Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique,"[1] he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, western, and war films; initially as a supporting player and later a leading man. A quintessential cinematic "tough guy", Bronson was cast in various roles where the plot line hinged on the authenticity of the character's toughness and brawn.[2] At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, he was the world's No. 1 box office attraction, commanding $1 million per film.
Born to a Lithuanian-American coal mining family in rural Pennsylvania, Bronson served in the United States Army Air Forces as a bomber tail gunner during World War II. He worked several odd jobs before entering the film industry in the early 1950s, playing bit and supporting roles as henchmen, thugs, and other "heavies". After playing a villain in the Western film Drum Beat, he was cast in his first leading role by B-movie auteur Roger Corman, playing the title character in the gangster picture Machine-Gun Kelly (1958). The role brought him to the attention of mainstream critics, and led to sizable co-lead parts as an Irish-Mexican gunslinger in The Magnificent Seven (1960), a claustrophobic tunneling expert in The Great Escape (1963), a small-town Southern louche in This Property Is Condemned (1966), and a prisoner-turned-commando in The Dirty Dozen (1967).
Despite his popularity with audiences and critics, Bronson was unable to find top-billed roles in major Hollywood productions. His acclaim among European filmmakers, particularly in France and Italy, led to a string of successful starring roles on the continent. He played a vengeful, Harmonica-playing gunman in Sergio Leone's epic Spaghetti Western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), an offbeat detective in Rider on the Rain (1970), real-life Mafia turncoat Joe Valachi in The Valachi Papers (1972), and starred opposite Alain Delon in Adieu l'ami (1968) and Red Sun (1971). The success of those films proved his capability as a leading man and launched him to international stardom. In his home country, he played the architect-turned-vigilante Paul Kersey in Death Wish (1974) and its four sequels, a role that typified the rest of his career. He continued acting well into the 1980s, often in Cannon Films productions. His final role was in a trilogy of made-for-television films, Family of Cops, aired between 1995 and 1999.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | The Mob | Jack | Uncredited | [3] |
You're in the Navy Now | Wascylewski | [4] | ||
The People Against O'Hara | Angelo Korvac | [5] | ||
1952 | Bloodhounds of Broadway | "Pittsburgh Philo" Green | [6] | |
Battle Zone | Private | [7] | ||
Pat and Mike | Hank Tasling | Credited as Charles Buchinski | [8] | |
Diplomatic Courier | Russian Agent | Uncredited | [9] | |
My Six Convicts | Jocko | Credited as Charles Buchinsky | [10] | |
The Marrying Kind | Eddie – Co-Worker at Plant | Uncredited | [11] | |
Red Skies of Montana | Neff | [12] | ||
1953 | Miss Sadie Thompson | Pvt. Edwards | Credited as Charles Buchinsky | [13] |
House of Wax | Igor | [14] | ||
Off Limits | Russell | Uncredited | [15] | |
The Clown | Eddie, Dice Player | [16] | ||
Torpedo Alley | Submariner | |||
1954 | Apache | Hondo | Credited as Charles Buchinsky | |
Riding Shotgun | Pinto | |||
Tennessee Champ | Sixty Jubel, the 'Biloxi Blockbuster' | |||
Crime Wave | Ben Hastings | |||
Vera Cruz | Pittsburgh | |||
Drum Beat | "Captain Jack" Kintpuash | |||
1955 | Target Zero | Sgt. Vince Gaspari | [17] | |
Big House, U.S.A. | Benny Kelly | [18] | ||
1956 | Jubal | Reb Haislipp | [19] | |
1957 | Run of the Arrow | Blue Buffalo | [20] | |
1958 | Gang War | Alan Avery | [21] | |
When Hell Broke Loose | Steve Boland | [22] | ||
Machine-Gun Kelly | Machine Gun Kelly | [23] | ||
Showdown at Boot Hill | Luke Welsh | [24] | ||
1959 | Never So Few | Sgt. John Danforth | [25] | |
1960 | The Magnificent Seven | Bernardo O'Reilly | [26] | |
1961 | Master of the World | John Strock | [27] | |
A Thunder of Drums | Trooper Hanna | [28] | ||
1962 | X-15 | Lt. Col. Lee Brandon | ||
Kid Galahad | Lew Nyack | [29] | ||
1963 | The Great Escape | Flt. Lt. Danny Velinski, 'The Tunnel King' | [30] | |
4 for Texas | Matson | [31] | ||
1965 | Guns of Diablo | Linc Murdock | Feature version of the final episode of The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | |
The Sandpiper | Cos Erickson | [32] | ||
Battle of the Bulge | Maj. Wolenski | [33] | ||
The Bull of the West | Ben Justin | Theatrical release combining 2 episodes of The Virginian | ||
1966 | This Property Is Condemned | J.J. Nichols | [34] | |
The Meanest Men in the West | Charles S. Dubin | Theatrical release combining 2 episodes of The Virginian | ||
1967 | The Dirty Dozen | Joseph Wladislaw | [35] | |
1968 | Guns for San Sebastian | Teclo | [36] | |
Farewell, Friend | Franz Propp | |||
Villa Rides | Rodolfo Fierro | [37] | ||
Once Upon a Time in the West | Harmonica | [38] | ||
1969 | You Can't Win 'Em All | Josh Corey | ||
