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Kirk Douglas Managed To Quit Smoking Using His Dad's Unusual Technique

Kirk Douglas Managed To Quit Smoking Using His Dad's Unusual Technique

Douglas only started smoking after he had to light up for a scene in a movie

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

As the world remembers late Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas, details of how he managed to quit smoking have resurfaced - a nifty trick passed down from his father.

In an interview with The New York Times, Douglas recalled how his father, a 'Russian peasant' called Herschel Danielovitch who came to the States in 1910, used to smoke regularly.

However, after many years smoking, Danielovitch's doctor told him he would die of cancer if he didn't kick the habit - which, dutifully, he did.

Kirk Douglas receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.
PA

Douglas told the newspaper: "Here's how he did it: he always carried one cigarette in the breast pocket of his shirt.

"When he felt the urge to smoke, he'd take the cigarette out and look at it fiercely.

"With a growl, he would say, in his Russian accent, 'Who's stronger? You - me?'

"He would glare at the cigarette: 'I stronger'.

"And he'd put the cigarette back in his pocket.

"He did that for a few years, but it was too late. He died of cancer at age 72."

While Danielovitch didn't manage to overcome his habit before it became deadly, Douglas had a little more success.

Douglas explained how he never used to smoke - even when he was in the Navy during WWII.

However, when he landed his first acting gig in 1946's The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers, he was asked to smoke a cigarette in a scene.

The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers.
Paramount

After director Lewis Milestone showed him how, it didn't take long before Douglas was smoking two-to-three packs a day.

Tobacco companies made it even easier for him by supplying him with cartons of cigarettes each month.

Douglas continued: "One day in 1950 I was in my den, smoking as usual. I exhaled and through the smoke I saw a picture of my father on my desk. I thought of him on his deathbed. I stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. I took one cigarette from the pack and threw the rest in the wastebasket.

"I held up the cigarette and studied it. My father's words came to me: 'Who's stronger? You - me?'

"'I stronger'.

"I put the cigarette in my shirt pocket and never smoked again."

And it's a trick that clearly worked, as Douglas passed away this week at the grand age of 103.

Michael and Kirk Douglas.
PA

Confirming the sad news of his death, his son, actor Michael Douglas, released a statement that said: "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103.

"To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.

"But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad; to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law; to his grandchildren and great grandchild, their loving grandfather; and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband.

"Kirk's life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet.

"Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad - I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, US Entertainment, Smoking