End of the golden age - FAREWELL, KIRK

THE DEATH OF AN ICON BRINGS A GLITTERING ERA TO A CLOSE

- Judy Kean

He was the last surviving star from Hollywood’s golden age, a tough guy whose intensity on screen was matched by the way he threw himself into life at full speed.

A stroke and old age eventually put the brakes on Kirk Douglas. But only a few years before his death at the grand old age of 103, he was still pouring the energy he had left into causes he was passionate about, such as calling out then-US Presidential candidate Donald Trump for comments about excluding immigrants from America.

“These are not the American values that we fought in World War II to protect,” Kirk wrote in an open letter.

“Until now, I believed I had finally seen everything under the sun. But this was the kind of fear-mongering I have never before witnessed from a major US presidential candidate in my lifetime.”

Giving immigrants a chance was a cause close to Kirk’s heart. Born in New York state in 1916, Issur Danielovitch Demsky was the son of penniless Jewish immigrants from Russia. One of seven children, he sold snacks to local mill workers to earn money for food, but often went hungry. After he landed roles in school plays, young Issur found a career he wanted to pursue.

“The one thing in my life that I always knew, that was always constant, was that I wanted to be an actor,” he once said.

He paid his way through drama school with work as a professional wrestler, a bellhop and a parking attendant.