Jack Palance: Oscar-winning Ukrainian cowboy in Hollywood

In 1992, Jack Palance, a well-known Hollywood actor, won an Oscar for his supporting role in the cowboy comedy City Slickers. At that time, he was 73 years old. A solid age, you must agree, for a person who, after accepting the desired award from the hands of Whoopi Goldberg, began to do push-ups on the one hand right on stage. But at that moment, pride did not embrace millions of Americans but millions of Ukrainians. After all, the actual name of Jack Palance is Volodymyr Palahniuk, whose ancestors came to the USA from the Ternopil region even before the boy was born.

You 100% know Jack Palance by face, my dears: he played in Batman, Dracula, numerous action movies, and westerns. The actor was awarded an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition, he created and headed the Hollywood Trident Foundation to support Ukrainian culture in the world.

But before I tell you about the fate of this extraordinary man, here is the same historic speech at the world’s most famous award ceremony:

“I’m Ukrainian, not Russian!”

Let’s start this story with its final part. The one part where Russia once again decided to appropriate something that never belonged to it and to award Palance the title of People’s Artist.

“I am Ukrainian, not Russian, and I have nothing to do with Russian cinema or Russia!” he answered at the award ceremony. A beautiful slap to so-called Ukrainian brothers and, unfortunately, neighbors.

In this way, he protested, particularly against the Ukrainian-phobic Russian film “72 Meters”, also shot by Volodymyr Khotynenko, a Ukrainian by origin. That program of cinematographic, theatrical, and musical arts was financed by the Ministry of Culture of Russia and was held under the patronage of Putin. During the ceremony, Jack Palance said he had the impression that he was at the festival by mistake.

On the same evening, another artist with Ukrainian roots Dustin Hoffman received the award from the hands of Russia. In his speech, Hoffman emphasized that his grandparents were from Kyiv, Russia, and thanked the Russians for defeating Hitler’s Germany and saving his grandmother, who otherwise “could have turned into a bar of soap.” As practice shows, Dustin Hoffman could be stronger in geography and history.

The Ternopil-Pennsylvania way

Jack Palance was born on February 18, 1919, in the small town of Latimer Mines in Pennsylvania. His parents were the family of Ukrainian emigrants Ivan Palahniuk and Hanna Gramyak. The father was born in the picturesque village of Ivano-Zolote in the Ternopil region of Ukraine. The mother came from Lviv.

After moving to the USA, the father of the future film actor worked hard as a miner and died of an occupational disease, lung cancer. Volodymyr also worked in a coal mine for some time. And a poetic young man with a subtle emotional soul would most likely have met his father’s fate if not for his passion for sports: Volodymyr began to try his hand at boxing.

In the late 1930s, under the pseudonym Jack Brazzo, he began his career as a professional boxer and achieved considerable success in the heavyweight division. He won his first fifteen fights in a row, twelve by knockout. Unfortunately, in one of the fights, the young man was hit in the throat, which led to the actor’s lifelong hoarseness, which became his trademark.

“Then I thought: you must be a complete fool to get a spade hammered for two hundred dollars. The theater seemed much more attractive to me,” he remembered about that period of life in one of the interviews.

Jack Palance and World War II

With the outbreak of World War II, he ended his boxing career and joined the US Air Force, where the plane caught fire during a training flight on a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber. Volodymyr ejected in time but received burns on his face. After being discharged from the hospital, Palahniuk returned to Western Europe, took part in hostilities, was wounded, received several government awards, and in 1944 was demobilized with an honorable mention.

Taking advantage of benefits for war veterans, Volodymyr entered Stanford University at the Faculty of Acting. During his studies, Jack earned a living at various small restaurant jobs as a security guard and photo model. The American magazine People once called Palance the sexiest man on the planet.

The first roles of Jack Palance in the cinema

Having already become a professional actor, Volodymyr changed his name to Walter Jack Palance. He got his first acting job on Broadway next to the famous American actor Marlon Brando.

It was a performance based on the play by Tennessee Williams, “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Subsequently, Jack played one of the leading roles of Stanley Kowalski.

His debut on the screen was the role of a criminal in the film “Panic in the Streets”, 1950. The photo below shows Palance as Dracula.

Most often he had to play criminals and bandits, although in ordinary life Palahniuk was a gentle, kind person, fond of art and poetry.

Jack Palance also spent some time working in Europe, where he took advantage of the opportunity to play more positive human roles. The French film “Contempt” (Le Mépris) deserves special attention in European cinema.

Palance was fond of poetry and art. In 1996, a collection of his poems, “Forest of Love,” was published, accompanied by the author’s drawings. In addition, Palance spoke six languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, and English.

He also recorded a solo album of country music, reissued by Walter Music Records in 2003, 30 years after the first original recording.

Here is a video from YouTube, enjoy:

Volodymyr Palahniuk and Ukraine

Jack Palance first came to his historical homeland in 1996. He was fond of Ukrainian history, spoke Ukrainian, and dreamed of playing the role of Hetman Ivan Mazepa. He was familiar with many directors.

Although the biggest dream was the role of Taras Bulba, which at different times went to Yul Brynner and Bohdan Stupka.

It is also worth noting that together with another organization “Holodomor in Ukraine” (Ukrainian Genocide Famine Foundation), Palahniuk was engaged in filming the memories of the victims of the Holodomor of 1933.

Jack Palance movies worth watching

In general, during his long career, the actor starred in more than a hundred films. So you will probably find the same one that you want to watch. Here are the TOP 5 from me:

Le mépris, 1963

A historical film about Odysseus and Penelope is being shot on Capri. French screenwriter Paul is jealous of his wife Camille (Brigitte Bardot) for American producer Jeremy Prokosh (Jack Palance). She reacts to this guardianship and dependence with “contempt”.

Sudden Fear, 1952

Actor Lester Blaine almost landed a role in Meera Hudson’s new play, but Meera turned him down because she didn’t think he looked like a “romantic, beautiful person.” On the train from New York to San Francisco, Blaine intends to prove her wrong and charm the woman. For this film, Jack Palance was nominated for an Oscar for the first time.

Tango Cash, 1989

The film’s heroes, Tango and Cash, rival cops, have one thing in common: each thinks he is the best and has irrefutable proof of it.

Batman, 1989

In his early childhood, the young heir Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his parents and, after that, developed a hatred of crime. Violence, robberies, and murders were on the rise in Gotham. In a difficult time for the city, a hero appears who can tame any criminal and make him run in fear. A mysterious avenger, a hero nicknamed “Batman,” stands up for the weak and begins his fight against criminals.

The Professionals, 1966

Four professionals Bill Dolworth, Rico, Hans Ehrengard and Jake Sharp are hired by Joe Grant to rescue his wife, who Mexican rebels have kidnaped.

The famous Hollywood actor of Ukrainian origin Volodymyr Palahniuk died at 88 on November 10, 2006, at his home in Montecito. He was married twice and had three children. Palance’s son Cody died in 1998 from a severe illness.