Jack Palance's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1982) Himself - H… The Greatest Show on Earth Johnny Slate

Main Movie Roles 1994 - City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold 1994 - The Swan Princess 1994 - Cops and Robbersons 1993 - The Making of '...And God Spoke' 1993 - Cyborg 2 1991 - City Slickers 1990 - Solar Crisis 1989 - Outlaw of Gor 1989 - Tango & Cash 1989 - Batman 1988 - Young Guns 1988 - Imagine: John Lennon 1987 - Bagdad Cafe 1982 - Alone in the Dark 1980 - Without Warning 1980 - Hawk the Slayer 1979 - Angels' Brigade 1976 - Eva nera 1972 - Chato's Land 1968 - Madigan's Millions 1966 - The Professionals 1965 - Once a Thief 1959 - Ten Seconds to Hell 1957 - The Lonely Man 1957 - House of Numbers 1956 - Attack 1955 - I Died a Thousand Times 1955 - The Big Knife 1953 - Second Chance 1953 - Shane 1952 - Sudden Fear 1950 - Panic in the Streets

BIOGRAPHY:

Few people know that veteran movie actor Jack Palance was a professional heavyweight boxer in the early 1940s. Fighting under the name Jack Brazzo, Palance a product of Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, won his first 15 fights, 12 by knockout before losing a 4th round decision to future heavyweight contender Joe Baksi on Dec. 17, 1940. With the outbreak of World War II, Jack Palance's boxing career ended and his military career began. Wounded in combat, he received the purple heart, good conduct medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war he began his long and famous motion picture career.


TRIVIA:

• Desperately wanted the role of Shaleen of the film _Cat Ballou (1965)_ (qv) but was never offered it.
• Was an avid painter and poet.
• Was offered the role of Scaramanga in _The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)_ (qv).
• According to a website honoring movie celebrities that flew in B-24s, Palance burned his face severely while bailing out of a B-24 which was on fire during a training flight in Tucson in 1942 (that would probably have been the Davis-Monthan Army Air Corps base at that time) and after several surgeries was discharged in 1944. He is described as a "pilot in training".
• Never watched any of his own movies.
• Former father-in-law of 'Roger Spottiswoode' (qv). Father-in-law of 'Michael Wilding Jr.' (qv).
• Was infamous in Hollywood for his Method-style acting, in a time when 'Marlon Brando' (qv) was one of its few practitioners. Once, while filming a fight scene with 'Burt Lancaster' (qv), Palance actually punched the unsuspecting Lancaster in the face. Tough guy Lancaster responded by socking Palance in the gut, causing him to vomit.
• Spoke six languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French and English.