Sad News

[Sanjuro]

Our hero, Mr. Harmonica, Charles Bronson has passed away. He died of pneumonia. He was 81. I miss him terriblly. I'm sure you share the same feeling. Let's pray for his soul.  

[KERMIT]

                          "danny the tunnel king"

 james colbern & charles bronson. both lucky few escapees that made it out alive ....a magnificent ride.

[cigar joe]

He will be missed.

[Nephilim]

For those of you who believe in such things, take comfort in the thought that he will now be with his beloved wife, Jill Ireland.

God rest ye.

[Groggy]

I've already said this, but goodbye Chuck.  You will be missed.  

[Angel Eyes]

Once Upon a Time in the West was on BBC2 last night.

The final scene when Claudio looks at him as he announces he is leaving  "hope you come back someday..."
there is a long lingering silence when no audience member could deny thinking of lost loves,
eventually he replies "someday..."


RIP Charlie

[Cusser]

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 1) - Charles Bronson, the grim-faced tough guy who built a European following before making his mark in the United States with action films including the ''Death Wish'' series, died Saturday of pneumonia.

He was 81.

The actor died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with his wife at his bedside, publicist Lori Jonas said. He had been in the hospital for weeks, Jonas said.

The actor had often wondered if he was too manly to achieve instant stardom in his home country.

''Maybe I'm too masculine,'' he said in a 1971 interview. ''Casting directors cast in their own, or an idealized image. Maybe I don't look like anybody's ideal.''

During the height of his career, Bronson was hugely popular in Europe; the French knew him as ''le sacre monstre'' (the sacred monster), the Italians as ''Il Brutto'' (the ugly man). In 1971, he was presented a Golden Globe as ''the most popular actor in the world.''

Like Clint Eastwood, whose spaghetti westerns won him stardom, Bronson had to make European films to prove his worth as a star. He left a featured-role career in Hollywood to play leads in films made in France, Italy and Spain. His blunt manner, powerful build and air of danger made him the most popular actor in those countries.

At age 50, he returned to Hollywood a star.

His early life gave no indication of his later fame. He was born Charles Buchinsky on Nov. 3, 1921 - not 1922, as studio biographies claimed - in Ehrenfeld, Pa. He was the 11th of 15 children of a coal miner and his wife, both Lithuanian immigrants.

Young Charles learned the art of survival in the tough district of Scooptown, ''where you had nothing to lose because you lost it already.'' The Buchinskys lived crowded in a shack, the children wearing hand-me-downs from older siblings. At the age of 6, Charles was embarrassed to attend school in his sister's dress.

Charles' father died when he was 10, and at 16 Charles followed his brothers into the mines. He was paid $1 per ton of coal and volunteered for perilous jobs because the pay was better. Like other toughs in Scooptown, he made trouble and landed in jail for assault and robbery.

He might have stayed in the mines for the rest of his life except for World War II.

Drafted in 1943, he served with the Air Force in the Pacific, reportedly as a tail gunner on a B29. Having seen the outside world, he vowed not to return to the squalor of Scooptown.

He was attracted to acting not, he claimed, because of any artistic urge; he was impressed by the money movie stars could earn. He joined the Philadelphia Play and Players Troupe, painting scenery and acting in a few minor roles.

At the Pasadena Playhouse school, Bronson improved his diction, supporting himself by selling Christmas cards and toys on street corners. Studio scouts saw him at the Playhouse and he was cast as a sailor in the 1951 service comedy ''You're in the Navy Now'' starring Gary Cooper.

As Charles Buchinsky or Buchinski, he played supporting roles in ''Red Skies of Montana,'' ''The Marrying Kind,'' ''Pat and Mike'' (in which he fell victim to Katharine Hepburn's judo), ''The House of Wax,'' ''Jubal'' and other films. In 1954 he changed his last name, fearing reaction in the McCarthy era to Russian-sounding names.

Bronson's first starring role came in 1958 with ''Machine-Gun Kelly,'' an exploitation film made in eight days. He also appeared in two brief TV series, ''Man with a Camera'' (1958) and ''The Travels of Jamie McPheeters'' (1963).

His status grew with impressive performances in ''The Magnificent Seven,'' ''The Great Escape,'' ''The Battle of the Bulge,'' ''The Sandpiper'' and ''The Dirty Dozen.'' But real stardom eluded him, his rough-hewn face and brusque manner not fitting the Hollywood tradition for leading men.

Alain Delon, like many French, had admired ''Machine-Gun Kelly,'' and he invited Bronson to co-star with him in a British-French film, ''Adieu, L'Ami'' (''Farewell, Friend''). It made Bronson a European favorite.

Among his films abroad was a hit spaghetti western, ''Once Upon a Time in the West.'' Finally Hollywood took notice.

Among his starring films: ''The Valachi Papers,'' ''Chato's Land,'' ''The Mechanic,'' ''Valdez,'' ''The Stone Killer,'' ''Mr. Majestyk,'' ''Breakout,'' ''Hard Times,'' ''Breakout Pass,'' ''White Buffalo,'' ''Telefon,'' ''Love and Bullets,'' ''Death Hunt,'' ''Assassination,'' ''Messenger of Death.''

