Kirk Douglas 90th Birthday Message to America's "Generation Y"

[Zambero]

Douglas's editorial message to young people, summed up:

The world's in a mess. You are inheriting it. It's up to you to make a difference.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061209/lasa002.html?.v=28

[Donnachaidh]

1. yeah -- thanks for that mess Kirk

I really get annoyed with these wealthy people and their *pronouncements* on the fate of the world. Yeah, it's messed up, but it didn't stop Kirk or his spawn to make millions of dollars. :sarcasm:

[kenny blankenship]

4. Kirk Douglas is a great example of a Hollywood Liberal

Like his old friend Burt Lancaster.

[Octafish]

11. Burt starred in 'Seven Days in May', too.

"And if you want to talk about your oath of office, I'm here to tell you face to face, President Lyman, that you violated that oath when you stripped this country of its muscles - when you deliberately played upon the fear and fatigue of the people and told them they could remove that fear by the stroke of a pen. And then when this nation rejected you, lost faith in you, and began militantly to oppose you, you violated that oath by not resigning from office and turning the country over to someone who could represent the people of the United States."

[Octafish]

5. Kirk starred in 'Seven Days in May.'

From what I've read, it was one of JFK's favorite stories.
He looked forward to seeing the screen version.

[aquart]

8. He broke the blacklist.

From where I sit he's paid his dues and probably yours too.

[Journeyman]

10. You have no concept what Mr Douglas accomplished in his life, do you? . . .

He was Dalton Trumbo's friend and used his considerable cultural clout to single-handedly resurrect Mr Trumbo's career and in the process helped turn back the tide of HUAC reactionism. He was instrumental in getting works by Edward Abbey filmed. For the past twenty or more years, he and his wife have spent a considerable fortune developing playgrounds in some of the poorest sections of the Southland.

But all you see is his "money," yet remain blind to the purposes to which he put it. Read a little before you open your mouth next time. The examples I've cited are but a few in a long and distinguished life of service to ideals in which he believes. What have you done, other than make "pronouncements" about people you know nothing about?

[Graybeard]

15. Kirk Douglas really did walk the walk...

...unlike so many (some right here on DU) that are just talk.

[nam78_two]

26. Tru dat.nt

[TahitiNut]

16. Those gifts under the tree are never quite good enough for some, I guess.

:shrug:

[JeffR]

23. No matter what people get

There's always someone who wants a pony.

[Kolesar]

17. That's right, he was lead in "Lonely are the Brave" based on "The Brave Cowboy"

<- says the DUer with the monkeywrench over there

[Starbucks Anarchist]

27. Lonely Are the Brave is a great one, too.

I'm still laughing at that early scene in the bar when the guy hurls a bottle at Douglas from across the room and Douglas' subsequent reaction.

[Sapphocrat]

28. I get really annoyed...

...with people who make sweeping, unfair assumptions about genuine, old-school liberals without knowing jack shit about the people they're attacking.

[RamboLiberal]

35. Maybe you ought to rent a few DVDs of Kirk's movies

and read about him before spouting such drivel! Or did you confuse him with Ronald Reagan? :sarcasm:

[Karenca]

36. ......

:wtf:

[Deja Q]

2. And Generation Y is asking

"Why?"

[kenny blankenship]

3. Happy Birthday Kirk!

We need you now more than ever.

[Kolesar]

6. What movie was that from?

I tuned in in the middle of it a few months ago and was glued to the screen.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

7. Paths of Glory.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick -- one of the best movies ever made, IMHO.

[Kolesar]

13. Because of its harsh portrait of the French army, the film was banned in France until 1975.

Roger Ebert wrote a great review of the film at his website: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050225/REVIEWS08/502250305/1023

[Graybeard]

14. And THE best anti-war movie...

...ever made, IMHO.

[SquireJons]

25. I agree

When I saw criticism of him earlier in the thread, I immediately thought of this movie. Whatever his supposed sins may be, he contributed greatly to human discourse with that film. I also remember a story about him and John Wayne, who were friends. Supposedly, Wayne was upset that Douglas took the lead in a film about Van Gogh and Wayne said to him that they had an obligation to uphold the masculinity of the type casting that Wayne had embraced. Douglas blew him off and they ended up in a fist fight over it. This story was related by Douglas, so I assume it's true. Anyone who slugged John Wayne is alright in my book.

Happy B-day Kirk.

[Bake]

33. It was a great one, but so was "Fail Safe"

I saw it on cable a few weeks ago and it was just chilling ...

Bake

[rockymountaindem]

18. IMHO, as well

The night I watched it on AMC I felt like dying, it was so depressing. That's the kind of movie that really leaves a mark about the horrors of war and human nature.

[Howardx]

30. yeah thats a great one alright!

glad you mentioned it, everyone should see it

[Jack from Charlotte]

40. I think Kirk gave Stanley Kubrick his start as a director in Paths......

If I recall there were problems and Douglas brought stanley in to direct his, Kirk's, movie.

[Ignacio Upton]

9. I forgot how much Michael looks like his father

Paths of Glory is one of the greatest (and most saddening) movies I've ever seen.

[OzarkDem]

37. A wonderful man, bless him

If you ever get the chance, read his autobiography, The Ragman's Son. Its excellent, you'll really find out what a liberal he is. The book was a real beacon of hope during the dark years of the 1980's.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Douglas and thank you!!

:party:

[Warren DeMontague]

12. You tell 'em, Spartacus! nt

[rockymountaindem]

19. What a classy statement

Speaking as someone who is about to graduate college and is looking at graduate school, I hope to fulfill his wish during my lifetime. I've been thinking the same thoughts as him for about three years now, and I've talked to a lot of my fellow young people who take the same attitude. There are quite a few of us out here who realize how much depends on our generation. I think we'll do our best, but I hope it's not already too late to make a change.

[Graybeard]

21. Sad to say it may take more than one generation...

...to undo the damage done by this staggeringly incompetent
mis-administration...both in this country and around the
world.

[JeffR]

24. Never too late to make a change

however dire things are. Don't ever stop trying to create change.

I have faith in your generation.

[rockymountaindem]

29. Thanks

I have faith in my generation too. Although I'm probably biased towards my own peeps, I think that there are a lot of upstanding people in my generation, people for me and others to emulate. Knowing people on a personal level lets you see past some of the things that usually get us flak. I know one guy who on the surface is a total goofball. Here's someone who doesn't brush his hair often, makes crazy jokes and just likes to laugh all the time at everything. I don't want to put things in the following terms, but I don't think there's a lot of other ways to put it. On the surface, this is the kind of seemingly aimless person that O'Reilly and Limbaugh love to pick on. They'd see him on the street clowning with his pals (me included) and think "here's somebody who needs to put down the bong". They'd never stop to find out that this young man doesn't smoke pot, and is in fact one of the top students in his field at our university of 40k. I just wish people wouldn't judge us as a generation by our cover, as it were.

[JeffR]

31. We all get judged by the previous generation

and the judgment is usually superficial, cliché-ridden and cartoonish.

[lukasahero]

39. And the future one

It might help all involved to realize that mostly each generation is just trying to do the best they can.

[onecent]

20. Bless you and yours Mr. Douglas!!!

[AnnInLa]

22. If you get a chance, please read his autobiography,

The Ragman's Son.....(I think).....absolutely fascinating, old-hollywood type book.

[Vidar]

32. Best birthday wishs to great actor & man.

[andyhappy]

34. X?

everyone always forgets about generation x....I guess we did it with ourselves really.

apathy isn't very popular!

[AndreaCG]

38. I thought he had Alzheimers

Good to know he doesn't.