The 1949 Ed Sullivan Interview That Still Holds Fans Captive Decades Later

The following references sexual assault allegations. 

Kirk Douglas is one of Hollywood's most recognizable icons, but back in 1949, he was still fairly new in the game. Even so, an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (or as it was still known back then, "Toast of the Town") immediately captured viewers' hearts. More than seven decades later, that's still the case. 

Douglas' appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" hadn't been scheduled, and the host began by noting that he wasn't a fan of bringing members of the audience on stage. However, he acknowledged of Douglas, who was sitting in the crowd, "He was in the best picture that's come out of Hollywood this year." Cue a super confident Douglas bounding onto the stage and regaling viewers with stories about his early days as an actor. Douglas also joked that he was worried about his mother's reaction to his upcoming film "Champion," because his character was mean. "I'm a little afraid, Ed, of what's going to happen when my mother sees the picture, because she always thought I was an awfully nice fellow until I got to Hollywood. Now she's worried about me!" he joked, prompting laughter from the audience. Douglas also joked about his antics in a stage play in which he'd been cast as "an offstage echo." Understandably, Douglas was a little jealous of the actor who had gotten the lead role, and recalled intentionally botching an echo meant to be a powerful moment. 

Like we said, close to 80 years down the line, viewers are still charmed by the interview. In a YouTube comments section, one gushed, "Kirk sure was a good looking charmer who also was a great actor!!" "A truly nice guy in this interview and one of my favorite actors for his energy and charisma," penned another. 

Of course, it does bear mentioning that not everyone was quite as taken with Kirk Douglas' "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance. In fact, one YouTube viewer all but unleashed on the late star. "One of the vainest men ever to appear in film ... (look for the scene in nearly every movie he made where he takes off his shirt or is seen doing something physically grandiose)," they lamented. 

That wasn't all, though. The commenter also complained about Douglas being "a profound womanizer." That certainly has been established. In 2016, dancer Neile Adams joked to The Hollywood Reporter, "Kirk was terrible when he was a young man! You could not sit beside him without his hand crawling up your leg. ... But he was cute." Not everyone has been quite so eager to laugh off his behavior, though. Notably, the Natalie Wood controversy (and strong allegations made against Douglas by Natalie's sister) became a major story towards the end of his life. The speculation that he had assaulted her as a teenager gained enough traction that Natalie's name even began trending on X (then Twitter) after Douglas' death in early 2020. 

All that said, the YouTube user who criticized Douglas did acknowledge that they believed he had been "a fine actor." They even lamented the fact that he hadn't won best actor for his portrayal of Vincent van Gogh at the 1957 Academy Awards. Even so, something tells us their views on his personality aren't going to change. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).