Birthdates:
Kirk, (Issur Danielovitch Demsky) December 9, 1916, Amsterdam, NY
Anne Buydens, Hanover, Germany.
How They Met:
They met in Paris when she did some public relations work for "Act of Love", a movie Kirk was filming in Paris in 1953. He was engaged at the time to Pier Angeli. Anne had visited the United States and was about to go back to France. Kirk didn't want to lose her, so they eloped to Vegas.
Wedding Date:
May 29, 1954. They eloped to Las Vegas on Kirk's day off. His publicist, Warren Cowan was the best man at their wedding.
Ages at Marriage:
Anne, 24.
Kirk, 37.
Previous Marriages: Kirk, to Diana Dill (aka Diana Darrid) 11-2-1943. Union ended in divorce in 1951.
Anne, to Albert ?. Ended in divorce.
Renewal of Vows:
Near their 50th wedding anniversary on May 23, 2004. It was officiated by Rabbi David Wolpe at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills in a traditional Jewish ceremony under a rose-adorned Chupah.
They sipped wine "symbolic of the sweet things they would share", cracked a linen-wrapped glass, "a symbol that marriage involves not just joy, but difficulty." Kirk could only break the glass with his cane.
Music at Renewal Ceremony:
Traditional wedding march, Sammy Cahn's "Love and Marriage", "I'm in the Mood for Love", and a song sung by Kirk Douglas that he wrote, "Please Stay in Love With Me."
Guests at Renewal Ceremony: 300 guests including Nancy Regan, Merv Griffin, Dan Aykroyd, Karl Malden, Barbara Sinatra, Angie Dickinson, Lauren Bacall, Tony and Jill Curtis, Vidal Sassoon, Red Buttons, Anjelica Huston
Occupations:
Occupations: Kirk, actor, writer, director, producer.
Anne, president of Bryna Co., an independent film company.
Both are involved in charity work to help the homeless, breast cancer research, and improve public schools, especially playgrounds, in Los Angeles.
Children:
Michael Douglas (9/25/44) - Mother, Diana; Joel Douglas (1/23/47) -Mother, Diana; Peter Vincent Douglas (11/23/1955) - Mother, Anne;
Eric Anthony Douglas (6/21/1958)- Mother, Anne.
Grandchildren: 7
Miscellaneous:
He has survived a stroke; she has survived breast cancer. Both survived his infidelities with Joan Crawford, Gene Tierney, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich and others.
On Infidelities: Anne: "I had no illusions about that. But I told him, 'Look. I'll understand a lot of things if you tell me. But if I hear it from others and it has happened, that would hurt me very badly.'"
Kirk: "I think I was most to blame for our problems, because I hid behind the mind-set of 'I am an artist, an artist!'"
Residence:
Santa Barbara, California.
Quotes About Their Marriage:
Warren Cowan, publicist: "They have a great mutual understanding. I don't want to sound sexist, but Anne really made the marriage work. Kirk used to be more self-centered. Now, he's more in love with Anne than when they were married."
Peter Douglas, son: "Each has a great sense of humor. They needed it, with all they've been through."
What attracted Kirk to Anne? Kirk: "Her vicious sense of humor. The surprise birthday party she threw for me that year in Paris when she invited every girl I'd gone out with there."
Kirk: "I think I'm more romantic than ever.
A woman knows the man she wants to marry and a man knows the woman he doesn't want to be without."
