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Actor, Jack Palance, Dies Aged 87

Western fans and lovers of movies remember Jack Palance for his striking roles in films dating back forty years. The 87 year-old Oscar winner died peacefully in his home in California, recently, surrounded by his wife, Elaine Rogers and other family members. Palance had a glorious acting career spanning almost six decades and in that time was nominated for an Academy Award several times and also won an Emmy Award in 1957.

Palance, born Vladimir Palaniuk, was the son of Ukrainian immigrants. He started off life as a boxer, although his career was disrupted when he joined the military and was wounded in the Second World War (for which he was a awarded a Purple Heart). Palance turned to the entertainment world instead and he became famous playing Stanley Kowalski?s character in ?A Streetcar Named Desire? as Marlon Brando?s understudy on stage. This role quickly led him to sign a contract with 20th Century Fox. Palance was nominated for an Oscar twice in his film career (in 1952 for ?Sudden Fear? and 1953 in the classic western ?Shane?) before he finally grabbed the award almost forty years later for his role the 1991 movie, ?City Slickers?.

Palance won an Emmy Award in 1957 for his role in ?Playhouse 90?. During his elaborate acting career, he made guest appearances on popular television shows such as ?The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour? and ?Your Show of Shows?. He also starred in shows such as ?Batman? (1989) and ?Young Guns? (1988).