The titles indicate their nature: lots of action, shooting, dead bodies. They were made on medium-size budgets, but Bronson was earning $1 million a picture before it was fashionable.

His most controversial film came in 1974 with ''Death Wish.'' As an affluent, liberal architect, Bronson's life is shattered when young thugs kill his wife and rape his daughter. He vows to rid the city of such vermin, and his executions brought cheers from crime-weary audiences.

The character's vigilantism brought widespread criticism, but ''Death Wish'' became one of the big moneymakers of the year. The controversy accelerated when Bernard Goetz shot youths he thought were threatening him in a New York subway.

Bronson made three more ''Death Wish'' films, and in 1987 he defended them: ''I think they provide satisfaction for people who are victimized by crime and look in vain for authorities to protect them. But I don't think people try to imitate that kind of thing.''

Bronson could be as taciturn in interviews as he appeared on the screen. He remained aloof from the Hollywood scene, once observing, ''I have lots of friends and yet I don't have any.''

His first marriage was to Harriet Tendler, whom he met when both were fledgling actors in Philadelphia. They had two children before divorcing.

In 1966, Bronson fell in love with the lovely blonde British actress Jill Ireland, who happened to be married to British actor David McCallum. Bronson reportedly told McCallum bluntly: ''I'm going to marry your wife.''

The McCallums divorced in 1967, and Bronson and Ireland married the following year. She costarred in several of his films.

The Bronsons lived in a grand Bel Air mansion with seven children. Two were by his previous marriage, three by hers and the couple had two of their own. They also spent time in a colonial farmhouse on 260 acres in West Windsor, Vt.

Ireland lost a breast to cancer in 1984. She became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society and wrote a best-selling book, ''Life Wish.'' She followed with ''Life Lines,'' in which she told of her struggle to rescue her 27-year-old son, Jason McCallum Bronson, from drug addiction. He died of an overdose in 1989, and she died of cancer a year later.

Bronson is survived by his wife, Kim, six children and two grandchildren. Funeral services will be private.

 AP-NY-09-01-03 1118EDT

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.  All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

[Cusser]

Tomorrow remember to wear to work your harmonicas around your neck as a tribute to Bronson; I will, and did same when Leone died.   I'm originally from western Pennsylvania, where in the 1960s Charles was known as a local hero, going from miner and waiter to star.  In my mind, his ethnic everyman look contributed greatly to his success.  I'll remember most Bernardo in Magnificent Seven, Danny the Polish tunnel digger in Great Escape who had to overcome his own claustrophobia to keep digging, Harmonica, and Death Wish.  

[Groggy]

Tomorrow remember to wear to work your harmonicas around your neck as a tribute to Bronson; I will, and did same when Leone died.   I'm originally from western Pennsylvania, where in the 1960s Charles was known as a local hero, going from miner and waiter to star.  In my mind, his ethnic everyman look contributed greatly to his success.  I'll remember most Bernardo in Magnificent Seven, Danny the Polish tunnel digger in Great Escape who had to overcome his own claustrophobia to keep digging, Harmonica, and Death Wish.  

I currently live in Western PA, though he was long gone by the time I was born.  I don't know my school's policies on wearing harmonicas though.   I haven't seen "The Great Escape" or the "Death Wish" films, though.   My favorite roles of his would be Harmonica (of course), "The Dirty Dozen", and "The Magnificent Seven", in that order.

[Sanjuro]

Bronson's personality was more appreciated in European films. Europeans saw more charming and romantic side of him.

When he worked on an-almost-not gay and lesbian film, "Adieu L'ami (aka: Honor among Thieves)" with Alain Delon, he stole the sceanes. Delon was jealoous of him. And when Rene Clement heard about it, he decided to use Bronson for "Le Passage De La Pluie (Rider on the Rain)."

Incidentally, both films were written by Sebastien Japrisot. Japrisot created more complex character for Bronson than American films. It's rather sad Bronson was typecasted in his own country.  

[TBPJMR]

So long, Charlie. You too have been a master.

[SquareTex]

There will be a bittersweet moment when "Once Upon a Time in the West" is released on American DVD this November. But let's thank Mr. Bronson for being one of the reasons that movie worked so well.

[Dollaro]

A tragic loss and a solemn reminder that we are slowly losing the great actors that constituted the original 'hard men' of Hollywood. Perhaps only Clint Eastwood remains? A generation that can never be replaced. So many brilliant films with so many magic silver-screen memories, with perhaps "Once Upon a Time in the West" being my favourite Bronson film. You will be deeply missed Charles.  

[Dollaro]

Please check out my new website with some of my Sergio Leone poster collection and sign my guestbook.  I'm still working on adding some more images.

http://www.geocities.com/leone_lives/home.html

[Harmonica]

Farewell Hombre...