1970 | Twinky | Scott Wardman | [39] | |
Rider on the Rain | Col. Harry Dobbs | [40] | ||
Violent City | Jeff Heston | [41] | ||
1971 | Cold Sweat | Joe Martin | ||
Someone Behind the Door | The Stranger | |||
Red Sun | Link Stuart | |||
1972 | The Valachi Papers | Joe Valachi | [42] | |
Chato's Land | Pardon Chato | [43] | ||
The Mechanic | Arthur Bishop | [44] | ||
1973 | The Stone Killer | Lou Torrey | [45] | |
Chino | Chino Valdez | [46] | ||
1974 | Mr. Majestyk | Vince Majestyk | [47] | |
Death Wish | Paul Kersey | [48] | ||
1975 | Breakout | Nick Colton | [49] | |
Hard Times | Chaney | [50] | ||
Breakheart Pass | Deakin | [51] | ||
1976 | From Noon Till Three | Graham Dorsey | [52] | |
St. Ives | Raymond St Ives | [53] | ||
1977 | The White Buffalo | Wild Bill Hickok | [54] | |
1978 | Telefon | Major Grigori Bortsov | [55] | |
1979 | Love and Bullets | Charlie Congers | [56] | |
1980 | Borderline | Jeb Maynard | [57] | |
Caboblanco | Gifford Hoyt | [58] | ||
1981 | Death Hunt | Albert Johnson | [59] | |
1982 | Death Wish II | Paul Kersey | [60] | |
1983 | 10 to Midnight | Leo Kessler | [61] | |
1984 | The Evil That Men Do | Holland / Bart Smith | [62] | |
1985 | Death Wish 3 | Paul Kersey | [63] | |
1986 | Murphy's Law | Jack Murphy | [64] | |
1987 | Assassination | Jay Killion | [65] | |
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown | Paul Kersey | [66] | ||
1988 | Messenger of Death | Garret Smith | [67] | |
1989 | Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects | Lieutenant Crowe | [68] | |
1991 | The Indian Runner | Mr. Roberts | [69] | |
1994 | Death Wish V: The Face of Death | Paul Kersey | [70] |
Television (partial list)
Year | Title | Role | Format | Episode | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | DuPont Cavalcade Theater | John Stanizewski | Anthology drama series | "A Chain of Hearts" | [71] |
1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Detective Krovitch | Television Series | Season 1 Episode 20: "And So Died Riabouchinska" | |
1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Frank Bramwell | Television Series | Season 1 Episode 25: "There Was an Old Woman" | |
1958-1960 | Man with a Camera | Mike Kovac | Television crime drama | [72][73] | |
1959 | Yancy Derringer | Donavan | Television series | "Hell and High Water" | [74] |
1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Ray Bardon | Television Series | Season 7 Episode 18: "The Woman Who Wanted to Live" | |
1967 | The Fugitive | Ralph Schuyler | Television series | "The One That Got Away" | [75] |
1977 | Raid on Entebbe | Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron | Television film | [76] | |
1986 | Act of Vengeance | "Jock" Yablonski | Television film | [77] | |
1991 | Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus | Francis Church | Television film | [78] | |
1993 | The Sea Wolf | Capt. Wolf Larsen | Television film | [79] | |
Donato and Daughter | Sgt. Mike Donato | Television film | [80] | ||
1995 | Family of Cops | Paul Fein | Television film | [81] | |
1997 | Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops 2 | Television film | [82] | ||
1999 | Family of Cops 3 | Television film | [83] |
References
- ↑ "Charles Bronson". www.tcm.com. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ↑ "Charles Bronson, the life behind a really tough man". Fahrenheit Magazine. August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ↑ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
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- ↑ "Rider on the Rain". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
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- ↑ Chino (1973) - John Sturges, Robert Duvall, Duilio Coletti, Dulio Coletti | Releases | AllMovie, retrieved 2023-06-01
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- ↑ Lilley, George (November 18, 1955). "Little things about the stars". Lykens Register. 57: 3.
- ↑ Scheuer, Steven H. (October 7, 1958). "Ex-coal miner gets series lead". Mount Vernon Argus: 14.
- ↑ "Man With a Camera". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ↑ "Yancy Derringer". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ "The Fugitive". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
- ↑ Carter, Malcolm N. (January 7, 1977). "'Raid on Entebbe' to be shown on television". The Daily Times. 54: 10.
- ↑ Gardella, Kay (April 19, 1986). "Charles Bronson: 'Violence is against my nature'". The Miami Herald: 7C.
- ↑ "ABC confirms 'there is a Santa Claus'". Month Vernon Argus: Tv Book: 5. December 8, 1991.
- ↑ "The return of "The Sea Wolf"". The Modesto Bee: Tv Week: 6. April 18, 1993.
- ↑ Gardella, Kay (September 21, 1993). "Donato and daughter: Delany, Bronson work well together". The Gazette: F7.
- ↑ "A Family of Cops". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ↑ "Breach of Faith: Family of Cops II". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ↑ "Family of Cops III". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.