Entertainment

1.5k voters

The Best Kirk Douglas Movies

Updated September 9, 2020 8.0k votes 1.5k voters 90.5k views78 items

Here is a list of the best Kirk Douglas movies, ranked best to worst. It's hard to say which of his films are the greatest, but Kirk Douglas's performance in Spartacus certainly ranks amongst his best. Kirk Douglas's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Kirk Douglas movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Kirk Douglas movies will be at the top of the list. Kirk Douglas has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Kirk Douglas movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Kirk Douglas films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Kirk Douglas role isn't at the top, then vote it up so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Kirk Douglas performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand. He was born in Beverly Hills, CA, and died at the age of 103 after acting in films for over five decades.

The list you're viewing has a variety of films, like Paths of Glory and The Vikings, in it.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best Kirk Douglas movies?" and "What are the greatest Kirk Douglas roles of all time?" If you are a fan of Douglas' classic films, you might also enjoy our list of best Burt Lancaster movies and best Michael Douglas movies.

list.itemsDescription

...more

1
326
75
Spartacus
Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier
Released: 1960
Released: 1960
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo was based on the novel Spartacus by Howard Fast. It was inspired by the life story... more
More Spartacus
#92 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#45 of 376 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked
2
225
59
Paths of Glory
Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou
Released: 1957
Released: 1957
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Paths of Glory is a 1957 American film by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb. Set during WWI, the film stars Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax, the commanding officer of... more
More Paths of Glory
#230 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry#34 of 335 The Best Political Films Ever Made
3
147
40
Lust for Life
Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn
Released: 1956
Released: 1956
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli, George Cukor
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli, George Cukor
Lust for Life is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin. It was directed by Vincente... more
More Lust for Life
#14 of 96 Great Period Movies Set in the 19th Century#8 of 100 The Best Movies About Art & Artists
4
166
55
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Kirk Douglas, Peter Lorre
Released: 1954
Released: 1954
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a 1954 American Technicolor adventure film starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre. It was the first CinemaScope science fiction film and was... more
More 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
#89 of 98 The Best Film Adaptations Of Young Adult Novels#56 of 136 The Scariest Animal Horror Movies Ever Made
5
178
69
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Kirk Douglas, Dennis Hopper
Released: 1957
Released: 1957
Directed by: John Sturges
Directed by: John Sturges
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, based on a real event which took place on October 26, 1881. The picture was... more
More Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
#53 of 401 The Best Western Movies Ever Made#17 of 63 The Best Western Movies of the 1950s
6
120
31
Seven Days in May
Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner
Released: 1964
Released: 1964
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Seven Days in May is a 1964 drama-romance film written by Fletcher Knebel, Charles W. Bailey II and Rod Serling and directed by John Frankenheimer.... more
More Seven Days in May
#1246 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies#20 of 100 The Best Cold War Movies
7
170
60
Lonely Are the Brave
Kirk Douglas, George Kennedy
Released: 1962
Released: 1962
Directed by: David Miller
Directed by: David Miller
Lonely Are the Brave is a 1962 film adaptation of the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy. The film was directed by David Miller from a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo. It stars Kirk Douglas as cowboy... more
8
132
40
Detective Story
Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker
Released: 1951
Released: 1951
Directed by: William Wyler
Directed by: William Wyler
Detective Story is a 1951 film noir which tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad. It features Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William... more
9
139
46
The Bad and the Beautiful
Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner
Released: 1952
Released: 1952
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
The Bad and the Beautiful is a 1952 MGM melodramatic film that tells the story of a film producer who alienates all around him. It stars Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry... more
10
100
37
The Man from Snowy River
Kirk Douglas, Jack Thompson
Released: 1982
Released: 1982
Directed by: George T. Miller
Directed by: George T. Miller
The Man from Snowy River is a 1982 Australian drama film based on the Banjo Paterson poem The Man from Snowy River. The film had a cast including Kirk Douglas in a dual role as the brothers Harrison... more
More The Man from Snowy River
#380 of 512 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked#339 of 557 The Best Film Scores Of All Time

