Michael Douglas
Topic relevant selected content from the highest rated wiki entries, typeset, printed and shipped.
Combine the advantages of up-to-date and in-depth knowledge with the convenience of printed books.
A portion of the proceeds of each book will be donated to the Wikimedia Foundation to support their
mission: to empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content
under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally.
The content within this book was generated collaboratively by volunteers. Please be advised that nothing
found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information. Some information in this book maybe misleading or simply wrong.
The publisher does not guarantee the validity of the information found here. If you need specific advice
(for example, medical, legal, financial, or risk management) please seek a professional who is licensed or
knowledgeable in that area.
Sources, licenses and contributors of the articles and images are listed in the section entitled “References”.
Parts of the books may be licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. A copy of this license is
included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License”
All used third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Contents
Articles
Michael Douglas
1
Cast a Giant Shadow
10
Hail, Hero!
12
Adam at Six A.M.
13
Summertree
15
Napoleon and Samantha
18
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
20
Coma (film)
26
Running (film)
29
The China Syndrome
32
It's My Turn (film)
34
The Star Chamber
36
Romancing the Stone
38
A Chorus Line
43
The Jewel of the Nile
51
Fatal Attraction
55
Wall Street (1987 film)
59
The War of the Roses (film)
67
Black Rain (American film)
71
Basic Instinct
75
Shining Through
83
Falling Down
86
Disclosure (film)
91
The American President
95
The Ghost and the Darkness
100
The Game (film)
104
A Perfect Murder
110
One Day in September
114
Get Bruce
116
Wonder Boys (film)
116
Traffic (film)
126
Don't Say a Word
135
One Night at McCool's
139
The In-Laws (2003 film)
141
It Runs in the Family (2003 film)
143
You, Me and Dupree
146
The Sentinel (2006 film)
150
King of California
154
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
157
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009 film)
161
Solitary Man (film)
164
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
167
Haywire (film)
183
References
Article Sources and Contributors
185
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
189
Article Licenses
License
191
Michael Douglas
1
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas, June 2004
Born
Michael Kirk DouglasSeptember 25, 1944New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Occupation
Actor, producer
Years active 1966–present
Spouse
Diandra Luker (1977–2000)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (2000–present)
Children
Cameron Douglas
Dylan Michael Douglas
Carys Zeta Douglas
Parents
Kirk Douglas
Diana Dill
Relatives
Joel (brother)
Peter (half-brother)
Eric (half-brother, deceased)
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and
television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the AFI Life
Achievement Award in 2009.[1] He is the eldest of actor Kirk Douglas's four sons.
Early life
Douglas was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the first child of actor Kirk Douglas and Bermudian actress Diana
Dill. His paternal grandparents, Harry Demsky (born Herschel Danielovitch) and Bryna Demsky (née Sanglel), were
Jewish immigrants from Gomel in Belarus (at that time a part of the Russian Empire).[2] His mother and maternal
grandparents, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Melville Dill and Ruth Rapalje Neilson, were natives of Devonshire
Parish, Bermuda.[3] Thomas Dill served as Attorney General of Bermuda and was commanding officer of the
Bermuda Militia Artillery. Douglas has a younger brother, Joel Douglas (born 1947), and two paternal half-brothers,
Peter Douglas (born 1955) and Eric Douglas (1958–2004).
Michael Douglas
Education
He attended the Allen-Stevenson School, the International School of Geneva, and graduated from Eaglebrook School
in Deerfield, Massachusetts in 1960 and The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford,
Connecticut in 1963. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1966, where he is also
the Honorary President of the UCSB Alumni Association.
Career
Early years
Douglas started his film career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, appearing in little known films like Hail, Hero! and
Summertree. His first significant role came in the TV series The Streets of San Francisco from 1972 to 1976, where
he starred alongside Karl Malden. Douglas later said that Malden became a "mentor" and someone he "admired and
loved deeply".[4] After Douglas left the show, he had a long association with his mentor until Malden's death on July
1, 2009. In 2004, Douglas presented Malden with the Monte Cristo Award of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in
Waterford, Connecticut, for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1975, Douglas received from his father, Kirk Douglas,
the rights to the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Michael went on to produce the film of the same name
with Saul Zaentz.[5] Kirk Douglas considered playing the
starring role himself, having starred in an earlier stage
version, but chose against it, considering himself too old.
