Jack Palance Biography (1920?-) (original) (raw)

1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Chris Owen to Bernadette Peters

Original name, Walter Jack Palahnuik (some sources cite Vladimir Palahnuik, Walter Pelanskie, or other variations); born February 18, 1920 (some sources cite 1919 or 1921), in Lattimer (some sources cite Lattimer Mines), PA; son ofJohn (a coal miner) and Anna (maiden name, Gramiak) Palahnuik; brother of Leon Palahnuik (an actor); married Virginia Baker (an actress and filmmaker), April 21, 1949 (divorced, 1969); married Elaine Rochelle Rogers, May 6, 1987 (divorced); children: (first marriage) Holly Kathleen (an actress and screenwriter), Brook Gabrielle, Cody John (deceased). Addresses: Agent: William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor

Birth Details

February 18, 1920?

Pennsylvania, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• (As Walter Jack Palance) Blackie, Panic in the Streets, TwentiethCentury-Fox, 1950
• (As Walter Jack Palance) Pigeon Lane, The Halls of Montezuma, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1950
• Lester Blaine, Sudden Fear, RKO Radio Pictures, 1952
• Cappy Gordon, Second Chance, RKO Radio Pictures, 1953
• Gil Walker, Flight to Tangier, Paramount, 1953
• Slade, Man in the Attic (also known as El hombre del atica), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1953
• (As Walter Jack Palance) Stark Wilson, Shane, Paramount, 1953
• Toriano, Arrowhead, Paramount, 1953
• Attila the Hun, Sign of the Pagan, Universal, 1954
• Charles Castle, The Big Knife, United Artists, 1955
• El Tigre, Kiss of Fire, Universal, 1955
• Roy Earle, I Died a Thousand Times, Warner Bros., 1955
• Simon Magus, The Silver Chalice, Warner Bros., 1955
• Arnie Judlow and Bill Judlow, The House of Numbers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1957
• Jacob Wade, The Lonely Man, Paramount, 1957
• Jim Gatsby, Beyond All Limits (also known as Flowers of Mayo and Flor de mayo), 1957
• Lieutenant Joe Costa (Fox Company), Attack!, United Artists, 1958
• Milo March, The Man Inside, Columbia, 1958
• Erik Koertner, Ten Seconds to Hell (also known as The Phoenix), United Artists, 1959
• General Weirother, Austerlitz (also known as The Battle of Austerlitz, La battaglia di Austerlitz, and Napoleone ad Austerlitz), Lux, 1960
• Treno di Natale, 1960
• Alboino, Sword of the Conqueror (also known as Rosamunda e Alboino), United Artists, 1961
• Matteoni, The Last Judgement (also known as Il giudizio universale and Le jugement dernier), 1961
• Ogotai, The Mongols (also known as I mongoli and Les mongols), Colorama, 1961
• Jack, Warriors Five (also known as La derniere attaque and_La guerra continua_), American International, 1962
• Torvald, Barabbas (also known as Barabba), Columbia, 1962
• Himself, Begegnung mit Fritz Lang, 1963
• Jeremy Prokosch, Contempt (also known as Il disprezzo and Le mepris), Embassy, 1963
• Il criminale, 1963
• Himself, Paparazzi, 1964
• Walter Pedak, Once a Thief (also known as Les tueurs de San Francisco), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965
• Captain Jesus Raza, The Professionals, Columbia, 1966
• Louis Strago, The Spy in the Green Hat, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966
• Rick, Kill a Dragon, United Artists, 1967
• Ronald Wyatt, The Torture Garden, Columbia, 1967
• Antonin, Deadly Sanctuary (also known as Justine, Justine and Juliet, Marquis de Sade: Justine, and Justine ovvero le disavventure della virtu), American International, 1968
• Himself, Flash 30, 1968
• Colonel Charley MacPherson, Legion of the Damned (also known as Battle of the Commandos, Die zum Teufel gehen, La brigada de los condenados, and La legione dei dannati), 1969
