Kirk Douglas, Otto Preminger and Paul Gambaccini
My favourite Kirk Douglas movie was neither Spartacus nor Paths of Glory but Cast a Giant Shadow (1966).
This was the true story of David Daniel “Mickey” Marcus and it’s an inspiring one unlike the loosely strung “based on a true story” of many a contemporary film.
Mickey Marcus served with distinction in the US Army in World War 2.
He did legal work for the army and became a lawyer after the war. In 1946, whilst admiring the Xmas decorations in the windows of Macy’s, he was approached by a man to support the Israelis in their fight for independence. He replied robustly that he had had done his bit, had a successful practice to attend to, and besides Israel was so outnumbered in materiel and army strength that they had no chance anyway.
However he had liberated Auschwitz, seen the state of the survivors and the request for help began to gnaw at him.
So eventually he lent his support. He told the Israeli leader David ben Gurion that whilst the nascent state was divided into the Palmach, Irgun and Stern Gang they had little chance and there must be an umbrella organisation the Haganah.
He achieved establishing this and Marcus became a considerable General in the successful 1948 War of Independence.
At the end of the campaign Marcus was billeted on top of a mountain.
Needing a pee in the night, he covered himself in a white sheet and – mistaken by a guard for an Arab – was shot and killed.
The password had changed that night and Marcus did not know it.
Despite the prohibition in the US army of serving in another army, Marcus – a national hero of two countries – was buried with full military honours in Arlington National Cemetery.
Kirk Douglas who as a Jew had strong Zionist feelings was an natural for the role. Interestingly, his son Michael played a jeep driver. Kirk Douglas showed what a fine actor he was.
In the sixties, on a visit to London, he visited the moist fashionable Italian restaurant in town on a Friday.
The Maitre D brought him the menu personally and remarked that he was pleased he chose a Friday.
“Why so?”
“Because the Jews come out on Saturdays.”
Kirk Douglas asked for the bill and his coat and left immediately.
The director Otto Preminger – also Jewish – was featured in the new Sky Arts Directors series.
Whilst I am big fan of his Anatomy of Murder he did not have enough memorable movies in his canon for me.
He also made a film Exodus (1960), a long film (202 minutes) about the nascent state of Israel which made the American humorist Mort Sahl stand up during the performance and say “Let my people go …”
Finally as it’s the Oscars this Sunday Paul Gambaccini is back on Fridays on Radio 4 with his take on previous Oscar winners.
This week it is Chicago.
The fifties were the golden age of musicals with Singing in the Rain, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady and Gigi but the dark story of murder and intrigue that was Chicago revived the genre.
Gambacini was disgracefully prosecuted in Operation Yew Tree, for which he has never forgiven the Labour party and Stonewall, both of which he actively supported.
It cost him his £200,000 comic collection to defend himself, but happily not his acumen as fluent and knowledgeable broadcaster.