The lead role went instead to a young Jack Nicholson,
who would go on to win the Academy Award for Best
Actor. Douglas won the Award for Best Picture for
producing the film. After leaving Streets of San Francisco
in 1976, Douglas appeared in the medical thriller Coma in
1978 and Running in 1979. In 1979, he both produced
and starred in The China Syndrome, a dramatic film
co-starring Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon about a nuclear
power plant accident (the Three Mile Island accident took
place 12 days after the film's release).
Success in Hollywood
Douglas' acting career was propelled to fame when he
Michael Douglas (top) with brother Joel and father Kirk, c. 1948
starred in the 1984 romantic adventure comedy
Romancing the Stone. It also helped launch Kathleen
Turner to stardom, reintroduced Douglas as a capable leading man, and gave director Bob Zemeckis his first
box-office success. It was followed a year later by a sequel, The Jewel of the Nile.
The year 1987 saw Douglas star in the thriller Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close. That same year he played tycoon
Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street for which he received an Academy Award as Best Actor. He reprised
his role as Gekko in the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010, also directed by Stone.[6]
Douglas again paired with Kathleen Turner for the 1989 film The War of the Roses, which also starred Danny
DeVito. In 1989, he starred in Ridley Scott's international police crime drama Black Rain opposite Andy García and
Kate Capshaw. The film was shot in Osaka, Japan.[7]
2
Michael Douglas
3
In 1992, Douglas had another successful starring role when he appeared alongside Sharon Stone in the film Basic
Instinct. The movie was a box office hit, and sparked controversy over its depictions of bisexuality and lesbianism.
In 1994, Douglas and Demi Moore starred in the hit movie Disclosure focusing on the topic of sexual harassment
with Douglas playing a man harassed by his new female boss. Other popular films he starred during these decade
were Falling Down, The American President, The Ghost and the Darkness, The Game (directed by David Fincher),
and a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic - Dial M for Murder - titled A Perfect Murder. In 1998, Douglas received
the Crystal Globe award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film
Festival.[8]
In 2000, Douglas starred in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed
film Traffic, opposite Benicio del Toro and future wife Catherine
Zeta-Jones. That same year, he also received critical acclaim for his
role in Wonder Boys as a professor and novelist suffering from writer's
block. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in
a Drama as well as several other awards from critics.
Types of roles
Film critic and author Rob Edelman points out similarities in many of
Douglas's roles, writing that he "has come to personify the
contemporary, Caucasian middle-to-upper-class American male who
finds himself the brunt of female anger because of real or imagined
sexual slights."[9] These themes of male victimization are seen in films
such as Fatal Attraction (1987), War of the Roses, (1989), Falling
Down (1993), and Disclosure, (1994). For his characters in films such
as these, "any kind of sexual contact with someone other than his mate
and the mother of his children is destined to come at a costly price."[9]
With Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction (1987)
However, Douglas is also able to play powerful characters with stronger dominating personalities equally well: as
Gekko, in both versions of Wall Street, he acted the role of a "greedy yuppie personification of the Me generation,"
convinced that "greed is good;" in Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, he played an idealistic soldier of
fortune; in The Star Chamber (1983), he was a court judge fed up with an inadequate legal system, leading him to
become involved with a vigilante group; and in Black Rain (1989), he proved he could also play a Stallone-like
action hero as a New York City cop.[9]
Actor and producer
Having become recognized as both a successful producer and actor, he describes himself as "an actor first and a
producer second." He has explained why he enjoys both functions:
"I love the fact that on one side, with acting, you can be a child — acting is wonderful for its innocence
and the fun. . . On the other side, producing is fun for all the adult kinds of things you do. You deal in
business, you deal with the creative forces. As an adult who continues to get older, you like the adult
risks. It's flying without a net, taking chances and learning. I was never good in economics or business
— had no business background, you know, and I like it."[10]
He has also offered reasons why he has become successful in both acting and producing:
"I think I'm a chameleon. I think it's something that I possibly inherited early on as a child going back
and forth between two families. I know that whether it's right or wrong, I have an ability to sort of fit
into a lot of different situations and make people feel relatively comfortable in a wide range without
giving up all my moral values. I think that same chameleonlike quality can transfer into films. I think if
Michael Douglas
you can remember the reason you got involved with it in the first place and try to keep that impulsive,
instinctive feeling even when you're being beaten down or exhausted or waylaid, you'll be
successful."[10]
Recent years
In 2003, Douglas starred in It Runs in the Family, which featured three generations of his family (his parents, Kirk
and Diana, as well as his own son, Cameron). The film, although a labor of love, was not successful, critically or at
the box office. Douglas starred in the solid commercial action flick Don't Say a Word, then the poorly received
action-thriller The Sentinel in 2006. During that time, he also guest-appeared on the episode, "Fagel Attraction", of
the popular television sitcom Will and Grace, as a gay cop attracted to Will Truman (Eric McCormack); the
performance earned Douglas an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Show.
