RIP What a great actor... Nov. 10, 2006, 4:38PM Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance dies in California Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in Shane, Sudden Fear and other films who turned to comedy at 70 with his Oscar-winning self-parody in City Slickers, died Friday. Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. Palance was 85 according to Associated Press records, but his family gave his age as 87. When Palance accepted his Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his physical prowess. "That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not." That year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish remarks about Palance's accomplishments throughout the night's awards presentations.
RIP what a powerful screen presence, right up there w/Burt Lancaster & Kirk Douglas. The Big Knife BTW, i caught the middle of this movie a few days ago. I was riveted! Does anyone know what they were trying to blackmail with?
