Kirk Douglas hosts Thanksgiving dinner for the needy

Veteran Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas helped host a charity event this week to feed the needy for the US Thanksgiving public holiday.

Douglas was joined by his wife Anne and scores of other famous names including Blair Underwood, John Schneider and Kate Linder at the Los Angeles Mission, to provide food for those who would otherwise go without.

Thousands of people lined up outside of the mission in order to receive a free hot meal at the event, which is now in its 17th year.

"Thanksgiving is a day in the year that we should remember every day of the year, it is a day in which you help people that need help," the 93-year-old actor said.

Herb Smith, president of the mission, revealed that there were 2,500 pounds of turkey, 800 pounds of mashed potatoes and vegetable, 250 gallons of gravy and hundreds of pies available to cater for everybody that turned up.