Kirk Douglas photos

Surrounded by a couple female admirers, a clean-cut Kirk Douglas is all smiles holding a cigarette, circa 1940.

Douglas is all eyes and ears as Van Heflin and Barbara Stanwyck embrace in a scene from the film The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers, 1946.

Before there was Rocky, there was Douglas' Champion, directed by Mark Robson, 1949. All cut up and bloody, the actor poses for a publicity shot.

Drinking made easy: Douglas and his wife, Diana, sip on a beverage while on vacation on Catalina Island, California, 1949.

Douglas smokes a ciggie in an ad for Chesterfield Cigarettes, 1950.

Douglas and an unidentified actor jig it out in a promo portrait for William Wyler's Detective Story, 1951. As usual, Douglas casually holds a cigarette in one hand.

And how do you do? Douglas shakes hands with Queen Elizabeth II at the premiere of Alexander Hall's Because You're Mine in London, 1952. To his right, actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. watches the polite exchange, along with British actress Anne Crawford and Mr. R. Bromhead, who are standing behind Douglas.

A bearded Douglas shows off his brawny skills as he lifts two bikini-clad ladies during the Venice Film Festival in Italy, 1953. No comment on his choice of swimming trunks.

Pole-r opposites? Iron man Douglas lifts his sons, Joel (L) and Michael (R) using a full-length pole near the edge of a swimming pool, circa 1955.

A self-portrait of Douglas as he poses with an image of Vincent Van Gogh for a publicity still for Lust for Life, 1956. Douglas plays Van Gogh in this biopic directed by Vincente Minnelli.

An intense-looking Douglas on the set of Paths of Glory, 1957.

With a face like this, who'd want to mess with Douglas? The actor poses for a publicity still for The Vikings, 1958.

Douglas and second wife, Anne, smile as they cover themselves at the London aiport, 1958.

Douglas & Burt Lancaster sandwich an unidentified pianist as they belt out "It's Great Not to Be Nominated," during rehearsal for the 30th annual Academy Awards. Show producer Jerry Wald looks on, seemingly biting his nails.

Douglas stretches out his legs between takes on the set of Spartacus.

Douglas laughs it out while on the set of Spartacus with castmates (L to R): John Gavin, Peter Ustinov, Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier.

Sticking point: Douglas tries to find good aim while fighting Woody Strode (as Draba) in Spartacus by Stanley Kubrick.

Here Kitty, Kitty: Douglas gives an affectionate scratch to a lion cub called Spartacus, which was presented to him in appreciation for his role in the eponymous film.

A scruffed out Douglas reads The Good Book in a scene from his directorial debut film Scalawag, 1973.

Douglas and son Eric in 1983.

All in the Family: Douglas celebrates his honorary Oscar with his family at home in 1996. From L to R: Douglas, Michael, wife Anne, Peter, Joel, and Eric.

A prayerful Douglas has a moment at Jerusalem's Western Wall in 2000, where he was honored at a film festival with a lifetime achievement award.

Douglas and his younger "twin," Michael, have a father-son moment during the It Runs in the Family premiere in Westwood, California, in 2003.

Douglas horses around at the Miles Avenue Elementary School in Huntington Park, California, in 2003.

Douglas and wife Anne serve meals to the needy at the Los Angeles Mission and Anne Douglas Center's Thanksgiving Meal for the Homeless in 2005.

Bowing to a cinematic king. Actress Melissa Leo kneels before Douglas as she accepts the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood in 2011.

From past to present: Douglas poses with an old picture of himself during The 2006 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where he was honored in Santa Barbara, California.