Jack Palance

Hello Arthur

Here is a brief biography of Jack. I always found him a fascinating actor to watch.

Mike

Veteran American actor Jack Palance, who starred in the classic western Shane and the cowboy comedy City Slickers, has died aged 87.
His family were at his home in Montecito, California, when he died of natural causes, a spokesman said.

Born in Pennsylvania of Ukrainian descent, Palance won fame as a hard man in films such as Shane and Sudden Fear.

He turned to comedy in City Slickers, parodying his tough image and winning an Oscar for best supporting actor.

On receiving the accolade at the 1992 Academy Awards, he delighted the audience by performing a series of one-arm push-ups on the stage.

Evil gunslinger

Palance was born Vladimir Palahnuik in 1919, the son of a coal miner, and took up boxing in the 1930s.

He turned to acting after decorated service in the Second World War and made his film debut in 1950's Panic In The Streets.

He quickly received an Oscar nomination for Sudden Fear, and then achieved greater fame a year later, in 1953, playing evil gunslinger Jack Wilson in Shane, for which he received another Academy Award nomination.

Despite the accolades, Palance moved with his wife and three young children to Lausanne, Switzerland, at the height of his career.

He spent six years in Europe, but returned home complaining he was being offered "the same kind of roles I left Hollywood because of".

Nonetheless, he spent the majority of his career playing the bad guy, including roles as Dracula and mob boss Carl Grissom in Tim Burton's film adaptation of Batman.

The actor was often as tough off the screen as on, saying that most of his roles were "garbage" and most of his directors incompetent.

"Most of them shouldn't even be directing traffic," he said.

Palance is survived by his second wife and two daughters. A memorial service is planned for 16 December.

I think his very best role was the "Shane" part. He was deliciously evil as the gunslinger.

Stumpy;

You Hit Nail right on the Head about "Shane" He was the Perfect Evil Gunfighter in the Film. Even in "The City Slickers" that He got his Oscar for the Evil Showed Thru.

In real Life He was Very Tough On and Off the Screen but a Gentile Man and will be missed as the Bag Guy on the Screen!!!

Chilibill

Rest in Peace, Walter

IMO, his best acting role was in the Lewis Milestone movie: Halls Of Montezuma, as a member of the USMC. I also remember him in Cops and Robertsons as well as in Tango and Cash. Either way, I liked him in many other movies as well--no matter what role he played.

I still have not seen either of the City Slickers movies but intend to.

I especially liked him in "The Professionals." Rest in peace, Senor Palance .
Cheers - Jay -_-

Oscar-winner Jack Palance dies at 87

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actor
Jack Palance, one of Hollywood's best-known screen villains who personified evil as a cold-blooded gunslinger in the classic western "Shane," died on Friday at the age of 87, his spokesman said.

Palance, who later won an Oscar for the comedy "City Slickers" and famously brought down the house by performing one-armed push-ups on the stage, died of natural causes, spokesman Dick Guttman said.

Though he had dozens of film and TV parts, Palance's gaunt features, raspy voice and squinty eyes were perfect for menacing roles and he often played dangerous characters.

He was nominated for
Oscars as the beady-eyed hired gun who is shot down by Alan Ladd's title character in "Shane" and for 1952's "Sudden Fear," in which he starred opposite Joan Crawford as a man plotting to kill his wife.

Born in Pennsylvania in 1919, Palance was a professional boxer who injured his throat in a fight, leaving him with his signature raspy voice, before serving in World War Two. The son of Ukrainian immigrants, his birth name was Vladimir Palahnuik, variously spelled as Palahniuk or Palaniuk.

After the war Palance moved to New York and served as Marlon Brando's understudy for the classic Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire." He made his screen debut in the 1950 Elia Kazan film "Panic in the Streets."

"Shane," with its beautiful cinematography of bleak landscapes and themes of good versus evil, is considered one of Hollywood's greatest westerns.

Ladd stars as a vaguely mysterious former gunslinger who tries to settle down with a homesteading family but is forced into a showdown with the hired gun played by Palance.

George Stevens Jr., the son of "Shane" director George Stevens, said he remembered Palance arriving on the set weeks before his scenes were to be shot.

"(He would) get on his gray horse and then ride off and we'd see him stop and practice getting on and off the horse," Stevens said. "He was from New York and didn't know how to do that. And he also worked with the fast draw guy to practice drawing his gun. At the end, the gunslinger instructor was very impressed."

Palance's chilling, scene-stealing acting in "Shane" landed him leading roles in the 1950s but he was best suited as the bad guy, both in film and on television.

