Kirk Douglas used his horse to threaten A-list director over iconic scene: ‘You little pr–k’

See more of our coverage in your search results. Kirk Douglas used his horse to threaten “Spartacus” director Stanley Kubrick when they were shooting the iconic “I am Spartacus” scene from the 1960 film. During Thursday’s episode of the Turner Classic Movies podcast “The Plot Thickens,” host Ben Mankiewicz recalled how Kirk was upset with Kubrick for ignoring his memo about the famous line from Dalton Trumbo’s script. Kirk wanted to keep the quote, Mankiewicz said, while Kubrick removed it from the script without consulting the film’s lead star. Kirk Douglas (seen here in “Spartacus”) used his horse to threaten director Stanley Kubrick when they were shooting an iconic scene from the 1960 film, according to the Turner Classic Movies podcast “The Plot Thickens” host Ben Mankiewicz. Getty Images Mankiewicz said Douglas (seen here) and Kubrick disagreed over including the famous line “I am Spartacus” in the script. Corbis via Getty Images So, Kirk allegedly “trotted” over to Kubrick on a “big brown horse” that got “inches away from Stanley’s face,” and told the director: “When I send you a memo about shooting a scene, I at least expect an answer. I sent you that note about the ‘I am Spartacus’ scene, and you haven’t even bothered to respond.” Kubrick allegedly replied, “That’s because I don’t wanna do it – it’s a stupid idea.” Kirk, in response, “pushed the horse right up against” Kubrick, according to Mankiewicz. Douglas (pictured above with Kubrick on the set of the film) confronted the director on his horse and called him a “little pr–k,” as he lashed out about being ignored by Kubrick. Corbis via Getty Images Kubrick (seen here on the “Spartacus” set) said the line was “a stupid idea,” but Douglas insisted they should shoot the scene with the line. Getty Images “Listen, you little pr–k. This may be a stupid idea, but we’re gonna try it,” Kirk allegedly told Kubrick. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll cut it out, but we’re gonna shoot it.” Kubrick ultimately agreed to Kirk’s demands, and the next day, they filmed what Mankiewicz called “the most famous scene in the movie.” Earlier in the podcast, Mankiewicz recalled how Kirk brought Kubrick onto the project after the actor “had grown frustrated” with original director Anthony Mann. Mann, according to Mankiewicz, “was encouraging the actors to improvise their lines,” which caused production to “fall way behind schedule.” Kubrick agreed to Douglas’ demands and they shot the famous scene the next day (Douglas is pictured here in the film). Getty Images Douglas (seen here with Woody Strode in “Spartacus”) brought Kubrick onto the project after he “had grown frustrated” with original director Anthony Mann. Getty Images Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! Thus, Kirk took matters into his own hands and got then-31-year-old Kubrick, whom he previously worked with on 1957’s “Path of Glory,” to join the “Spartacus” team. “There were two things I knew about Stanley,” Kirk, voiced by his son, Michael, on the podcast, said. “First, even though he was only 30, he had the talent and self-confidence to step in and take over a picture of this size.” “Second,” Kirk added, “his self-confidence often bordered on arrogance, a quality that could be a help or a hindrance when dealing with hard-to-rein in actors such as [Laurence] Olivier, [Charles] Laughton, and [Peter] Ustinov.” Kubrick and Douglas (seen here with Charles McGaw on the “Spartacus” set) previously worked together on 1957’s “Path of Glory.” Bettmann Archive Douglas (seen here with Kubrick on the “Path of Glory” set) said Kubrick’s “self-confidence often bordered on arrogance.” Corbis via Getty Images Despite the behind-the-scenes issues, “Spartacus” was a massive success, grossing over $60 million worldwide on a $12 million budget, and winning four Oscars out of six nominations The film is regarded as one of the greatest war movies of all time. Kubrick died in 1999, at age 70. Kirk passed away two decades later, in 2020, at age 103. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!