11
100
29
A Letter to Three Wives
Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain
Released: 1949
Released: 1949
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
A Letter to Three Wives is a 1949 American romantic drama film which tells the story of a woman who mails a letter to three women, telling them she has left town with the husband of one of them. It... more
12
129
52
In Harm's Way
John Wayne, Kirk Douglas
Released: 1965
Released: 1965
Directed by: Otto Preminger
Directed by: Otto Preminger
In Harm's Way is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith,... more
More In Harm's Way
#151 of 175 The Best Movies Of The '60s#18 of 223 The Greatest World War II Movies of All Time
13
133
66
The War Wagon
Sean Connery, John Wayne
Released: 1967
Released: 1967
Directed by: Burt Kennedy
Directed by: Burt Kennedy
This film is a 1967 Western film starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas, released by Universal Pictures, directed by Burt Kennedy, produced by Marvin Schwartz and adapted by Clair Huffaker from his own... more
More The War Wagon
#21 of 46 The Greatest Western Movies of the 1960s#43 of 73 The Very Best Sean Connery Movies
14
73
22
Young Man with a Horn
Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall
Released: 1950
Released: 1950
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Young Man with a Horn is a 1950 musical drama film based on a novel of the same name by Dorothy Baker inspired by the life of Bix Beiderbecke, the jazz cornetist. The movie stars Kirk Douglas, Lauren... more
15
88
34
Champion
Kirk Douglas, Arthur Kennedy
Released: 1949
Released: 1949
Directed by: Mark Robson
Directed by: Mark Robson
Champion is a 1949 American film noir drama based on a short story by Ring Lardner. Filmed in black-and-white, it recounts the struggles of boxer "Midge" Kelly fighting his own demons while working... more
16
112
58
The Final Countdown
Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen
Released: 1980
Released: 1980
Directed by: Don Taylor
Directed by: Don Taylor
The Final Countdown is a 1980 alternate history science fiction film about a modern ship that travels through time to a day before the 1941. Produced by Peter Vincent Douglas and directed by Don... more
More The Final Countdown
#275 of 442 The Best Fantasy Movies#7 of 57 The Best Sci-Fi Movies on Amazon Prime
17
224
174
The Vikings
Kirk Douglas, Janet Leigh
Released: 1958
Released: 1958
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
The Vikings is a 1958 adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and filmed in Technicolor. It was produced by and stars Kirk Douglas. It is based on the novel The Viking by Edison Marshall, which... more
18
144
32
There Was a Crooked Man...
Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda
Released: 1970
Released: 1970
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
This film is a 1970 western starring Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It was written by David Newman and Robert Benton, their first script to be produced after... more
19
95
50
Last Train from Gun Hill
Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn
Released: 1959
Released: 1959
Directed by: John Sturges
Directed by: John Sturges
Last Train from Gun Hill is a 1959 Western by action director John Sturges. It stars Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones and Earl Holliman. Douglas and Holliman had previously appeared... more
20
137
34
Ace in the Hole
Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling
Released: 1951
Released: 1951
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Ace in the Hole is a 1951 American film noir starring Kirk Douglas as a cynical, disgraced reporter who stops at nothing to try to regain a job on a major newspaper. It marked a series of firsts for... more

21
110
28
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Kirk Douglas, Barbara Stanwyck
Released: 1946
Released: 1946
Directed by: Lewis Milestone
Directed by: Lewis Milestone
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is a black-and-white film noir released in the United States in 1946, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott and featuring Kirk Douglas in his film... more
22
73
43
Greedy
Kirsten Dunst, Michael J. Fox
Released: 1994
Released: 1994
Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
Greedy is a 1994 comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film starred Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas, and Nancy Travis, with Phil Hartman, Ed Begley,... more
23
98
37
Build My Gallows High
Kirk Douglas
Released: 1947
Released: 1947
Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
Out of the Past is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring, with uncredited revisions by... more
24
55
35
The Glass Menagerie
Kirk Douglas, Jane Wyman
Released: 1950
Released: 1950
Directed by: Irving Rapper
Directed by: Irving Rapper
The Glass Menagerie is a 1950 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Tennessee Williams and Peter Berneis is based on the 1944 Williams play of the same title. It was the... more
25
88
34
The Big Sky
Kirk Douglas, Jim Davis
Released: 1952
Released: 1952
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Directed by: Howard Hawks
The Big Sky is a 1952 American Western film directed by Howard Hawks, based on the novel of the same name. The cast includes Kirk Douglas, Arthur Hunnicutt, Dewey Martin and Elizabeth Threatt. Though... more

Greedy