Douglas was approached for Basic Instinct 2, but he declined to participate in the project. He said:
"Yes, they asked me to do it a while ago, I thought we had done it very effectively; [Paul] Verhoeven is
a pretty good director. I haven't seen the sequel. I've only done one sequel in my life, The Jewel of the
Nile, from Romancing The Stone. Besides, there were age issues, you know? Sharon still looks fabulous.
The script was pretty good. Good for her, she's in her late-40s, and there are not a lot of parts around.
The first one was probably the best picture of her career—it certainly made her career and she was great
in it".[11]
Future engagements
Douglas was set to star in Tragic Indifference, a courtroom thriller based on a landmark liability case against Ford
Motor Company, according to Variety. Douglas will play the attorney who took Ford to court on behalf of a single
mother from Texas who was paralyzed and nearly died after an accident. The trial exposed the automaker's
indifference to flaws in its Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV). The movie will be based on Adam Penenberg's 2003 book
of the same name. Douglas will play Attorney Tab Turner, who represented Donna Bailey after the Ford Explorer
SUV she was riding in rolled over following a Firestone tire failure.[12]
On December 17, 2007 it was announced that Douglas was to be the new voice at the beginning of NBC Nightly
News, some two years after Howard Reig, the previous announcer, retired.[13]
4
Michael Douglas
5
Personal life
Douglas married Diandra Luker, 14 years his junior, on March 20,
1977, after 6 weeks of dating.[14] They had one son, Cameron (born
December 13, 1978). In 1980, Douglas was involved in a serious
skiing accident which sidelined his acting career for three years. In
September 1992, the same year Basic Instinct came out, he underwent
treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction at Sierra Tucson Center. In
2000, after 23 years of marriage, Diandra divorced Douglas.
Douglas married Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones on November 18,
2000; they were both born on September 25, though 25 years apart.
Zeta-Jones says that when they met in Deauville, France, Douglas used
[15]
They have two children,
the line "I want to father your children."
Dylan Michael (born August 8, 2000) and Carys Zeta (born April 20,
2003).[16] They are planning to renew their wedding vows as part of
their 10th wedding anniversary. The idea was hers, and came after
Douglas was found to have advanced stages of cancer. One report
notes that "Michael was in tears when she suggested it to him," and he
sees it as a “wonderful expression of love.”[17]
Wedding photo with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Nov.
18, 2000
Douglas and Zeta-Jones hosted the annual Nobel Peace Prize concert
in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2003. They acted as co-masters of ceremony in the concert celebrating the award
given to Iranian human rights activist Shirin Ebadi. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)
from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Douglas and his family divide their time among their homes in
Pacific Palisades, California; New York City; Aspen, Colorado; Bermuda; Majorca, Spain; Swansea, Wales,
Ridgewood, New Jersey, and La Conception, Quebec.
Douglas, the son of a Jewish father and an Anglican mother, has no formal religion.[18] He is an advocate of nuclear
disarmament, a supporter of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and sits on the Board of Directors of the anti-war
grantmaking foundation Ploughshares Fund. In 1998, he was appointed UN Messenger of Peace by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.[19] He is a notable Democrat and has donated money to Barack Obama, Christopher
Dodd, and Al Franken.[20] He has been a major supporter of gun control since John Lennon was murdered in
1980.[21]
In 1997, New York caddy James Parker sued Douglas for $25 million.[22] Parker accused Douglas of hitting him in
the groin with an errant golf ball, causing Parker to lose a testicle and his job. The case was later settled out of court.
