JACK PALANCE  •  Actor                            

Name at birth: Walter Jack Palahnuik

Jack Palance was one of the great movie heavies of the 1950s, often cast as sinister villains in film noirs, westerns and melodramas. His impressive debut in 1950's Panic in the Streets was followed by Oscar-nominated performances in Sudden Fear (1952, starring Joan Crawford) and Shane (1953, starring Alan Ladd). He starred in television's Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956) and won and Emmy, but in the 1960s and '70s he made several forgettable movies in both the U.S. and internationally. In 1989 his faded career was resurrected when he played a mean crime king in Tim Burton's Batman, and his turn as the comically creepy trail boss in City Slickers (1991) earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and a starring role in the 1994 sequel. During the 1990s he worked mostly in television.

Extra credit: The story goes that Palance was badly burned during WWII when a bomber he was piloting crashed; the resulting plastic surgery gave his face its taut, leathery look.  Joined the Army Air Force (August 1942) and began training as a bomber pilot in San Antonio, Texas. A year later, during a take-off near Tucson, Arizona, the engine of his B-24 bomber failed and crashed. After long time recovery, ended service April 2, 1944.

Jack is featured in our loop, Oscar Night Gaffes.

Jack Palance Filmography From the ever-faithful Internet Movie Database Shane In depth discussion of one of his most famous films Jam! Showbiz Great set of news articles about Palance Famous Coal Crackers: Jack Palance Bios of coal town natives who made it big	Birth: 18 February 1919 Birthplace: Lattimer, Pennsylvania Death: -- Best Known As: Curly in City Slickers