It’s impossible to capture in words the menacing effect Palance was able to exude on-screen. His deepset eyes and tight angular face, even as a younger man, probably got him typecast as a villain early on but his acting made his characters indelible. He’s probably best known to today’s moviegoers for the role of Curly in City Slickers (1991) and City Slickers II (1994) and for the onstage pushups he peformed in his walk to receive his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the former. The performances worth seeking out are those from his early films including Shane (DVD 300), Panic in the Streets (VHS 2459), and Attack (VHS 5404). He also gives an amusing performance as a film producer in Jean Luc Godard’s Contempt (DVD 537).
Obit: Jack Palance, 87, one of the heaviest of screen heavies
Posted in Obituaries.