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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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
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!!
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
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.)
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.
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
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
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
@@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.
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.
"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.
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
Kirk was a remarkable Actor. He fitted his parts perfectly. They don't make them like him now except for his Son Michael whom i believe to be one of the Greatest Actors ever. So powerful in his roles from his days in The Streets Of San Francisco till this day. The likes of these people are very special and a huge part of our lives. Al Pacino and Gene Hackman are amazing too. Michael Parkinson was the greatest interviewer ever. So skilled and allowed these people to talk freely. Steve in Scotland.
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!
I always love listening to Kirk Douglas, he never disappoints. Much better chat shows back them.
You are right about that.
Listen to what Natalie Wood said about Kirk Douglas.
Stars not celebrities.
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.
Brilliant
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.
drugs?
Some would say murderer and rapist, but who knows for sure?
What about Jean Spangler ???
@@oleggorky906 There is a dark cloud around him...
@@mkfloyd9131 Yes. Indeed there is!
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
Kirk Douglas funded the murder of British civilians in Palestine.
Yeah, he was never asked about Natalie Wood.
@@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.
@@pablohanc You are misinformed. They published it years ago.
@@prophetsnake I stand corrected. The book was published November 2021.....after the death of the suspected perpetrator kirk Douglas.
Two legends of their craft. Kirk Douglas and Michael Parkinson. What an enjoyable interview.
Ahhhhhh!!!
Irreplaceable!!!!!! Both of them!!!!!!
Such talent🎉
Such gallantry ✨️👏👏👏
BRAVO 👏
Such an entertaining and informative interview… Kirk is so articulate and gracious. An icon beyond.. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️🎥
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🙏🙏
What a terrific guest he was. Such a gentleman.
Until he raped a very young actress named Natalie Wood. She was 16 or 17 years of age.
Fabulous interview … some of these earlier Parky interviews were his best and Kirk Douglas was very entertaining with his unique stories
Beautifully put over by Kirk not glamorising his upbringing stating how hard it was but not looking for sympathy like most Hollywood actor's do.
An absoluete Legend who knew about life, humans and what needs to be done! R.I.P
Kirk Douglas represents the very essence of what is called "School of Life." Thank you very much for posting this most enlightening interview.
Can't get over that he lived til over 100. Rest in peace Kirk
Read comments above...
What an amazing interview and what a wonderful man x
What an amazing man and an incredible role model. Mr Douglas we salute you. RIP
Yes, such a great role model, that raped actress Natalie Wood on a movie set.
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.
I doubt it.
Absolutely 💯 %
Professionalism at its perfection incarnated in a man of the name Kirk Douglas.
Really? I thought he was very good!
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
He could not sing at all.
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
An excellent actor with a talent for literature, including poetry, and who spoke level A French to boot. R.I. P.
Interview so much more profound and insightful than todays superfisial nonesense
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
I’m sure you’ll have a lot more years left in you 😊
@@jasonross2001 i
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!
@@jasonross2001 Eating habits, not smoking and not drinking may have some effect on longevity, but let’s face it: when it’s your time, it’s your time.
What an honest man. He obviously had great confidence in the harmless and intelligent ways of Michael Parkinson.
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.
Natural interview with a true all time movie actor/star; fantastic...!
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.
What a brilliant interview. Two stars at the top of their game.
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 the last true legends of the great Hollywood era. R.I.P.
Thoroughly, enjoyed this . Wow . What luck to run into this . Charming and charismatic . Dad , Kirk , is the real deal .
Kirk Douglas is very amusing. 😂 As for Parkinson - he was the best. 🌹
Read all his books, watched almost all his movies. Just a gentle human being with so much to tell and learn from. Loved the man dearly
A True Great.
You might want to educate yourself about what he truly was like. Just look up what he did to 15 year old Natalie Wood.
@@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.
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
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!!
Estoy con usted una de tantas joyas del cine verdaderas, no la bisutería de los 90 en adelante .
Kirk is a legend
RIP
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
A proper star and what a nice man.
He was not a nice Man
@@nicoles7800 p
@@napoleanbonaparte1701 Lucky boy.
Magnificent actor one of the true legends of Hollywood.
Great actor, personally and man can't remember a bad film but can certainly remember some fantastic ones
What a lovely legend Kirk Douglas was RIP genius 👍👍👍
Absolutely brilliant actor, one of the best, sadly missed. Lovely interview with Michael Parkinson. The best
Love him in The Vikings !! 😃👌👌🙏🙏💯
WOW! Kirk Douglas was a very large soul. This interview helped me to see it even more than any of the roles he played.
