Jack Palance Net Worth

#Fact1Jack Palance passed away on November 10, 2006, three months away from what would have been his 88th birthday on February 18, 2007.2He had two roles in common with his The McMasters (1970) co-star John Carradine: (1) Carradine played Count Dracula in House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945), Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966) and Nocturna (1979) while Palance played him in Dracula (1974) and (2) Carradine played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1947) while Palance played him in Ebenezer (1998).3He has two roles in common with his Tales of the Haunted (1981) co-star Christopher Lee: (1) Lee played Count Dracula in ten films from Horror of Dracula (1958) to Dracula and Son (1976) while Palance played him in Dracula (1974) and (2) Palance played Dr. Edward Hyde / Mr. Henry Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968) while Lee played renamed versions of the character(s), Dr. Charles Marlowe and Mr. Edward Blake, in I, Monster (1971).4Richard Widmark on working with Palance on the latter's movie debut in Panic in the Streets (1950): " . . . the toughest guy I ever met. He was the only actor I've ever been physically afraid of.".5In the scene where Palance hits Richard Widmark on the head with a gun in Panic in the Streets (1950), the actors rehearsed it with a rubber gun, but when the cameras rolled Palance substituted a real gun. Widmark, who wasn't expecting it, was out for 20 minutes. Widmark said about the incident, "Why did he switch? Who knows?" In a 1986 interview also recalled how Palance got into the mood of his character by beating on flunky Zero Mostel off-screen. A black-and-blue Mostel had to go to the hospital after his first week on the movie. "They had to soak him in epsom pads.".6According to Billy Crystal, Charles Bronson turned down the role of Curly Washburn in City Slickers (1991) in an unseemly way which he reveals in his 2013 book "Still Foolin' Em". Palance ended up receiving an Academy Award for this role.7He was a lifelong staunch Republican and conservative.8His physical likeness inspired the appearance of DC Comics' supervillain Darkseid who regularly fought Superman.9He pronounced his last name "PAL-unse" not "pah-LAHNSE" as some people believe.10In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Palance was a professional boxer in the heavyweight class, fighting under the name Jack Brazzo. He won his first 15 fights, then enlisted in the military when World War II broke out. After the war, he took up acting and never resumed his boxing career.11Director Elia Kazan promised to cast him as Marlon Brando's brother in Viva Zapata! (1952), but then changed his mind and cast Anthony Quinn instead. Quinn won a Best Supporting Oscar for the film and Palance never spoke to Kazan again.12The comic book villain Phil Defer (Phil Wire in the English version) from Lucky Luke contre Phil Defer (1956) is based on Palance's famous evil gunslinger Jack Wilson from Shane (1953).13Desperately wanted the role of Kid Sheleen in Cat Ballou (1965), which he was never offered.14Received a special tribute as part of the Annual Memorial tribute at The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007).15Was offered the role of Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), which went to Christopher Lee.16Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Actors Branch).17Turned down Telly Savalas' role in The Dirty Dozen (1967) because he believed the film had too much unnecessary violence.18Was Stephen King's choice of preference for the (similarly named, coincidentally or not) role of Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980).19On a nationally televised talk show, Palance addressed the oft repeated story about how he supposedly had such damage done to his face that plastic surgery gave him the face we all know. He said, "I know I'm no beauty, but these are the Estonian features I was born with.".20Shortly before his death in 2006, he put his farmhouse near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and its contents up for sale. Thousands of items were auctioned off and more than $700,000 was raised.21Was a vegetarian but maintained a 1000-acre cattle ranch in California's Tehachapi Mountains and a 500-acre farm in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. His ranch brand was an "H" with a "B" and a "C" woven around it, the initials of the first names of his children, Holly, Brooke and Cody.22Grandfather of Lily Palance, Spencer Palance and Tarquin Palance.23Studied acting with Michael Chekhov in Hollywood.24Brother of Ivan Palance, John Palance and Anne Palance.25Was an avid painter and poet.26Despite all of his film work, Palance will forever be remembered for turning an Oscar acceptance speech into an uproarious display of his physical agility. While accepting his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for City Slickers (1991) at the 64th Annual Academy Awards (1992) he commented on the casting directors thinking they can make a younger guy look older, while they wouldn't know that an old guy did this at nights: he then flopped down on the floor and began doing a series of one-handed push-ups, stood up, spoke calmly further, even adding a slightly risqué joke. Afterwards, when he was asked about the stunt, he simply said, "I didn't know what the hell else to do." A year later, when he provided the voice of Rothbart in The Swan Princess (1994), his character is featured doing one-handed push-ups.27Was infamous in Hollywood for his Method-style acting, in a time when Marlon Brando was one of its few practitioners. Once, while filming a fight scene with Burt Lancaster, Palance actually punched the unsuspecting Lancaster in the face. Tough guy Lancaster responded by socking Palance in the gut, causing him to vomit.28Was forced to decline the role of General Chang in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) due to scheduling conflicts over his work in City Slickers (1991). He went on to receive the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for City Slickers (1991). Christopher Plummer was eventually cast as Chang.29His father was an anthracite coal miner.30While an understudy to Marlon Brando in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire", Brando, who was into athletics, rigged up a punching bag in the theater's boiler room and invited Jack to work out with him. One night, Jack threw a hard punch that missed the bag and landed square on Brando's nose. The star had to be hospitalized and understudy Palance created his own big break by going on for Brando. Jack's reviews as Stanley Kowalski helped get him a 20th Century-Fox contract.31During his struggling days, he worked as a short order cook, waiter, soda jerk, lifeguard at Jones Beach, and a photographer's model.32During the early phases of pre-production for The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), 20th Century-Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck suggested Palance for the role of the robot Gort. The role was eventually filled by a much taller non-actor.33Received his Bachelor's degree in Drama from Stanford University in Stanford, California (1949).34Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1992.35He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.36Once fell asleep in his square during a taping of The Hollywood Squares (1965).37Spoke six languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French and English.38Attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but did not graduate.39According 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".40Claimed on at least one occasion that he never watched any of his own movies.41Father of Brooke Palance, Holly Palance and Cody Palance.42American actor of Ukrainian ancestry.43Former father-in-law of Roger Spottiswoode. Father-in-law of Michael Wilding Jr..