Kirk Douglas, and why he likes dive watches
He is the last legend of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Issur Danielovitch – or Kirk Douglas as the world knows him best – was born over a century ago. His filmography includes countless great performances in classics such as Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lust for Life, Is Paris Burning? and many more. Interview.
One of seven siblings, this son of illiterate Russian emigrants was raised without two nickels to rub together, but has always known how to appreciate beauty. Starting with the silver screen’s most desirable actresses… and the watches he’s frequently given them, for various reasons! When a living legend casts his thoughts back in time, the opportunity is too good to miss.
As the son of a ragman who grew up in poverty, don't you find certain actors' fees ridiculously high?
It’s true, you hear of actors being paid colossal amounts and a lot of people find that distasteful. But don’t blame the actors. After all, if they ask for a certain fee and producers are willing to pay it, why wouldn’t they accept? When an actor names his price, what’s stopping the producer from saying, “Sorry, fella, I can’t afford you!”? Again, no-one is putting a gun to the studio boss’s head the day they sign a cheque for however many millions of dollars! [laughs]. Then it’s a question of market forces. Supply and demand. If audiences like an actor, if he brings in money, then he has a commercial value that can go up or down. I know, it’s hardly Hollywood glamour but that’s how it works these days. In my time, a star was under contract meaning he or she was expected to make a certain number of films over a given period. It didn’t matter whether the film was a success or not, the actor was still paid. We had relative job security back then and we weren’t obsessed by the box-office.
You once said, "I'm like an old watch. I need a service every now and then!" Speaking of watches, I imagine you must have worn quite a few in your 101 years?
Not as many as you’d think! A lot of people associate success with a lavish lifestyle, but that’s not how it works with me, even though I had nothing as a young man. For me, true wealth is life and family. It’s seeing my grandchildren grow up. I’ve never been someone who wants to own or collect or accumulate things, whether its watches or paintings or fast cars or houses around the world. This doesn’t mean I don’t recognise a beautiful object when I see one, and a watch is clearly something to be admired. I can understand why certain people collect them. I had a friend who was always buying specialist publications on watches, how much they were worth, how rare they were, that kind of thing. For him, watches were clearly a type of investment. My relationship with watches is much simpler. I like a watch for the design and the quality of the materials used. I can also appreciate the workmanship, as a lot of my ancestors worked with their hands. When you think about it, a watch is a product of intelligence – because you need intelligence to create ever more precise mechanisms – and manual dexterity. I remember coming across a news item one day that showed an artisan who would spend hours choosing a particular grade of leather for his straps, and I thought to myself, “If that gentleman can spend so much time finding the right leather, what must it be like for the mechanism!”.
A watch is something you can hand down, and that strikes a chord with me. It’s a gift that will always stay in your memory. All over the world, families save up to give a watch as a sign of respect or as a reward. It’s almost a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. I still remember when my wife and I were teaching the kids to tell the time, and how proud they were when they could manage by themselves. A watch situates you in time and space, and that’s important for a child. I don’t remember how many watches I’ve owned in my long lifetime. Definitely more than most people and fewer than the giants of cinema I’ve been lucky enough to meet.
What kind of watches?
I’ve always chosen a watch to suit what I’m doing and how I feel. When I was filming 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea for example, I obviously spent a lot of time in contact with water so I’d go home in an “aquatic mood”. I’ve actually owned several dive watches in my lifetime. Firstly because they’re tough enough to stand up to all the sport I played, but mainly because I’m an insomniac and it’s easier to grab a watch that has notches round the dial. It beats groping around in the dark. Most dive watches are fairly heavy too, so you can feel it in your hand. But the really great thing has to be the luminescent numerals and hands. Back in the 70s, I tried to get into digital watches. Sure, they were fun and that was the fashion back then. I was keeping up with technology but I hated having to always press a button to read the time. That has to be the least user-friendly system ever!
Do you remember your first ever watch?
I do. I actually won it in a bet. I was on the wrestling team at Saint Lawrence University in New York, and I bet this pretentious guy that I could outrun him. I don’t remember the make of the watch but I do remember the guy’s face! A couple of days later I stole his girlfriend from him [laughs].
You're well-travelled. Are watches something you'd bring back with you?
I did, but usually for the lady in my life. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but whenever you give jewellery or a watch to the woman you love, or want to seduce if you’re younger, her eyes instantly light up. I’ve often given a watch to my wife to show her how much I love her. Or just to get back in her good books!
Where did you buy them?
Switzerland, France, England. At that time, there was far more choice than in the United States. And the prices were a lot more attractive, too.
