Kirk Douglas Centennial: The Bad and the Beautiful
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 2:45PM Here's Dancin' Dan to continue our mini Kirk Douglas fest. The actor turns 100 this Friday.
For every performer, a film lover has THAT performance. The one that makes you fall in love with them. Or, short of that, the moment you totally understand why they became a star.
I had seen a few Kirk Douglas films before Vincente Minnelli's The Bad and the Beautiful, most notably Spartacus and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but I was not a great lover of the man himself even when I liked the films. That changed when watching Minnelli's behind-the-Hollywood-scenes epic. Whether it was due to the match of actor to character, the quality of the film, or Douglas's performance itself, who can say, but this performance made me a believer...
Which is interesting, of course, because The Bad and the Beautiful is all about the magnetic pull of Kirk Douglas.
Douglas plays Jonathan Shields, an artistic genius movie producer who screwed over all those closest to him one too many times. But they still come running when he calls to pitch a new movie idea, despite what a colossal asshole he was to them. The film's flashback structure means we know Jonathan is an asshole before we ever meet him, but even knowing that, it's damn hard not to fall for him just like director Fred, star Georgia, and writer James do. There is a fire burning inside him that ignites everything he touches. It's warm and beautiful at first, but eventually it burns you.
The film absolutely needs Kirk Douglas in the role of Jonathan in order to work. His manic expressiveness comes through even in quieter moments, making it incredibly easy to believe in whatever he's saying, and even easier to dismiss his more rakish qualities, at least until he eventually hits rock bottom and that energy turns violent. He's so great at playing the curdling of this man's soul that it isn't until the film's third flashback segment that you notice how exquisitely judged the performance is, how carefully he's sown all the seeds of Jonathan's personality. When the hammer falls, it falls fast, but you see it coming from just far enough away to want to yell at his partners to move aside, leave, get out while they still can.
But still, he's so charming. There's that boyish glee and knowing smirk that are just irresistible. He pulls you back in, makes you believe. Maybe this time will be different. It's a great performance of artistic bipolarity - the highs when you're working on an idea and creating something from it, and the lows when it's all over. And Douglas navigates that with the aplomb of a seasoned performer who knows that very journey all too well, and relishes getting to sink his teeth into it for a performance. I wouldn't want to take away Gary Cooper's High Noon Oscar that year, but boy is this a magnificent, magical star turn.
Previously: Lust for Life
Reader Comments (12)
This is a great marrying of actor and part and I can't think of another performer who would have worked as well in realizing the character. Burt Lancaster would probably be closest but his overt brashness would have gotten in the way at times.
I've always been a fan of Kirk's but Ace in the Hole was the film that turned that trick for me of understanding exactly what made him unique. I've seen several others through the years that demonstrate it, The Devil's Disciple, Champion, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Spartacus and this, but I think with most iconic stars there is that one film for their fans that connects them to their mystique but as this shows it can be different ones.
Douglas drives Bad and the Beautiful but he is surrounded by a solid film with very good work by the other performers, though Gloria Grahame's Oscar for this performance is absurd when she gave a half dozen far more deserving right around this same time. The standout beside Douglas is Lana Turner doing probably her best onscreen work.
Kirk Douglas is a fucking legend. I hope they give him a cameo in the next Avengers movie where he shares a scene with his son and knocks a bad guy out impressing Thor and the Hulk.
Beneath that veneer of boyish charm is an intensity that is downright scary. It is always there, sometimes smoldering and sometimes erupting. It is in every role I can think of; and it makes him much more compelling, a star instead of just an actor.
I love Kirk Douglas. As an actor and as a star. But to me The Bad and The Beautiful belongs and always will to Lana Turner.
One of classic Hollywood's best films about itself- love the scene with the cat people horror movie
This is his best performance. All of his famous qualities--confidence, charisma, intensity, ferocity--are all in perfect modulation here. His screen persona absorbs this character and vice-versa. Magical.
Hapi sweet 100, Kirk! Nice
@Ingrid i agreed w u, i never really like Lana as an actress n she was more well known as a glamorous tabloid fodders. But here she is really quite outstanding n I tink she shld've been nom for this rather than her insipid turn In Peyton Pl.
N Graham shld've won for Sudden Fear instead. She is far superior in tt movie. Sometimes Oscar is really buffling. They nom a forgettable performance when the same actor had a star turn the same yr! Hello, Morning Glory!
Claran,
Lana is an amazing actress. Have you ever tried Imitation of Life (1959) or The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)? Even in her early movies in MGM, if the scripts or roles aren't great, she does a very nice work.
Kirk was a weirdly undernominated actor by the oscars. Like the Nicole Kidman of his day or something. He gave so many great performances, that I feel he should be more in the 8-10 nomination range, and maybe 2-3 wins (supporting actor for Out Of The Past , lead actor for Lust For Life. Borderline wins for Ace In The Hole and The Bad And The Beautiful). That he only got 3 nominations and a no competitive wins doesn't compute.
Lana is so terrific in this. But that Oscar nod for Peyton Place...voters were dropping acid.
Can we get Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland to present Best Picture? :)
@Ingrid: yes Lana was quite good when call to play vamp ala Postman n Three Musketeers .her perf in Imitation o Life is indeed betta than Peyton Pl, but its still seems like a Lana Turner fashion show to me! Lol.
Sorry but I'm more o a Ava's fan 😊