Somehow, I missed hearing about the passing of actor Jack Palance over the weekend. The Wife and I tend to watch Entertainment Tonight, but they've been obsessed with Anna Nicole Smith for the past two months and haven't had the time to "report" on anything else.
Palance is perhaps is most known to the modern audience through his role as Curly in City Slickers, for which he won an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category. He famously peformed a one-handed push-up when he took the stage to receive his reward.
I most remember Palance through his role as the crime boss in Batman and his years of hosting Ripley's Believe It or Not. Watching that show enabled me to listen regularly to his gruff, smoky and mysterious voice, which melded perfectly with the whole Ripley's theme. I loved hearing him say at the end, "... believe it... or not."
Mr. Palance, you will be missed.
His hosting of "Ripley's" is also my favorite memory of him, particularly his deep breathing between "Believe it... ..... *breath* .... or not."
ReplyDeleteSuch a simple inflection just captivated me and I looked forward to hearing him say that each and every week!
Mark: Exactly. In the world of iconic voices, Palance's and James Earl Jones' are the pinnacle.
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