Of course this was his very first film, but in lieu of his overall career, it is ironic that he was cast here as such a no account loser. I kept waiting for the real Kirk Douglas to show up, but instead what I got was a Clark Kent type weakling, glasses and all. I, as a Kirk Douglas fan, can be very grateful for the fact that this film did not lead him to being miscast, as he was here, in his future roles!
shareYou know, I keep seeing comments like this. Personally, I think his character, Walter, was far more interesting than Sam. He had more issues, more dimensions. On the one hand he was weak but on the other hand, he was willing to cover up a death. On top of that, he was willing to intimidate Sam by having him beaten. Yet through all of that, he had guilt which his bottle did not help to relieve.
I think this made his performance outstanding and what an opportunity for a new actor. Had it not been so interesting, I wonder if his career would have taken off? Perhaps. We'll never know now.
He just turned 100 the other day so a happy belated birthday to him!
Random Thoughts: http://goo.gl/eXk3O