Cancer
It was announced on August 16, 2010, that Douglas was suffering from throat cancer and will undergo chemotherapy
and radiation treatment.[23] On August 31, 2010 Douglas appeared on Late Show with David Letterman [24] and
confirmed that the cancer was at an advanced stage IV.[25]
In November 2010, Douglas was put on a special weight gain diet by his doctors due to the excessive weight loss
leaving him weak.[26] On January 11, 2011, he said in an interview that the tumor was gone. He admitted that the
illness and aggressive treatment had caused him to lose 32 lbs in weight.[27] He will have to have monthly screenings
because there is a very high chance that the cancer could return over the course of the next two to three years.[28]
Although Douglas has described the cancer as throat cancer, many doctors believe he was actually diagnosed with
oropharyngeal cancer.[29] [30]
Michael Douglas
6
Humanitarian initiatives
In 2009 Douglas joined the project Soldiers of Peace, a movie against all wars and for global peace.[31] [32]
Douglas lent his support for the campaign to release Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman, who after
having been convicted of committing adultery, was given a sentence of death by stoning.[33]
Filmography
Year
Film
Role
Notes
1966
Cast a Giant Shadow
Jeep driver
1969
Hail, Hero!
Carl Dixon
1970
Adam at Six A.M.
Adam Gaines
1971
Summertree
Jerry
1972
Napoleon and Samantha
Danny
1975
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest
1978
Coma
Dr. Mark Bellows
1979
Running
Michael Andropolis
Nominated — Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actor
The China Syndrome
Richard Adams
Also Producer
Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Film
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama
1980
It's My Turn
Ben Lewin
1983
The Star Chamber
Superior Court Judge Steven R.
Hardin
1984
Romancing the Stone
Jack Colton
1985
A Chorus Line
Zach
The Jewel of the Nile
Jack Colton
Also Producer
Fatal Attraction
Dan Gallagher
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Wall Street
Gordon Gekko
Academy Award for Best Actor
David di Donatello for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nastro d'Argento best Foreign Actor
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
The War of the Roses
Oliver Rose
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture
Musical or Comedy
Black Rain
Det. Sgt. Nick Conklin
Basic Instinct
Nick Curran
Shining Through
Ed Leland
Oliver Stone: Inside Out
Himself
1987
1989
1992
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Male Newcomer
Producer Only
Academy Award for Best Picture
BAFTA Award for Best Film
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama
Also Producer
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo shared with
Sharon Stone
Documentary
Michael Douglas
7
1993
Falling Down
William "D-Fens" Foster
1994
Disclosure
Tom Sanders
1995
The American President
President Andrew Shepherd
1996
The Ghost and the Darkness Charles Remington
1997
The Game
Nicholas Van Orton
1998
A Perfect Murder
Steven Taylor
1999
One Day in September
Narrator
Documentary
Get Bruce
Himself
Documentary
Wonder Boys
Professor Grady Tripp
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
SEFCA Award for Best Actor
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture
Drama
Nominated — LVFCS Award for Best Actor (also for Traffic)
Nominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Traffic
Robert Wakefield
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a
Motion Picture
Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor (also
for Wonder Boys)
Don't Say a Word
Dr. Nathan R. Conrad
In Search of Peace
Narrator
Documentary
One Night at McCool's
Mr. Burmeister
Also Producer
The In-Laws
Steve Tobias
It Runs in the Family
Alex Gromberg
Direct Order
Narrator
Documentary
Tell Them Who You Are
Himself
Documentary
You, Me and Dupree
Mr. Thompson
The Sentinel
Pete Garrison
2007
King of California
Charlie
2009
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Uncle Wayne
2000
2001
2003
2006
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture
Musical or Comedy
Also Executive Producer
Also Producer
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Mark Hunter
Solitary Man
Ben Kalmen
Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best
Actor
2010
Wall Street: Money Never
Sleeps
Gordon Gekko
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion
Picture
2011
Haywire
TBA
Post-production
Michael Douglas
References
[1] Kilday, Gregg (2009-06-15). "AFI Life award all in Douglas family" (http:/ / www. hollywoodreporter. com/ hr/ content_display/ news/
e3i45a4bf33efc17917cf3ca441cd402d4f). The Hollywood Reporter: pp. 9, 14. . Retrieved 2009-09-04.
