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Kirk Douglas has died, at the age of 103.

Although he was probably best known for conventional dramas such as Spartacus, Lust For Life, and Paths of Glory, he also appeared in his share of science fiction, fantasy, and horror films, such Brian DePalma's The Fury (1978). As a child, I especially liked Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954), with its early steampunk esthetic. Although many felt that Douglas (even though he was the top-billed star) was overshadowed by James Mason as Captain Nemo, Douglas definitely did his part in the climactic battle with giant squid.

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    20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was also one of my favorite movies/books when I was a kid! Douglas will be sorely missed...
    – Hans Olo
    Feb 6, 2020 at 20:27
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    There's nothing conventional about Paths of Glory!
    – Paul D. Waite
    Feb 7, 2020 at 13:47
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    Douglas was also quite good in a 1980 sci-fi flick called The Final Countdown, in which the U.S.S. Nimitz (commanded by Douglas) is hurled back in time to just before Pearl Harbor with a chance to change history.
    – Helbent IV
    Mar 7, 2020 at 7:40
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    I saw Final Countdown on a plane. The flight landed before the movie finished, and the pilot, by popular demand, delayed de-boarding until it finished.
    – ab2
    Apr 30, 2020 at 22:51

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As many have observed, one of the last links to Hollywood's beginnings -- he probably met almost every major founder of the industry including Goldwyn and Zukor. Now Olivia de Havilland remains with us and actually is even more striking for having starred in one of the great movies of the 1930s -- hard to believe this. And Norman Lloyd, senior to them both, also remains.

To live an active life and to survive a century is truly an amazing thing. When these people were born, tens of thousands of Civil War veterans were still around and people who had met people who remembered the American revolution also. And people whom they met will see the year 2100.

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  • I recently saw that Catherine Deneuve's mom is still around at age of almost 109. An interesting coincidence is that she also was an actress who dubbed the voice of fellow centenarian Olivia de Havilland in French films. (This was long before either was over 100, of course.)
    – releseabe
    Jul 19, 2020 at 11:17
  • And now Olivia de Havilland also passed away...
    – Mithoron
    Aug 24, 2020 at 1:28
  • @Mithoron Oh, my, i did not see that and it happened last month: was it reported late? But still Norman Lloyd remains. Carl Reiner passing away was very saddening, too.
    – releseabe
    Aug 24, 2020 at 2:29

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