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.)
I actually fell in love with Kirk after watching this show ❤❤❤ Swoon🥰😍😭😘😘
Love Kirk. Two absolute legends.
That was absolutely marvellous.
A real nice guy. And a great actor....and all those fantastic films he starred in.
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.
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
*He will always be SPARTACUS to Me = RIP Kirk !*
Great voice and massive charisma
Of course it is worth uploading, one of Hollywood's giants
My favourite a tor ever. Gorgeous man...no one like him!
Brilliant absolutely nothing like it anymore nothing loved all his interviews just magic
Such a great man, I wish I could have met him, my hero R.i.P and thanks for The Vikings
I wore that film out when I was a kid still one of my favourites.i used to pretend to a Viking in the sea down the road from me 🤣
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
Great movie
@@chucky2316. Lol. That’s adorable! 😝 ⛵️
Legend!!!great actor and highly intelligent
Hollywood predator.
@@melianna999 no that's your father
Such a charming man. I love watching his facial expressions as he is relating a story.
Such a wonderful interview with a wonderful star!
Totally crushed me when he sang our song...He is a Londoner too....
Just pure effin Class....
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
Pure legend, that is Kirk Douglas.
This man is a gentleman. Very ffew can be seen nowadays. Kirk Douglas IS fantastic.
Yes, a gentleman, that raped actress Natalie Wood at 16 or 17 years of age.
@@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.
@@charlychips Dick Cavett was always the GENTLEMAN.
I have been a life long fan of Kirk, such an intelligent,interesting guy
So enjoyed that. God bless you Kirk🙏
Fantastic interviewer and a fantastic guest.
If only interviews these days had this depth and lack of interruptions. Another great interview Parky.
Totally cool... Thank you for your work to posting this.
Kirk Douglas was a great man.
Wow he is a superb person. Lovely guy xx Michael has exactly same voice (listen)
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.
One of the Hollywood greats.
Glad you did thanks, RIP Kirk a great actor
Loved him in movies as a young girl. Great eyes and physique. Circus movies a favourite of mine and many others.😊
Great interview 👍🏻 I never knew these things about him .
So sad that this nice guy and good actor is gone.
drugs?
What a great interview. Would have liked more on his initial comments indicating he thought the industry appealed to the child level.
"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.
I was but a young high school senior the year this was recorded. Many fond memories of those days.
Yes
What a Legend and a smashing bloke
Kirk Douglas posseess so much inner strength and intelligence.
He is fabulous, unlikely he could ever be "bettered"
What a charismatic man thank you
Brilliant actor and man
Excellent interview, I just wish we could have seen Kirk and Dick Emery together! Quite a culture clash, but an intriguing one
Dear Kirk, one of the greats.
Wonderful!
Who would ever guess that Kirk Douglas would be continually mentioning Dick Emery 🤣🤣🤣
Well, Dick Emery was a great talent, no surprise to me and the thousands who thought the same.....🙂
Paths of Glory, a great film.
I agree. One of the best.
If you'd told kirk at that time he was going to live for more than another forty years he would never have believed you,
He still looked handsome at 62.
Absolutely! He was natural without a the plastic surgery, he was always in such a great shape, so I'm not surprised he lived till 103.
62 is not old look at Al Pacino
@@amandeepv pacino is 81
@@myahollandia3552 and he I’d not look old at 62
Close your eyes and you would swear it's Michael speaking
Remarkable talented actor; his performance in "Lust For Life" should have won him the Academy Award.
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
Kirk was a remarkable Actor. He fitted his parts perfectly. They don't make them like him now except for his Son Michael whom i believe to be one of the Greatest Actors ever. So powerful in his roles from his days in The Streets Of San Francisco till this day. The likes of these people are very special and a huge part of our lives. Al Pacino and Gene Hackman are amazing too.
Michael Parkinson was the greatest interviewer ever. So skilled and allowed these people to talk freely.
Steve in Scotland.
When greats appeared only to sell themselves and their story.
I know. So much better than when they were pimping a book or a movie.
One of my all time heroes.
Siempre estuve enamorada de Kirk...y sigo pensando q es y será el mejor!!!
I met Kirk Douglas- he really was a witty gentleman, backed by a loving wife.
Douglas was highly intelligent.
I interviewed Frank Gorshin. Love him! Love him!