[2] Tugend, Tom (December 12, 2006). "Lucky number 90" (http:/ / fr. jpost. com/ servlet/ Satellite?cid=1164881875567& pagename=JPost/
JPArticle/ ShowFull). The Jerusalem Post. . Retrieved December 12, 2006.
[3] "Ancestors of Michael Kirk Douglas" (http:/ / www. conovergenealogy. com/ Pages/ douglas. html). Conovergenealogy.com. . Retrieved
2009-10-17.
[4] McLellan, Dennis (July 2, 2009). "Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden dies at 97" (http:/ / articles. latimes. com/ 2009/ jul/ 02/ local/
me-karl-malden2). Los Angeles Times. . Retrieved September 15, 2010.
[5] "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (http:/ / www. filmsite. org/ onef. html). Filmsite.org. . Retrieved September 15, 2010.
[6] "Michael Douglas to Star in Wall Street 2" (http:/ / movies. tvguide. com/ Movie-News/ Michael-Douglas-Wall-1005553. aspx).
TVGuide.com. . Retrieved April 29, 2009.
[7] "Filming locations for "Black Rain" (1989)" (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0096933/ locations). IMDB.com. .
[8] "33rd Karlovy Vary IFF Awards" (http:/ / www. iffkv. cz/ ?m=32& sub=2& year=1998). . Retrieved September 25, 2006.
[9] Edelman, Rob; Unterburger, Amy L. (Ed.) International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers-3: Actors and Actresses (3rd Ed.), St. James
Press (1997) pp. 347-348
[10] Hirschberg, Lynn. Rolling Stone magazine, Jan. 16, 1986 pp. 28-32, 41
[11] "In conversation with Michael Douglas". Empire (August 2006).
[12] "Michael Douglas to Star in Tragic Indifference" (http:/ / www. movieweb. com/ news/ 20/ 19320. php). Movieweb.com. 2007-04-24. .
Retrieved 2009-10-17.
[13] "Michael Douglas Does the News" (http:/ / www. zap2it. com/ tv/ news/ zap-michaeldouglasnbcnewsvoiceover,0,5417160.
story?coll=zap-tv-headlines). Zap2it.com. December 19, 2007. .
[14] "Ten Most Expensive Divorce Settlements in Hollywood" (http:/ / top-10-list. org/ 2009/ 05/ 06/
ten-most-expensive-divorce-settlements-hollywood/ ), 6 May 2009
[15] "Cheesy chat up line that snagged Catherine Zeta-Jones" (http:/ / www. smh. com. au/ news/ people/ how-cheesy-can-you-get/ 2007/ 07/ 12/
1183833634622. html). The Sydney Morning Herald. July 12, 2007. .
[16] "Carys — a name rooted in love" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 1/ hi/ entertainment/ film/ 2966821. stm). BBC News. April 22, 2003. .
Retrieved September 25, 2006.
[17] "Michael Douglas to Renew Wedding Vows with Catherine Zeta-Jones" (http:/ / www. worldcorrespondents. com/
michael-douglas-to-renew-wedding-vows-with-catherine-zeta-jones/ 8811310), World Correspondents, Sept. 10, 2010
[18] Galloway, Stephen (2010-11-29). "Michael Douglas: One Hell of a Year" (http:/ / www. hollywoodreporter. com/ news/
michael-douglas-hell-year-49839). The Hollywood Reporter. . Retrieved 2010-12-17.
[19] "Messengers of Peace" (http:/ / www. un. org/ News/ ossg/ messengers. htm#douglas). United Nations. . Retrieved December 23, 2006.
[20] "Donor search — Michael Douglas" (http:/ / www. newsmeat. com/ celebrity_political_donations/ Michael_Douglas. php). newsmeat.com. .
[21] Michael Douglas - Douglas Pushes For Tighter Gun Control (http:/ / www. contactmusic. com/ new/ xmlfeed. nsf/ story/
douglas-pushes-for-tighter-gun-control)
[22] "The Smoking Gun Archive" (http:/ / www. thesmokinggun. com/ archive/ mdouglas1. html). The Smoking Gun. . Retrieved December 23,
2006.
