American entertainer Jack Palance, who was born Volodymyr Palahniuk on February 18, 1919, and died on November 10, 2006, was notable for his roles as a troublemaker and tough individual. For his appearances in Sudden Fear (1952) and Shane (1953), he got three Academy Award selections. Each of the nominations was in the category of Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He won the honor very nearly 40 years later for City Slickers (1991).
Early life
Palance, a son of Ukrainian immigrants who was born in Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, participated in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He spent a brief time at Stanford University before deciding to pursue a career in theatre. In Panic in the Streets (1950), he made his acting debut. In addition to his appearances in Sudden Fear and Shane, he played the crime lord Yves Perret in Tango & Cash (1989) and Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In addition, he hosted Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on ABC from 1982 until 1986.
Rise to stardom
In two 1953 films Arrowhead and Second Chance, with Robert Mitchum, Palance played a villain. In Flight to Tangier (1953), he had the opportunity to play a hero. In The Lodger called Man in the Attic (1953), he performed the starring role. He was cast by Robert Aldrich in two star roles: The Big Knife (1955), and Attack (1956), as a fierce soldier in World War II. He had the lead role in I Died a Thousand Times (1955), a remake of High Sierra. Palance played Anthony Perkins’ father in The Lonely Man (1957), a Western, and he also had two roles in House of Numbers (1957). For his performance as Mountain McClintock Rod Serling’s Requiem for a Heavyweight, Palance earned an Emmy Award for best actor in 1957.
International star
For The Man Inside (1958), which was filmed in Europe, Warwick Films contracted Palance to portray the lead role. He reconnected with Robert Aldrich and Jeff Chandler when he was cast as a bomb disposal specialist in Ten Seconds to Hell (1959). In Mexico, he made Beyond All Limits (1959), and in France, Austerlitz (1960). Furthermore, in Italy, he made Revak the Rebel, Sword of the Conqueror, The Last Judgement, Barabbas, Night Train to Milan, and Warriors Five, all of which were released in 1961. He was persuaded to play Hollywood mogul Jeremy Prokosch in the avant-garde film Le Mépris (1963), starring Brigitte Bardot, thanks to Jean-Luc Godard. Palance talked predominantly in English even though the dialogue was primarily in French.
Oscar nominations
In only his third movie, he had a supporting role opposite Joan Crawford in Sudden Fear (1952). Like Palance’s father before him, his character used to work as a coal miner. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The next year, for his performance as hired gunfighter Jack Wilson in Shane (1953), he received a nomination in the same category. The movie was a great smash, and he was now a well-known actor.
Awards and nominations
On March 30, 1992, Palance earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Curly, four decades after making his film debut. As he stepped onto the stage to accept the trophy, the 6′ 4″ (1.93 m) actor joked with Oscar host Billy Crystal, who was 5′ 7″ (1.70 m) tall. He repeated one of his movie’s lines, “Billy Crystal… I crap bigger than him.” He then dropped to the floor and exhibited his ability to complete one-armed push-ups at the age of 73.
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