“Spartacus” and “The Bad and the Beautiful” are just two of the many global hits that famed actor Kirk Douglas starred in.
Kirk has worked with countless actors, actresses, and directors in Hollywood, including the esteemed Billy Wonder and Vincent Minnelli. However, many are unaware that the “Ace in the Hole” star comes from very humble beginnings.
Douglas’s father was a Russian immigrant who came to America and eventually settled in Amsterdam, New York. Eventually, Harry was able to send for his wife to come to New York as well, and the two settled down as Harry began to take some semblance of work as a ragman.
The couple had seven children, and Kirk was born as the only male child. As he explained in a 2017 interview with the Wall street Journal , he was raised as the only brother to six girls.
In the same interview, Kirk explained how much poverty affected the family, even saying that they often did not have enough money to feed all of them.
He goes on to describe the bones his sisters would beg for to help their mother cook soup. Kirk himself resorted to occasional theft to keep from starving, saying,
“When I was hungry, I stole food – an egg from under a neighbor’s hen or a tomato from a garden. I also wiped fruit and vegetables from a stand.”
He admits he felt immense guilt for a while after taking food from others, but the conditions at the time did not make it easy for the family. Kirk even described how dismal their sleeping conditions were, with him sleeping on an old sofa and his sister splitting 2 bedrooms.
His parents slept in the final bedroom, separated from their son. Douglas expresses that he often felt distant from the father he loved, saying.
“I loved my father but wondered if he loved me. I wanted to win his praise and affection. But he was distant.”
Bryna, his mother, spent every second of the day trying to take care of the family. She did all of this without a proper stove, running water, or a washing machine.
In 1934, when Kirk graduated from high school, it is not surprising that the future actor did not have any money for college tuition, even with his strong academics and various school awards.