[23] "Michael Douglas to Undergo Throat Cancer Treatment" (http:/ / abcnews. go. com/ Entertainment/
michael-douglas-undergo-throat-cancer-treatment/ story?id=11413860& page=2). ABC News. . Retrieved August 16, 2010.
[24] YouTube video of Douglas on the Letterman Show (http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=z67gcf311KQ)
[25] Brooks, Xan (September 1, 2010). "Michael Douglas reveals his cancer has spread" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ film/ 2010/ sep/ 01/
michael-douglas-cancer-spread). The Guardian (London). . Retrieved September 1, 2010.
[26] "Michael Douglas' recent weight loss worries doctors" (http:/ / www. efitnessnow. com/ news/ 2010/ 11/ 14/
michael-douglas-recent-weight-loss-worries-doctors), November 14, 2010
[27] "Michael Douglas says tumour is gone" (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ news/ entertainment-arts-12159548), BBC News, 11 January 2011
[28] Carroll, Linda, "With throat tumor gone, Michael Douglas begins 3-year waiting game" (http:/ / www. msnbc. msn. com/ id/ 41009450/ ns/
health-cancer), MSNBC, 1/10/2011
[29] Exact type of cancer Douglas has per www.medscape.com (http:/ / www. medscape. com/ viewarticle/ 727947)
[30] Doctors believe Douglas has oropharyngeal cancer, not throat cancer (http:/ / www. newsoxy. com/ entertainment/
zeta-jones-paparazzi-22-20126. html)
[31] "Michael Douglas — The Cast — Soldiers of Peace" (http:/ / www. soldiersofpeacemovie. com/ about/ the-cast/ 25/ michael-douglas).
Soldiersofpeacemovie.com. . Retrieved 2009-10-17.
[32] "Soldati di Pace (Soldiers of Peace)" (http:/ / www. soldatidipace. blogspot. com). Soldatidipace.blogspot.com. 2004-02-26. . Retrieved
2009-10-17.
[33] "Iran stoning case woman ordered to name campaigners" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ world/ 2010/ jul/ 22/
iran-stoning-woman-campaigners). The Guardian (London). July 22, 2010. .
8
Michael Douglas
External links
• Michael Douglas (http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&first=Michael&
last=Douglas&middle=) at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Michael Douglas (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm140/) at the Internet Movie Database
• Michael Douglas (http://tcmdb.com/participant/participant.jsp?participantId=52476) at the TCM Movie
Database
• Michael Douglas (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800012782) at Yahoo! Movies
• Michael Douglas (http://www.tv.com/person/70350/summary.html) at TV.com
• Michael Douglas (http://www.antesydespues.com.ar/michael-douglas/?lang=en) before and after
9
Cast a Giant Shadow
10
Cast a Giant Shadow
Cast a Giant Shadow
film poster by Howard Terpning
Directed by
Melville Shavelson
Produced by
Melville Shavelson
Written by
Ted Berkman (book)
Melville Shavelson (screenplay)
Starring
Kirk Douglas
Senta Berger
Yul Brynner
Frank Sinatra
John Wayne
Angie Dickinson
Chaim Topol
Music by
Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography Aldo Tonti
Editing by
Bert Bates
Gene Ruggiero
Studio
Batjac Productions
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date(s)
30 March 1966
Running time
146 mins.
Country
United States
Language
English
Cast a Giant Shadow is a 1966 movie based on the life of Colonel Mickey Marcus starring Kirk Douglas and Senta
Berger. John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Yul Brynner and Angie Dickinson also appear in supporting roles.
Cast a Giant Shadow
Plot summary
The movie is a fictionalized account of the experiences of a real-life Jewish-American military officer, Col. David
"Mickey" Marcus, who commanded units of the fledgling Israel Defense Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
The head of the Haganah requests Marcus’ assistance in preparing Israeli troops to defend the newly declared state
against the invasion of its Arab neighbors.
In a flashback, Marcus is seen parachuting into France during World War II and helping to organize the relief
mission for the first Nazi concentration camp liberated by American troops. In pre-state Israel, he is humiliated when
the military does not place him in full control of operations. However, he sets to work, recognizing that while the
men under his command do not have proper training or weapons, they have spirit and determination. He organizes
the construction of the Burma Road to enable convoys to reach besieged Jerusalem, where the population is on the
verge of starvation. As the plot unfolds, he discovers that he is proud to be a Jew.
