I Am Spartacus!: Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist

by Kirk Douglas Narrated by Michael Douglas

Overview

From Kirk Douglas, Hollywood royalty and bestselling author of The Ragman's Son and My Stroke of Luck, comes the candid story of the making of Spartacus, the blockbuster film that broke the blacklist

One of the world's most iconic movie stars, Kirk Douglas has distinguished himself as a producer, philanthropist, and author of ten works of fiction and memoir. Now, more than fifty years after the release of his enduring epic Spartacus, Douglas reveals the riveting drama behind the making of the legendary gladiator film. Douglas began producing the movie in the midst of the politically charged era when Hollywood's moguls refused to hire anyone accused of Communist sympathies. In a risky move, Douglas chose Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted screenwriter, to write Spartacus. Trumbo was one of the “Unfriendly Ten,” men who had gone to prison rather than testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee about their political affiliations. Douglas's source material was already a hot property, as the novel Spartacus was written by Howard Fast while he was in jail for defying HUAC.

With the financial future of his young family at stake, Douglas plunged into a tumultuous production both on- and off-screen. As both producer and star of the film, he faced explosive moments with young director Stanley Kubrick, struggles with a leading lady, and negotiations with giant personalities, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, and Lew Wasserman. Writing from his heart and from his own meticulously researched archives, Kirk Douglas, at ninety-five, looks back at his audacious decisions. He made the most expensive film of its era-but more importantly, his moral courage in giving public credit to Trumbo effectively ended the notorious Hollywood blacklist.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"An entertaining and informative look at the troubled gestation of a film of both artistic and social significance.” —Kirkus Reviews



“Kirk Douglas is many things . . . But he is, first and foremost, a man of extraordinary character. The kind that’s formed when the stakes are high. The kind we always look for at our darkest hour.” —George Clooney

"A glorious book . . . Kirk Douglas is a wonderful writer and a courageous one, which should surprise no one. Courage has been his battle cry all his life." —Steven Spielberg

"The making of I Am Spartacus! is a remarkable story told with the wit and charm of a great entertainer. Kirk Douglas revisits the complex political and social context surrounding the production of a cinema classic." —Henry Kissinger

"Hugely entertaining." —Liz Smith, Chicago Tribune

"I Am Spartacus! is a great read." —Bill O'Reilly

"Kirk Douglas is a lion." —Bill Maher

"A lively new memoir about one of [Douglas'] greatest triumphs." —Los Angeles Times

"Carries the power of a self-made man who continues to meet life on his own terms but with grace and aplomb." —Associated Press

AUGUST 2012 - AudioFile

Actor, writer, and humanitarian Kirk Douglas, now 95 years of age, uses a powerful literary voice to describe his dramatic struggle as chief producer and starring actor of the big-screen epic SPARTACUS. Douglas’s choice of the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo as screenwriter is at the core of this revealing peek behind the politics of the large studios at the time. Despite his recent health challenges, the author’s son Michael provides a superb narration with wit, flair, and excellent timing. Precise, enthusiastic, and entertaining, the words leap into one’s consciousness. As a bonus, the author reflects on his emotions then and now as he revisits his 1959 activities. Actor George Clooney provides a tribute in the form of a foreword. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172408564
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	06/12/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged

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