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The Ragman's Son: An Autobiography. Kirk Douglas
by
Kirk Douglas
Born Issur Danielovitch Demsky, the son of an illiterate immigrant Russian-Jewish ragpicker and junkman, Kirk Douglas makes clear in this powerful, angry, and passionate book the ways in which his difficult childhood dominated his life as an actor, father, and man. 16 pages of photographs.
Paperback
,
510 pages
Published
April 1st 2012
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 1988)
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Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
617)
Jun 23, 2013
C.J. Heck
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those who love autobiograhies
In this powerful, moving and sometimes very angry book, Kirk Douglas writes in his own words (with unflinching honesty) about his long and difficult road to becoming an actor.
It's a blushingly frank book. It's full of wit, and at times, heavy sarcasm, with a lot of name-dropping and charming anecdotes about the women he 'knew' during his many escapades on and off set.
He was an interesting and driven man, out to prove to the world (and himself) that he was worthy and more than just "The Ragman's ...more
It's a blushingly frank book. It's full of wit, and at times, heavy sarcasm, with a lot of name-dropping and charming anecdotes about the women he 'knew' during his many escapades on and off set.
He was an interesting and driven man, out to prove to the world (and himself) that he was worthy and more than just "The Ragman's ...more
He is one of my favorite actors & this is an autobiography. From his very modest roots to his climb to be one of the top Hollywood stars, he gives a great account of his life. He doesn't pull many punches about mistakes he made along the way, either.
Kirk Douglas has never forgotten where he came from. It has shaped his entire life as a man, a husband, a father and an actor. And although he has achieved fame and fortune from a successful career in Hollywood, he recognizes the strong mark that has been left by a childhood of poverty, anti-Semitism, and a distant uncaring father.
As a young boy growing up in Amsterdam New York, Douglas was the only son in a family with six adoring sisters and a loving mother. His father, a brawling alcoholic, w ...more
As a young boy growing up in Amsterdam New York, Douglas was the only son in a family with six adoring sisters and a loving mother. His father, a brawling alcoholic, w ...more
Oct 01, 2008
Andy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
my dad
Shelves:
hollywoodbabylon
A lot of Hollywood cheese going on here. Kirk spends a lot of time screaming at his Russian alter ego, Issur Davidovich all through the book. After awhile it's pretty funny.
Best parts are the dish on starlets like Joan Crawford, who slept at night coated in Vaseline from head to toe!
Although his co-star Lizabeth Scott had quite a reputation as a lesbian he surprises us by reporting that she was dating mega-producer Hal Wallis, who frequently made her cry! Who the fuck needs Perez or TMZ when Kir ...more
Best parts are the dish on starlets like Joan Crawford, who slept at night coated in Vaseline from head to toe!
Although his co-star Lizabeth Scott had quite a reputation as a lesbian he surprises us by reporting that she was dating mega-producer Hal Wallis, who frequently made her cry! Who the fuck needs Perez or TMZ when Kir ...more
Excellent Hollywood biography, partly because Kirk Douglas literally went from rags to riches, but also because he was more than just an actor. He was one of the first actors to realize that producing films would take him deeper into the filmmaking process. He was the first producer to break the blacklist of the 1950's, because as a producer, he had the power of decision that regular actors did not. The book also benefits from his perspective of having lived a very long life.
This is an amazing autobiography! At first I was kind of wary since celebrities who write their own books don't usually do a good job, but Kirk Douglas knocked it out of the park. I was completely engrossed in his life story. I usually enjoy the pre-fame part of any autobiography the best, and the fame stuff tends to bore me, but not here. No, Douglas has a way of being completely honest even when maybe he shouldn't be (like his boyhood love affair with one of his teachers). I got a kick out of
...more
I thought more of Kirk Douglas before I read this book. My opinion of him has slowly declined. He is honest in the book but brags--still insecure as he was in youth. He is still, in my mind, one of the greatest heroic actors in film--but just in film and he is just an actor. We who read actors' biographies inevitably feel that we see something on the screen that reveals the essence of the man or woman. I think this is for the part true. We are able to detect something unique in an actor's charac
...more
As Hollywood autobiographies go, this one wasn't bad. In the introduction Kirk Douglas promised that he wouldn't gloss over his bad behavior, and as far as I can tell, he didn't. He says at times that he was "a shit" and he does provide evidence of that. (Of course, I can't be sure that there wasn't more, even shittier behavior that got left out.) The stories of his career trajectory are often interesting, as are some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of movie making. The prose, however, is prett
...more
Jul 18, 2013
Samantha Glasser
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
movies
,
non-fiction
One of the marks of a truly good biography is that you come away from it feeling that you know the subject. Since the subject himself can often shed the most light on his life and what makes him tick, I love autobiographies. This one delivers in spades. Douglas's writing is excellent. He isn't one of those stars who goes from anecdote to anecdote bragging about the people he knows without analyzing his life or his motivations behind his actions. Douglas examines everything in great detail and us
...more
"P 1988. ''Collecting the things that people had thrown away was an awful way to make a living. Even on Eagle Street, in the poorest section of town, where all the families were struggling, the ragman was on the lowest rung on the ladder. And I was the ragman's son.'' The book does seem to lack deep analysis and introspection but has some really funny and interesting anecdotes. Kirk Douglas (1916) also starred in Sparticus - brilliant film which is why I wanted to read this book and this was bef
...more
Kirk Douglas was never an actor I cared to know more about but this book was lent to me by a friend while on vacation. I reluctantly opened it and could not put it down. This man's life was absolutely the most interesting, crazy, wild, time ever. Great biography.