The film includes a toast scene where John Wayne says "L’chaim”. Footage from this film was used in a Coors Light
commercial.
References
• Crowther, Bosley (September 2008). "Cast A Giant Shadow - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes" (http://movies.
nytimes.com/movie/8561/Cast-a-Giant-Shadow/overview). The New York Times. Retrieved September 26.
• "Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) Overview" (http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=23000&
category=Overview). TMC: Turner Classic Movies. September 2008. Retrieved September 26.
Further reading
Shavelson, Melville. How to Make a Jewish Movie, 1971. (ISBN 0-491-00156-8).
External links
• Cast a Giant Shadow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060218/) at the Internet Movie Database
• TV Guide (http://movies.tvguide.com/cast-giant-shadow/110483)
11
Hail, Hero!
12
Hail, Hero!
Hail, Hero!
Directed by
David Miller
Produced by
Harold D. Cohen
Written by
David Manber
John Weston (novel)
Starring
Michael Douglas
Peter Strauss
Arthur Kennedy
Teresa Wright
Music by
Gordon Lightfoot
Jerome Moross
Cinematography Robert B. Hauser
Editing by
John McSweeney Jr.
Release date(s)
October 4, 1969
Country
Language
English
Hail, Hero! is a 1969 film directed by David Miller, starring Michael Douglas, and based on the novel by John
Weston. Michael Douglas was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.[1]
Plot
During the Vietnam War, college student Carl Dixon quits school and joins the Army in hopes of using love, not
bullets, to combat the Viet Cong.
References
[1] IMDb (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0064399/ awards)
Sources
• http://movies.tvguide.com/hail-hero/125374
• http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=980DEED81031E73BBC4C51DFB6678382679EDE
• http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800073914/info
External links
• Hail, Hero! (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064399/) at the Internet Movie Database
• Hail, Hero! (http://www.allmovie.com/work/21271) at Allmovie
• Hail, Hero! (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hail_hero/) at Rotten Tomatoes
Adam at Six A.M.
13
Adam at Six A.M.
Adam at 6 A.M.
original film poster
Directed by
Robert Scheerer
Produced by
Robert W. Christiansen
Robert E. Relyea
Rick Rosenberg
Written by
Elinor Karpf, Stephen Karpf
Starring
Michael Douglas
Lee Purcell
Joe Don Baker
Louise Latham
Charles Aidman
and Grayson Hall
Music by
Dave Grusin
Cinematography Charles Rosher Jr.
Editing by
John McSweeney Jr. (as John McSweeney)
Distributed by
National General Pictures
Fox Video
Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)
September 22, 1970
Running time
100 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Adam at 6 A.M. is a 1970 film directed by Robert Scheerer. The film did not receive much attention when it was
released, but was one of the first movies Michael Douglas first starred. The movie was filmed almost entirely on
location in the small Midwest town of Excelsior Springs, Missouri,[1] as well as Cameron, Missouri.[2]
Plot
The film revolves around Adam Gaines (Douglas), a Semantics professor at a California college. He becomes
complacent in his life and hears about the death of a relative in Missouri. He drives cross country to attend the
funeral and pay his respects, and decides to spend the summer there working as a laborer. He meets Jerri Jo Hopper
(Purcell) and falls in love, along the way developing new friendships with the town locals. He then must decide what
direction he wants his life to go, whether to return to California or stay in Missouri.
Adam at Six A.M.
References
[1] Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives, Excelsior Springs, MO - Time Line (http:/ / www. exsmo. com/ museum/ timeline. html)
[2] Adam at Six A.M. (1970) - Filming locations (http:/ / imdb. com/ title/ tt0065371/ locations)
External links
• Adam at 6 A.M. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065371/) at the Internet Movie Database
14
Summertree
15
Summertree
Summertree
Movie Poster
Directed by
Anthony Newley
Produced by
Kirk Douglas
Written by
Screenplay:
Edward Hume
Stephen Yafa
Play:
Ron Cowen
Starring
Michael Douglas
Jack Warden
Music by
David Shire
Cinematography Richard C. Glouner
Editing by
Maury Winetrobe
Studio
Bryna Productions
Distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)
6 June 1971
Running time
88 minutes
Country
Language
United States
English
Summertree is a 1971 film directed by Anthony Newley. The screenplay was written by Edward Hume and Stephen
Yafa, based on the 1967 play by Ron Cowen.[1]
Summertree
Plot
In 1970 twenty year old Jerry (Michael Douglas) returns to his parents Herb (Jack Warden) and Ruth (Barbara Bel
Geddes) to let them know that he has dropped out of university to find himself. His parents are worried not only
because they've wasted expensive tuition on Jerry, but the Vietnam War is raging and Jerry has lost his draft deferral.
