Kirk Douglas has been in films.
Part of the AFI 100 Years ... series , AFI 's 100 Years ... 100 Stars is a list of the top 50 greatest screen legends in American film history , which included 25 male and 25 female stars . Kirk Douglas . Douglas became an international star through positive reception for his leading role as an unscrupulous boxing hero in Champion ( 1949 ) , which brought him his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor . Other early films include Young Man with a Horn ( 1950 ) , playing opposite Lauren Bacall and Doris Day ; Ace in the Hole opposite Jan Sterling ( 1951 ) ; and Detective Story ( 1951 ) . He produced and starred in Lonely Are the Brave ( 1962 ) , considered a cult classic , and Seven Days in May ( 1964 ) , opposite Burt Lancaster , with whom he made seven films .