you're like me you can't begin to
imagine what working in Hollywood for
more than a half a century is like you
also wonder how after a devastating and
debilitating stroke iconic actor Kirk
Douglas was able to overcome the
resulting physical and emotional
challenges and continuous work as an
actor author and philanthropist one
thing's for sure he didn't do it alone
thanks to and his wife and business
partner Kirk Douglas has been able to
make movies and make a difference
I recently sat down with this remarkable
couple in their los angeles home to
discuss their personal and professional
longevity and their lifelong commitment
to helping others take a look
so Kirk I don't normally start
interviews by saying WOW but you deserve
more than one wow it's amazing your body
of work the fact that you're ever ready
bunny you just keep going and going and
going so what are the characteristics
about and and you know I feel would be
doing the interview but a get again
oh but I look back my I don't know 50
years of make a movie and then set the
place and what is it about him you what
are the characteristics you see in him
that this down many faces you know a
cartridge shake in each mark in for a
trophy and with women
now which one would you like haha maybe
you're a woman why don't we start there
and I think with time he has
what I would save matured in the best
way whatever he didn't have before and I
don't repossession it within him as a
character he has now when he has a
little by little it came or more i'm
with you and that girl think the way we
me because they're the name myself
everybody has their favorite Kirk
Douglas movie so I want to get for the
two of you a crack at it is there a
favorite film of yours
do you have one family grandma did you
ask you yes i have who movie i have made
almost than the movie that the mood
I don't want making the and the movie
but and the movie like well they're
always the move problem we will normally
on them where I always says then for the
kind of well you know that movie what I
like the ruling and leg they killed to
him you know
Kirk's talked a lot about his youth and
growing up poor but your childhood
helped shape who you are too i can you
talk a little bit about growing up and
some of the things that you had to go
through and in your lifetime my
upbringing was that has full English
French and Joan and when i came to paris
during the occupation i was able to make
someone invited doing subtitles german
subtitles under French movies and later
on i continued to do the same thing with
english subtitles under French movies
and it brought me into public
correlation and and I became the
assistant of the assistant that took the
sawls to Hollywood this first my dream
of all rapes I had a very interesting
and fascinating life i was in America
taking the star for the Hollywood
premiere about day a trousseau track
were we when the director who was a
friend of mine wanted me for a movie
with Kirk Douglas as the p LED and i
said i can do it i am going to Hollywood
and that was more important than hands
I think I came back and the direct out
hardcore decent i want you on the set
tomorrow and he said let me take you to
the Lions dead and it was his dressing
room and he came in and there's the they
told me all about her so he will be
perfect for my it because he who booked
a suite away with it and there was the
happy there when he gave me this and you
turn me down
what was so what do we dream that way
but then took to the Terrans bball where
the exit of foot and the thing they were
the eggs with elephants and friends ex
is a world opened and when they're for
the who the n-word love i came i will
glue and this in the initial shock shado
and so there's the word the thing that
makes me we hit now he's heard where
could do you do there so we will be one
crew
yeah the
and sixty-two years later here we are
Wow memory so that's the key to a great
marriage
yeah follow the elephants yes let me ask
you all the philanthropic work that you
do
is there one that's closest to your
heart the one that you feel the
strongest about and I went was current
thankskilling to the homeless shelter a
friend of my husband wanted him to come
alone because Kirk had an experience in
his huge about thanksgiving and his
friends said no Sheldon a writer so you
come with me and tell the men what
Thanksgiving meant to you and Kirk had
just reach and he gets anksgiving was
standing in line to try to get a meal in
there were running out of meal just 23 /
before him so that was his story while
he was making the rods and talk to the
man I looked where the women
oh the women are here this within
bumpits and then that came up white
sheet and that was for the women all
other facilities when they say I was
sure poured
I called the male who also had be with
the a homeless now and gave some money
and I was trying to build a building
because the facility while the man was
already going to be replaced with a new
facility because the Earth's quick had
made that insecure so I prayed a lot to
God to see how I can find some money you
know he will
good love good with a gun doesn't have
been the money was to me
so God three-way you get bored and knows
God called the morning and so God called
cook and a couple of his friends and I
had my and Douglas sent a bill 22 years
ago for 28 in halts sighs hundred and
more that come in and out for closing
showers craving we three movies
God told you to make three movies right
now sitting here talking to the two of
you you can't help but notice the love
and it's been there for years and years
and years and I want to talk about 96
you got the Academy Award thunderous
applause standing ovation you talked
about your boys they were out in the
audience and they were proud but then
you dedicated it to an and you told her
you loved her talk to me about that
moment how important was that to confess
your love to this woman that you've
loved all these years in the the the
good he was there it has never with my
will is the word
oh no I have to tell you something there
a few people know the emotion about one
he would to receive the actor the vodka
you have to know that my husband just
had a stroke he could have the talk is
taking speech listen and we're
rehearsing at home
thank you thank you very much
then all day long thank you thank you
thank you very much
alright he got that out the night of the
Earth's can
now we all know that he can said thank
the night of the Oscar you saw or you
heard it i am proud too proud to be a
part of hollywood for 50 years but this
is for my wife and I love you
the fact that he could say all this
broke as totally with emotion
somehow somewhere and we don't know to
this day he was in a corner on is your
work and said to himself or heard these
words studies set we didn't know you
could do it was it like for you that was
themselves if you think it was not only
the emotion that he gave it to me but
that he could talk and have been been
there was the thank you both so much
this has just been an absolute delight
thank you both thing you will might make
you thank you
what it was a pleasure
coming up how one woman's childhood
dream turned her into one of fashion's
biggest names