Jerry has plans to enter a Conservatorium of Music as he is confident in his self taught guitar playing.
Inspired by a television advertisement, Jerry becomes a Big Brother to a black child named Marvis. When Jerry is
slightly injured in a fall, they visit a hospital where Jerry meets a nurse named Vanetta Brenda Vaccaro. They soon
fall in love despite Vanetta being older than Jerry and begin living with each other.
Jerry accidentally discovers an autographed photo of Vanetta declaring her love to a man named Tony (Bill Vint).
Vanetta explains that Tony is her husband and they separated two years ago but are not divorced. Tony pops in for a
visit wearing his Marine uniform with Vietnam decorations. Tony tells Jerry that Vanetta promised to wait for him
with Jerry leaving for Vanetta and Tony to clear their personal issues.
Jerry's streak of luck continues when Marvis's brother is killed in Vietnam with Marvis taking his anger out on Jerry
ending his relationship. Despite an impressive performance at his audition for the Conservatorium he is rejected for
entry because he has had no formal musical education. Three times lucky, Herb visits Jerry to bring him his draft
notice.
Jerry buys an old Ford Fairlane and intends on going to Canada. After a family argument his father agrees with Jerry
but urges him to have his car inspected at the local gas station for safety prior to his departure. On the day he is
supposed to take his induction physical Herb buys Jerry a set of new tyres. When Jerry looks at some road maps he
overhears Herb attempting to bribe the petrol station attendant to fix Jerry's car so it can not run for a few days.
Lucky Jerry bursts into tears and drives his old heap out of the petrol station into another junk car being towed by a
tow truck.
The final scene is in Herb and Ruth's bedroom where the television news of Vietnam shows a dying Jerry being
carried away.
Production
Michael Douglas had been cast in the original play on Broadway but was fired from his role and replaced with David
Birney. His father Kirk Douglas bought the rights to the play and filmed it with his son in the lead he lost.[2]
The title refers to a tree house that Jerry returns to sit in.
During the low budget production, Brenda Vaccaro and Michael Douglas initially shared the same trailer, then began
a six year relationship.[3]
Principal cast
16
Summertree
17
Actor
Role
Michael Douglas
Jerry
Jack Warden
Herb
Rob Reiner
Don
Brenda Vaccaro
Vanetta
Barbara Bel Geddes Ruth
Critical reception
Roger Greenspun of The New York Times did not care for the film:
“
Summertree is a bad movie, but its badness proceeds not from its intentions, which seem honorable, or from its stylistic analogies to past
modes, which in different hands could have been interesting. The badness exists, rather, moment by moment, in the insufficiency of each
acted scene, in the niggling insecurity of Newley's camera, in the improverishment of each evocation of a quality of life—from the boy's dull
guitar playing, which is supposed to be great, to the father's love of hunting, which should recreate the landscape, but only signifies a
[4]
thoughtless and cruel pastime.
References
[1] "Ron Cowen - complete guide to the Playwright, Plays, Theatres, Agent" (http:/ / www. doollee. com/ PlaywrightsC/ cowen-ron. html).
Doollee.com. . Retrieved 2010-08-16.
[2] p.53 Douglas, Kirk Let's Face It: 90 years of Living, Loving, and Learning 2007 John Wiley and Sons
[3] "Michael Douglas & Brenda Vaccaro: Is Out-of-Wedlock No Longer In?" (http:/ / www. people. com/ people/ archive/ article/
0,,20064433,00. html). People.com. 1974-09-02. . Retrieved 2010-08-16.
[4] http:/ / movies. nytimes. com/ movie/ review?res=9C0DE5DE1330E73BBC4F52DFB066838A669EDE
External links
• Summertree (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067804/) at the Internet Movie Database
• Summertree (http://www.allmovie.com/work/47650) at Allmovie
”