Oct 20, 2007
Modbon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hollywoodland
,
memoir-bio
Kirk Douglas was never one of my favorite actors--I still haven't seen
Spartacus
--but this book gave me a new take on the guy. Since I read this I've gone back and watched a bunch of Douglas' films, and now I'm kicking myself that I didn't see them sooner.
This autobiography is fun, dishy, and hard to put down. Douglas doesn't mind telling tales (his account of his awful one night stand with Joan Crawford is hilarious and....creepy) and his style is forthright. He seems to tread the line between ...more
This autobiography is fun, dishy, and hard to put down. Douglas doesn't mind telling tales (his account of his awful one night stand with Joan Crawford is hilarious and....creepy) and his style is forthright. He seems to tread the line between ...more
learned a lot of things I didn't know about kirk douglas, especially about the conditions of his childhood - gained more respect for his determination to rise out of poverty. but towards the end of the book it turned into just another routine autobiography
Interesting bio on old Hollywood. Was most interested in Kirk Douglas’ relationship with Diana Dill, who’s sister was married to Seward Johnson. Revealing bits regarding his art, performances and relationships with family. An interesting man, an interesting time.
As a young man, Kirk would watch his taciturn father come in from thankless work, drinking his tea through a sugar cube between his teeth. His father was a mountain to him. Kirk said when his father gave up smoking he carried the pack around with him in his top pocket. Everytime he felt the urge to smoke, he would pull out the packet and say, "Who stronger? You - or me? Me." And put the packet back in his pocket.
Kirk left his parents and his Jewish surname behind him and became the famous actor ...more
Kirk left his parents and his Jewish surname behind him and became the famous actor ...more
This was an excellent rags-to-riches story. If you are into autobiographies, you will like this one.
Lots of facts I didn't know about Kirk Douglas until I read the book.
Issy you Jewish stud you, dont know if you really got to put the Russian sausage to all those beautiful women or just outlived lived them and now can lie about it. My bet is its all true. An UN-flinching look into one of the biggest stars in entertainment. Wonderfully written, could have easily been a thriller with Kirk going back to his childhood roots and references to his given name. Mr. Douglas has lived an exciting life through some of the most intriguing times in human history. Bravo.
Good scoop on the inside world of actors. I liked the book as it was written well of someone that worked hard to do something with his life.
First, Kirk Douglas can write very well. Second, while well-written, this autobiography is emotionally-charged wih incidents of sexual ncounters, discrimination, 'paranoia, failed marriages, rebirth of faith, acting at a higher level and writing from one's inner self. This was a very engrossing and eye-opening read.
An inspiring story of "rags to riches" with lots and lots of sex along the way. It's amazing to me that this man operated before the age of Viagra!!! The poverty of Kirk Douglas' youth is almost unbelievable. It's a story that most young people today would not believe. I really loved the book.
An extemely good autobiography by the actor. We saw him with Burt Lancaster in a play in S.F. years ago, and it was touching what great friends they were. When a prop malfunctioned, they stepped out of character for a few moments and it was pure gold to see these film titans as themselves.
One of the best autobiographies I have ever read.
Grinding poverty of the first order - that is what Kirk Douglas remembers in this painful, but well written memoir. Reading it truly (sounds so cliche, but it's true) feel blessed for everything I have in life! Highly highly recommend reading this.
An Excellent, Must Read Book!
The fascinating life led by Kirk Douglas--first as the son of an immigrant and then as a famous actor. It was written very well--I enjoyed every page
A thoroughly enjoyable read once you get past the stream of consciousness writing. A lot of times there are no natural segways between topics.
I liked this a lot, it's well written, fairly fascinating and inspiring.
Very interesting book. He came from very poor, humble roots.
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Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch, ) is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include
Out of the Past (1947), Champion (1949), Ace in the Hole (1951), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Lust for Life (1956), Paths of Glory (1957), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), The Vikings (1958), Spartacus (1960), Lonely Are the
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More about Kirk Douglas...
“The biggest lie is the lie we tell ourselves in the distorted visions we have of ourselves, blocking out some sections, enhancing others. What remains are not the cold facts of life, but how we perceive them. That's really who we are.”
—
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