Kirk Douglas the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, which gave him a special scholarship. One of his classmates was Betty Joan Perske (later known as Lauren Bacall), who would play an important role in launching his film career. Bacall wrote that she "had a wild crush on Kirk," and they dated casually. Another classmate, and a friend of Bacall's, was aspiring actress Diana Dill, who would later become Douglas's first wife. During their time together, Bacall learned Douglas had no money, and that he once spent the night in jail since he had no place to sleep. She
1940s in film 1940s in film Hundreds of full-length films were produced during the decade of the 1940s. The great actor Humphrey Bogart made his most memorable films in this decade. Frank Capra's masterpiece "It's a Wonderful Life" and Orson Welles's masterpiece "Citizen Kane" were released. The film noir genre was at its height. Alfred Hitchcock made his American debut with the film "Rebecca", and made many classics throughout the 1940s. The most successful film of the decade was Samuel Goldwyn's "The Best Years of Our Lives"; the film was directed by William Wyler, and starred Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa