JACK PALANCE

He was so good in a couple of movies that we have to overlook the dozens of Italian potboilers and 50-plus American dogs. Jack Palance died at 87. He deservedly won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in City Slickers (1991). Billy Crystal and two friends try to get their lives back on track by going on a cattle drive.  Palance is the hard-bitten trail boss, Curly. Lots of funny stuff with an overlay of purpose that doesn’t hurt a thing. Ignore the terrible sequel foisted in 1994. 

And when you talk about Western bad guys, forget Jack Elam, Roy Barcroft, Eli Wallach et al. Nothing will ever measure up to the menacing hired gun, Jack Wilson, played to absolute perfection by Jack Palance in the wonderful Shane (1953). I watched Shane again not long ago, and boy is it still good! Alan Ladd underplays the heroic Shane so well, and there is that delicious undercurrent of forbidden romance between him and settler-wife Jean Arthur, plus the hero-worshipping kid, Brandon DeWilde. Your American education is not complete without a viewing of Shane. 

In Monte Walsh (1970) Palance is believable, playing way out of type, as a good guy. This is one of the better the-old-west-is-dying-ain’t-it-a-shame movies. Lee Marvin is the main guy, and the main girl is: Jeanne Moreau! (The French hottie with the bee-stung lips).

In Sudden Fear (1952) Jack Palance is once again in his comfortable niche as a classical meanie. He is an actor who is hired by his ex-wife Joan Crawford. She finds out he plans to kill her. Talk about bad hires! She tries to foil his satanic plans by her writing skill. Many twists and turns, and I will not give away what finally happens. 

The Halls of Montezuma (1950) is so old that  Palance is billed as Walter Jack Palance, but it’s still a darn good WWII flick. The Marines are about to invade a Pacific Island (you pick!). There are flashbacks to the civilian lives of the participants, including Mr. Palance, Richard Widmark, Karl Malden, Robert Wagner and Richard Boone. 

All of the films in this column are available on  DVD.  All are fine for 10 and up. 

                                                             WHO SAID THAT?  

                                                         Part 6

        There have been five Who Said That columns spread over several weeks. Is it possible that Mr. Movie has one more? Why, yes! Some of these are really easy and some are really obscure, but I hope all of them are fun!

1- As if!

2-Carpe diem.

3-I’m having an old friend for dinner.

4-There’s no place like home.

5-If you build it, he will come.

6-Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

7- English MF. Do you speak it?

8-What, like it’s hard?

9- By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how it thrills me.

10-That’l do, pig. That’ll do.

11-Yippe Ki Yay MF

12-Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

13- The stuff that dreams are made of.

14- It seemed like a good idea at the time.

15- Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

ANSWERS

1- Alicia Silverstone in Clueless (1995)

2- Robin Williams to his pupils in Dead Poets Society (1989)

3- Anthony Hopkinis as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (1991). He does not mean this in the best way...

4- Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

5- A spectral voice in Field of Dreams (1989) He came

6- Judy as Dorothy (again) in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

7- Samel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (1994)

8- Reece Witherspoon as Elle in Legally Blonde (2001) She means law school

9- Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly to poor Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

10- James Cromwell as Arthur Hoggett to Babe (1995)

11- Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard II (1998)

12- Al Pacino as Michael Corelone in Godfather II (1974)

13- Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade  in The Maltese Falcon (1941)

14- Richard Barthelmess as Cary Lockwood in The Last Flight (1931) (Earliest I could find, but this quote has been uttered numerous times). 

15- Ryan O’Neal as Oliver Barrett to Ali McGraw as a dying Jenny Cavilleri in Love Story (1970)

Grades: 8 or less Poor. 8-12 really good. Over 12- genius.