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1996: LOS ANGELES --

His speech struggling against the effects of a recent stroke,

Kirk Douglas thanked his tearful family and friends in accepting an honorary

Oscar for 50 years of achievement in the film industry.

"Thank you. Thank you," Douglas told the audience Monday night. "I see my

four sons. They are proud of the old man. And I am proud, too. Proud to be a

part of Hollywood for 50 years. But this is for my wife, Anne. I love you."

Television cameras showed Mrs. Douglas and their sons, including

actor-producer Michael Douglas, with tears rolling down their faces.

Douglas suffered a minor stroke early this month. He seemed fit when he took

the stage to accept his statuette from director Steven Spielberg, but

appeared to suffer some paralysis on the right side of his face.

In introducing Douglas, Spielberg praised the veteran actor's grace and courage.

"Most stars of his stature are shaped out of mythic clay," Spielberg said.

"Kirk Douglas never chose that. He doesn't have a single character that

makes him unique. Instead, he has a singular honesty, a drive to be inimitable.'

Douglas was nominated for lead actor Oscars three times -- in 1950 for

"Champion," in 1953 for "The Bad and the Beautiful" and in 1957 for "Lust

for Life." He never won.

He also starred in "Gunfight at the OK Corral," "Lonely are the Brave,"

"Spartacus" and, more recently, "Greedy." He has made 75 other films.

The academy singled Douglas out for an achievement award for his five

decades as a "creative and moral force in the motion picture community."

Spielberg noted that Douglas helped break the Hollywood blacklist by

publicly recognizing exiled writer Dalton Trumbo as the author of

"Spartacus." Douglas also has given time and money to charity, including

more than $1 million to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.