 In 1960, Douglas played the title role in what many consider his career defining appearance as the Thracian gladiator slave rebel Spartacus with an all-star cast in "Spartacus" (1960).He was the executive producer as well, which raised the $12 million production cost and made it one of the most expensive films up to that time.Douglas initially selected Anthony Mann to direct, but replaced him early on with Stanley Kubrick, with whom he had previously collaborated in "Paths of Glory".