• Douglas, They Came to Rob Las Vegas (also known as Our Man in Las Vegas, An einem Freitag in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, 500 millones, Les hommes de Las Vegas, and Radiografia di un colpo d'oro), Warner Bros./Seven Arts, 1969
• Fidel Castro, Che!, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969
• Major John Heston, Hell's Brigade (also known as Attack Force Normandy, A Bullet for Rommel, The Fall of the Giants, Hell's Brigade: The Final Assault, Hora cero: Operacion Rommel, and_L'urlo dei gigante_), 1969
• Parson Josiah Galt, The Desperados, Columbia, 1969
• Chet Rollins, Monte Walsh, National General, 1970
• Kolby, The McMasters (also known as The Blood Crowd), Chevron, 1970
• Ricciolo (Curly), The Mercenary: A Professional Gun (also known as_The Mercenary,_ A Professional Gun, Revenge of a Gunfighter, Il mercenario, and Salario para matar), United Artists, 1970
• Xantos (some sources cite John), Companeros (also known as Loscompaneros, Lasst uns toeten, Companeros, Vamos a matar, companeros!, and Zwei Companeros), Tritone Filmindustria/Atlantida Film/TerraFilmkunst, 1970
• Tursen, The Horsemen, Columbia, 1971
• Captain Quincey Whitmore, Chato's Land, United Artists, 1972
• Narrator, And So Ends, 1972
• Santini, Con Men (also known as Father Jackleg, Sting ofthe West, and Te deum), Tecisa, 1972
• Sonny Bronston, The Big and the Bad (also known as Bulldozer IsBack Amigo, Can Be Done, Amigo, It Can Be Done, Amigo, Saddle Tramps, Amigo! ... Mon colt a deux mots a te dire, En elOeste se puede hacer ... amigo, and Si puo fare ... amigo), Atlantida, 1972
• The Getaway, National General, 1972
• Hellman, Oklahoma Crude, Columbia, 1973
• Brothers Blue (also known as The Short and Happy Life of Brothers Blue and Blu gang vissero per sempre felici e ammazzati), 1973
• Imagine, 1973
• Neal Mottram, Craze (also known as Demon Master and TheInfernal Idol), Warner Bros., 1974
• Robert Preston/William Hunter, Africa Express (also known as Tropical Express and Africa Express--Ein Teufelskerl in Africa), 1975
• Vic Morono, The Four Deuces, Avco-Embassy, 1975
• The Great Adventure (also known as The Cry of the Wolf, Il richiamo del lupo, and La llamada del lobo), Pacific, 1975
• Judas Carmichael, Eva Nera (also known as Black Cobra, Emmanuelle Goes Japanese, Erotic Eva, and Hot Pants), 1976
• Mr. Kitch, I Will If You Will (also known as The Nurse, The Secrets of a Sensuous Nurse, The Sensuous Nurse, and L'infermiera), 1976
• Richard J. Russo (Mr. Shelly), Squadra antiscippo (also known as The Cop in Blue Jeans), 1976
• Van Daalen, Safari Express, 1976
• Sam Clayton, A Bullet from God (also known as God's Gun, Diamante lobo, and Pistola di Dio), 1976, Irwin Yablans, 1978
• Bloody Avenger (also known as For a Silver Dollar, Knell, the Bloody Avenger, Policeman's Blood, and Sangue di sbirro), 1976, Trimark Home Video, 1980
• Jim Buck, Portrait of a Hitman (also known as Jim Buck and_The Last Contract_), 1977
• Scarface, Mister Scarface (also known as The Big Boss, Blood and Bullets, Rulers of the City, I padroni della citta, and Zwei Supertypen raeumen auf), 1977
• Sheriff Friedlander, Welcome to Blood City (also known as BloodCity), 1977
• Host, Unknown Powers, 1978
• Wade, One Man Jury (also known as Dead on Arrival), Cal AmArtists, 1978
• Farrell, Seven from Heaven (also known as Angels' Brigade and Angels Revenge), Arista, 1979
• Omus (some sources cite Omun), The Shape of Things to Come (also known as H. G. Wells' "The Shape of Things to Come"), Film Ventures, 1979
• Raf, Cocaine Cowboys, International Harmony, 1979
• Joe Taylor, Without Warning (also known as Alien Warning, It Came ... without Warning, and The Warning), Filmways, 1980
