Legendary actor Kirk Douglas, a part-time Montecito resident, died Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills at the age of 103.
Douglas, a Hollywood icon who appeared in more than 90 films and also was a film producer, author and philanthropist, was known for his distinctive cleft chin, rugged good looks and steely demeanor.
He cultivated a “tough guy” image, and was known for his work in serious dramas, including war movies and westerns.
Douglas’ death was announced on Instagram by his son, Michael Douglas, a UC Santa Barbara graduate who became a film star in his own right:
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.
“But to me and my brothers, Joel and Peter, he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild, their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband.
“Kirk’s life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.”
Douglas, one of the last surviving leading men of Hollywood’s “Golden Age,” was born Issur Danielovitch on Dec. 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, New York, to impoverished Russian Jewish immigrant parents.
He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, then began doing radio, theater and commercials work after the war. Following roles in stage productions in New York City, he eventually found his way into films.
His first big break came in the 1949 film Champion, in which he played a ruthless boxer. The role brought him his first Academy Award nomination — for best actor.
Other notable films included Spartacus, Lonely Are the Brave, The Bad and the Beautiful, Seven Days in May, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Lust for Life, but the list goes on and on.
He was nominated for three Academy Awards, and although he did not win, he later received an Oscar for lifetime achievement.
Locally, he spent time at his home in Montecito, and lent his name to the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, which is given out each year by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
A stroke in 1996 slowed Douglas down, but he remained active despite residual difficulty speaking.
Douglas is survived by his wife of 65 years, Anne Buydens; sons Michael, Joel and Peter Douglas; several grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Services had not been announced as of Wednesday night.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.