Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas in Spartacus

Kirk Douglas (1916 - )

Film Deaths

• The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) [Walter P. O'Neil]: Commits suicide by shooting himself in the chest, after Barbara Stanwyck kills herself by pulling the trigger of the gun Kirk was holding against her.

• Out of the Past (Build My Gallows High) (1947) [Whit Sterling]: Shot to death (off-screen) by Jane Greer in his office; his body is shown lying on the floor afterwards when Robert Mitchum discovers him. (Thanks to Fred and Kelly)

• I Walk Alone (1948) [Noll 'Dink' Turner]: Shot to death by a policeman while being arrested when he breaks free from them and starts shooting at Burt Lancaster. (Thanks to Harry)

• Champion (1949) [Michael 'Midge' Kelly]: Fatally injured during a boxing match, he dies in his dressing room shortly afterwards.

• Ace in the Hole (The Big Carnival; The Human Interest Story) (1951) [Chuck Tatum]: Stabbed in the stomach with scissors by Jan Sterling; he dies later on after staggering into the newsroom. (Thanks to Mac, Fred, and Johannes)

• Detective Story (1951) [Detective Jim McLeod]: Shot in the stomach by Joseph Wiseman after Joseph grabs another cop's gun in the police station and Kirk tries to face him down; he dies shortly afterwards while talking to his colleagues. (Thanks to Mac and Fred)

• Lust for Life (1956) [Vincent Van Gogh]: Commits suicide by shooting himself in the chest or stomach by a tree. He later dies of his wound with his brother (James Donald) at his bedside.

• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) [John 'Doc' Holliday]: Dies (off-screen) of tuberculosis; his death is mentioned by another character afterwards. (Thanks to Mac)

• The Vikings (1958) [Einar]: Stabbed to death in a fight with his brother (Tony Curtis), he dies as he shouts to the heavens and his body is later seen being prepared on a funeral prier. (Thanks to Fred)

• Spartacus (1960) [Spartacus]: Executed by crucifixion; he dies after Jean Simmons shows him his son and says goodbye to him. (Historically, he was never executed but died during the battle).

• The Last Sunset (1961) [Brendan O'Malley]: Shot to death in a gunfight. (Thanks to Fred)

• The List of Adrian Messenger (1963) [George Brougham]: Impaled on a piece of farm equipment (a trap he had set intending to kill George C. Scott) after being thrown from a horse. Kirk had been in disguise, but unmasks himself as he dies. (Thanks to Mac and Constantine)

• In Harm's Way (1965) [Captain Paul Eddington]: Shot in the head when Japanese fighters open fire on his plane.

• Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) [Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus]: Shot by a guard when he walks on their boundry.

• The Way West (1967) [Senator William J. Tadlock]: Falls off of a cliff when Katherine Justice cuts the rope lowering him down (in revenge for Kirk's hanging of Michael Witney). (Thanks to Stephen)

• The Brotherhood (1968) [Frank Ginetta]: Shot to death (at his own request) by his brother (Alex Cord). (Thanks to Fred)

• There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) [Paris Pittman Jr.]: Bitten by a rattlesnake when he reaches into his money bag. (Thanks to Fred)

• A Gunfight (1971) [Will Tenneray]: Shot to death in a gunfight with Johnny Cash. (The movie depicts two possible outcomes to the fight; one with Johnny killing Kirk and one with Kirk killing Johnny.) (Thanks to Fred and Brian)

• Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough (1975) [Mike Wayne]: Killed in a plane crash (off-screen), along with Alexis Smith; we learn of their deaths in a TV news report that his daughter (Deborah Raffin) sees. (Thanks to Fred)

• The Fury (1978) [Peter Sandza]: Commits suicide by jumping off of a roof after the death of his son (Andrew Stevens). (Thanks to Fred)

• Saturn 3 (1980) [Adam]: Killed in an explosion when he sacrifices himself to destroy the robot (by knocking them both into a pool to contain the blast). (Thanks to Fred)

• Oscar (1991) [Eduardo Provolone]: Dies of old age/natural causes in his bed, leaving control of his crime organization to his son (Sylvester Stallone). (Thanks to Stephen)

TV Deaths

• Amos (1985 TV) [Amos Lasher]: Commits suicide by injection (I don't remember what he injects in his veins) in order to frame Elizabeth Montgomery for his death.

Connections

• Ex-husband of Diana Douglas.

• Father of Michael Douglas and Eric Douglas.