- Ladies and gentlemen,
Kirk Douglas.
So let's bring him
out here tonight--
(applause)
(applause)
I think they like you.
- It's unbelievable.
They gotta like
us Amsterdam boys.
- Now Kirk,
Kirk, apart from the
"Champion" and "Spartacus"
what was the first great
stage thrill you ever had?
- Well Ed,
really the greatest
stage thrill for me,
was really my first job.
First of all they were paying me
for something that I
would have been glad
to do for nothing
and suddenly I found myself
being paid to perform
at the theater,
which by the way is exactly,
directly opposite the street
from the Court Theater
where we're doing
"One Flew Over
the Cuckoo's Nest"
- And that theater was
the old Playhouse Theater.
- That's right.
- Where they made Birdie.
- Exactly and his
wife Grace Jordan,
and C. Aubrey Smith were in it
and I played the part
I was so excited,
I played the part
of a singing messenger boy and
I had to come in at the end
of the second act and
sing this telegram
and that to me was the
most exciting thing.
- Sing it to the audience.
- Oh, I'd be glad to.
(audience clapping)
♪ Congratulations Nelly dear ♪
♪ This program's just a starter♪
♪ May health and
fame and happiness ♪
♪ Be yours through
General Carter ♪
- Magnificent!
(applause)
- Magnificent!
(applause)
- How come I never get
any requests to sing?
- Just as you'd
sing in his own show
over here and it's great.
Now, Kirk tell the
youngsters of the country--
Now there are a lot of
youngsters out here see,
why there are a lot of
youngsters out here,
tell them and the
youngsters of the country
what you told me in your
dressing room the other night.
- Well, seriously
what Ed and I spoke about,
is something that I think
is tremendously important
to every youngster
and it's tremendously
important to our country
and that is there's a real
serious problem of dropouts.
That is there are a lot
of kids who are thinking
well, I shouldn't finish
high school I can get a job.
Now as a result of this,
they don't realize
that they are impairing
their own later security.
Now I know this myself
because I was lucky enough
to have had somebody that
forced me to go through college
and as Ed knows,
we're talking about my--
I hitchhiked to college,
I had $163 in my pocket
and my last ride was on top
of a truckload of fertilizer.
I think there's a
significance there somewhere
(audience laughing)
but the important thing is,
that I think all parents
who are having problems now
with their children
who wanna drop out
and not finish high school,
ought to urge them
to reconsider that.
If it's possible at all,
of course it would
be wonderful to go on
and continue and go
through college as well
but at least,
think very, very seriously
before you prevent yourself
from getting a high
school education
because in later life,
it's going to prevent you
from getting a better job
and earning a better living
for you and your family.
So think very seriously
before you decide to drop out.
Thank you,
and Ed thank you very much.
(applause)
