•
LOS ANGELES -- Nothing shimmered at the Dec. 5 premiere for "Diamonds" in Westwood more than the grace of star Kirk Douglas, who returns to the screen for the first time since his stroke in 1996.
The actor, who turns 83 today, plays a former boxer who takes his son (Dan Aykroyd) and grandson (Corbin Allred) on a road trip to recover 13 diamonds he stole and hid in Reno. The road trip includes an encounter at a house of ill repute overseen by Lauren Bacall, but ultimately becomes a bonding experience for the three generations.
For Douglas, who arrived with wife Anne, it was a perfect fit.
"It's a powerful role, but it's not a difficult role," Douglas said, his speech still affected by the stroke. "Because I play a man recovering from a stroke, and that's something I know something about. But I love the picture because it has so much humor and so much humanity, so I