• Killer Force (also known as The Diamond Mercenaries), American International, 1980
• Ladyfingers, 1980
• Voltan, Hawk the Slayer, ITC, 1981
• Frank Hawkes, Alone in the Dark, New Line Cinema, 1982
• Himself, George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (documentary), Castle Hill, 1985
• Xenos, Gor, Cannon, 1987
• The Black Cobra (also known as Cobra nero), Video Gems, 1987
• Rudi Cox, Out of Rosenheim, Futura/Filmvorlag der Autoren, 1987, released in the United States as Bagdad Cafe, Island, 1988
• Lawrence G. Murphy, Young Guns, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988
• Carl Grissom, Batman, Warner Bros., 1989
• Xenos, Outlaw of Gor (also known as The Outlaw), Warner Home Video, 1989
• Yves Perret, Tango and Cash, Warner Bros., 1989
• Travis, Solar Crisis (also known as Crisis 2050, Starfire, and Kuraishisu niju-goju nen), Vidmark Entertainment, 1990
• Curly Washburn, City Slickers, Columbia, 1991
• Salmonberries, Facets Multimedia, 1991
• Mercy, Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow (also known as Cyborg 2), Trimark, 1993
• Duke Washburn, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (alsoknown as City Slickers: The Legend of Curly's Gold and City Slickers II), Columbia, 1994
• Jake Stone, Cops and Robbersons, TriStar, 1994
• Voice of Lord Rothbart, The Swan Princess (animated), New Line Cinema, 1994
• Narrator, War Games, 1996
• Beelzebub, Marco Polo (also known as The Incredible Adventuresof Marco Polo and Marco Polo: Return to Xanadu), Avalanche Home Entertainment, 1998
• Long John Silver, Treasure Island, Columbia/TriStar, 1999
• (In archive footage) Joe D'Amato Totally Uncut, MediaWord, 1999
• Cast and Crew, TVI's Productions, 1999
• Television Appearances
• Movies
• Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (also known as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), ABC, 1968
• Title role, Dracula (also known as Bram Stoker's Dracula),CBS, 1974
• Rourke, The Godchild, NBC, 1974
• Devil Anse Hatfield, The Hatfields and the McCoys, ABC, 1975
• Will Smith, The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang, NBC, 1979
• Marc Kazarian, The Ivory Ape (also known as Animal Attraction), ABC, 1980
• Overstreet, Keep the Change, TNT, 1992
• Dr. Jeremy Wheaton, "Where the Dead Are," Twilight Zone: Rod Serling'sLost Classics, CBS, 1994
• Bob Greiser, I'll Be Home for Christmas, CBS, 1997
• Ebenezer and Future Scrooge, Ebenezer, 1997
• Old Man Richards, Prancer Returns, USA Network, 2001
• Series
• Johnny Slate, The Greatest Show on Earth, ABC, 1963-1964
• Lieutenant Alex "Bronk" Bronkov, Bronk, CBS, 1975-1976
• Host, Ripley's Believe It or Not, ABC, 1982-1986
• Miniseries
• Whitey Robinson, The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story, NBC, 1980
• The Chisholms, CBS, 1980
• Bartle Bone, Buffalo Girls, CBS, 1995
• Allan Van Praagh, Living with the Dead, CBS, 2002
• Episodic
• "Street Gang," Hands of Murder, The DuMont Network, 1949
• "The Man Who Couldn't Remember," Lights Out, NBC, 1950
• (As Walter Palance) "The King in Yellow," Studio One, CBS, 1951
• "Little Man, Big World," Studio One, CBS, 1952
• "Necktie Party," Gulf Playhouse, NBC, 1952
• Curtain Call, NBC, 1952
• Your Show of Shows, NBC, 1952
• "Cagliostro and the Chess Player," Suspense, CBS, 1953
• "The Last Chance," The Web, CBS, 1953
• "The Kissoff," Suspense, CBS, 1953
• Mystery guest, What's My Line?, CBS, 1955
• The Ed Sullivan Show (also known as Toast of the Town), CBS, 1955
• Dan Morgan, "The Lariat," Zane Grey Theater, CBS, 1956
• Harlan "Mountain" McClintock, "Requiem for a Heavyweight," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1956
