
I Am Spartacus!
Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $20.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Michael Douglas
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.
©2012 Kirk Douglas (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Good book, would recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great Story, Meaningfully Told
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The making of Spartacus!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Micheal Douglas as Kirk Douglas !
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Superb
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What made the experience of listening to I Am Spartacus! the most enjoyable?
Extraordinary subject matter, meshing show business and politics, told by the man who lived the story.Who was your favorite character and why?
Not really applicable here, though the focus of the book is on Dalton Trumbo, who was quite a character in real life.What does Michael Douglas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He is the son of the author, clearly caring about the book's message, and his father's commitment to that message.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.A Heartfelt Recollection
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
enjoyed the story and the history
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What did you love best about I Am Spartacus!?
The honesty of Kirk Douglas and his courage to stand up for what is morally right.What other book might you compare I Am Spartacus! to and why?
Leonard, by William Shatner.What about Michael Douglas’s performance did you like?
He has a very smooth voice and the fact he sounds a lot like his father.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Toward the end when he talked about Trumbo, who really deserved a break and Kirk Douglas gave it to him.Any additional comments?
One of the best audio books I've listened to, the combo of Kirk Douglas writing and Michael Douglas reading it was just the best. Really an incredible story.Incredible Journey inside Hollywood
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
amazing story and a great performance by micheal
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.