One of the six children of a family of Russian immigrants, changed his name to Isidore Demky at first, and later would be known as Kirk Douglas. He had to work hard to gain access to his first studies at St. Lawrence University and later ended up entering the American Academy of Dramatic Art, paying for his studies with the gains obtained in fighting battles. His artistic career began on the theatrical stages of Broadway in 1941 until the war interrupted his promotion (he served in the Navy between 1942-1943 and returned home wounded). Upon his return, while replacing Richard Widmark on Broadway in a play, Lauren Bacall noticed him and recommended him to producer Hal Walis. In 1946 he shot his first film The strange love of Marta Ivers where he gave life to an alcoholic politician. His first success came with the interpretation of a relentless boxer in The Idol of Mud (1949). However, it will not be until the fifties when he becomes famous among the public. Soon there would come titles like Paths of Glory or Captives of the evil, but its better films would roll them in 1960: A stranger in my life and Spartacus. Starting in 1970, he began to develop an interesting parallel career as a producer.