His career had a resurgence with his role in "City Slickers," playing aging but still tough-as-nails cowboy Curly Washburn, who quietly inspires a group of businessmen during a western cattle drive.

Oscar host
Billy Crystal, who starred alongside Palance in "Slickers," turned his one-handed push-ups into a running gag.

Guttman said Palance, who is survived by his wife and two daughters, died at his home in Montecito, California, surrounded by members of his family.

(Additional reporting by Arthur Spiegelman)

Here's a few more photos.

A great actor and man. He will be missed.

Bill, did you know this man?

Cheers B)

Hondo;

I spent time with Jack and Ben Johnson in Sedona for a Prom. for the T.V. Series "The Gunfighters" for Hearst Productions back in the 1980s.

Bill

Hi all,

I can't add any more to what's been said.

R.I.P Jack

Emmanuel.

Hi,

R.I.P. JP

Most folks don't know it, but Jack was also a very devout Ukranian Catholic.
He was very dedicated, especially, to his childhood parish in Penn. and to the Ukranian Catholic community of that area.

He was a good, humble and gentle man. May God bless him with eternal peace in Heaven.

Tbone

I liked Mr Palance In Monte Walsh with Lee Marvin, but I did not know he was of Ukranian decent ( as am I on my mothers side ) once again this board has served up info that I find interesting. As it happens I worked as an extra here in Vancouver that starred Jack Palance and Ted Danson. It was a hot summer day and the scene had Mr Palance and Danson as pallbarors in a graveyard. The coffin was very high end and very heavy. I was first on the left and Mr Pallance was first on the left. Between takes cast would enquire if Mr Pallance needed anything and he was very polite and quietly reassured them that he was fine. At 40 years younger I was feeling the pounds of that casket and here he was, uncomplaining. There was a dignity about the man.

Quote from kilo 6

I liked Mr Palance In Monte Walsh with Lee Marvin, but I did not know he was of Ukranian decent ( as am I on my mothers side ) once again this board has served up info that I find interesting. As it happens I worked as an extra here in Vancouver that starred Jack Palance and Ted Danson. It was a hot summer day and the scene had Mr Palance and Danson as pallbarors in a graveyard. The coffin was very high end and very heavy. I was first on the left and Mr Pallance was first on the left. Between takes cast would enquire if Mr Pallance needed anything and he was very polite and quietly reassured them that he was fine. At 40 years younger I was feeling the pounds of that casket and here he was, uncomplaining. There was a dignity about the man.

Thanks for the personal story - I enjoyed it.

I'm not at all surprised about your closing comment re "there was a dgnity about the man". I've enjoyed Jack in movies for many, many years now and had seen him in interviews and that was always the impression that I got about the man - that he possessed qualities like dignity, class and humility.

There are / were so many of these older stars who carried themselves so well and alot of the younger actors could do alot worse than to try and emulate the likes of Jack Palance - both on and off the screen.

Rest in peace, Jack, and thanks for so many great film memories.

Quote from kilo 6

I liked Mr Palance In Monte Walsh with Lee Marvin, but I did not know he was of Ukranian decent ( as am I on my mothers side ) once again this board has served up info that I find interesting. As it happens I worked as an extra here in Vancouver that starred Jack Palance and Ted Danson. It was a hot summer day and the scene had Mr Palance and Danson as pallbarors in a graveyard. The coffin was very high end and very heavy. I was first on the left and Mr Pallance was first on the left. Between takes cast would enquire if Mr Pallance needed anything and he was very polite and quietly reassured them that he was fine. At 40 years younger I was feeling the pounds of that casket and here he was, uncomplaining. There was a dignity about the man.

Did you see that Oscar show where Palance did one-handed pushups? And I think he was in his late Sixties or maybe even his Seventies when he did it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Mr Pallance won an Oscar in 1992 of Best Actor in a Supporting Role for City Slickers.
He was born in 1919 so he would have been seventy three years old when he did those pushups. I hate to admit it but I don't think I could do them at 49. As we stopped watching TV before our first child was born 21 years ago I missed it but I'll take your word for it that it was something to see.

Quote from kilo 6

There was a dignity about the man.

kilo,

I think that pretty well sums up the difference between the "stars" of today and the greats of the past. In general, they had dignity. The new talent could learn a thing or 2 from the greats.

watched a movie last night with him in it, quite a good movie. its sad to see all the old actors leaving us

cheers smokey

Quote from smokey

watched a movie last night with him in it, quite a good movie. its sad to see all the old actors leaving us cheers smokey

At least they're leaving us a legacy of films to enjoy!
Cheers - Jay