• Monroe Stahr, "The Last Tycoon," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1957
• "The Death of Manolete," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1957
• The Perry Como Show, NBC, 1957
• Dan Morgan, "Lariat," Frontier Justice, CBS, 1958
• Harvey Bell, "The Many Colors of Courage," Convoy, NBC, 1965
• Himself, Password, CBS, 1965
• "The Concrete Overcoat Affair," The Man from U.N.C.L.E., NBC, 1966
• "I Am the Late Diana Hays," Run for Your Life, NBC, 1966
• Himself, The Carol Burnett Show, CBS, 1968
• "The Trail of Tears," N.E.T. Playhouse, PBS, 1970
• "Biography," N.E.T. Playhouse, PBS, 1971
• Himself, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, CBS, 1973
• Himself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, multiple episodes, between 1973 and 1992
• Kaleel, "Planet of the Slave Girls," Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, NBC, 1979
• Richard Stokes, "Evil Stalks This House," Tales of the Haunted, syndicated, 1981
• Himself, Dame Edna's Hollywood, NBC, 1991
• Jake Jennings, "Bitter Harvest," Night Visions, Fox, 2001
• Also appeared in episodes of other series, including Danger, CBS;The Hollywood Squares, NBC and syndicated; and Motorola TV Hour, CBS.
• Specials
• Texaco Command Performance, NBC, 1957
• Jabberwock, Alice through the Looking Glass, NBC, 1966
• Rickles, CBS, 1975
• The Love Boat Fall Preview Party, ABC, 1984
• Night of 100 Stars II (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), ABC, 1985
• Host, Legends of the West with Jack Palance, syndicated, 1992
• Narrator, When It Was a Game 2, HBO, 1992
• "Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval," American Masters, PBS,1995
• Host and narrator, Monster Mania, American Movie Classics, 1997
• John Witting, "Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End," Hallmark Hall ofFame, CBS, 1999
• Narrator, The Omen Legacy, American Movie Classics, 2001
• Pilots
• Title role, Rivak the Barbarian (also known as The Barbarians and Revak, lo schiavo di Cartagine), NBC, 1960
• Lieutenant Alex "Bronk" Bronkov, Bronk, CBS, 1975
• Host (with Holly Palance), Ripley's Believe It or Not, ABC, 1981
• Awards Presentations
• The Sixth Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1992
• The 64th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1992
• Presenter, The 65th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1993
• The Seventh Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1993
• The 70th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1998
• Television Work
• Executive Producer; Specials
• Legends of the West with Jack Palance, syndicated, 1992
• Director; Episodic
• Directed an episode of The Greatest Show on Earth, ABC.
• Stage Appearances
• Russian soldier, The Big Two, Broadway production, 1947
• Stanley Kowalski and understudy for the role, A Streetcar Named Desire, Broadway production, 1948
• Temporary Island, 1948
• The Silver Tassle, off-Broadway production, 1949
• Darkness at Noon, Broadway production, c. 1950
• The Tempest, 1955
• King of Siam, The King and I, Anaheim, CA, 1965
• Hell's Angel, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, 1984
• Night of 100 Stars II (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1985
• Appeared as Simon Peter, The Vigil; appeared in My Indian Family, California production; also appeared in Julius Caesar.
• Major Tours
• Toured U.S. cities as a Russian soldier in The Big Two and as theunderstudy for the role of Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire.
• RECORDINGS
• Albums
• Palance, Warner Bros., 1970
• WRITINGS
• Poetry
• The Forest of Love, Summerhouse Press, 1996

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996