglas is a ‘bum’ who clains he invented itchy and scratchy. So I looked him up on Wikipedia to see When he died. I was surprised to see he was alive and 103. Wow!
Then this morning I found out he had past. RIP Kirk Douglas
Yes. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. One of the very first movies my mamma took me to see. As a five-year old, you can imagine what kind of impression it made upon me. Just watched it last week on Disney +.
It started a life-long love of Disney movies, theme parks, TV, and especially Disney comics. I still have some of those tattered and yellowed pages after 65 years.
“Yet my all time favorite is Kirk in John Wayne’s In Harm’s Way”
—-
My pick, too! One of my all time favorite movies.
Kirk Douglas Slaps Naval Officer Three Times “In Harms Way”
https://youtu.be/8W2-Q_tdQB0
Kirk Douglas always said that Lonely Are The Brave was his favorite film and his personal best. Myself, while I saw it, it is not one of his films I re-watch. Just didn't like it all that much.
As to Ace In The Hole, I should have had it in my above list. It showed the self-anointed 'we are 100% honest" media to be the fraud it has always been as many of its members are out for themselves and their particular viewpoint only--
The Vikings was one of my favorite movies growing up. And Inar was great! One of my earliest heartthrobs.
I liked the dark movie that he did playing a reporter who kept a story going about a man trapped in a cave in New Mexico. The title slips my mind and I could Google it but it was a powerful act.
were one of my heartthrobs. Not the earliest, sorry, my dear, but so many women, so little time--
Ace in the hole.
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