Volodymyr Palahnuik - Jack Palance - Curly

Volodymyr Palahnuik or AKA Jack Palance who played this great character Curly was my all time very favourite. Jack Palance won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1992 in the movie City Slickers with Billy Crystal. He was one of best actors ever and I could never get enough of seeing him in his numerous films over the years. But it was especially great to see how he shined in the humorous self-parody role as Curly

I think this character Curly Washburn in City Slickers was a lot like the man Jack Palance himself, wise, funny and tough. I'll never forget the night during his acceptance speech how he got down on the stage floor and did a one arm push up at 73.





Jack Palance was a remarkable individual with a sense of humour that made his eyes twinkle in spite of the Western villains he so often portrayed in movies.

Born of immigrant parents, a Ukrainian father and a Polish mother, he grew up in Pennsylvania coal mining family living in Lattemir Mines, population 554 in 2010. This small village had the infamous dark history of 19 striking immigrant anthracite coal miners who were innocently massacred  near Hazelton Pennsylvania on September 10th 1897. This massacre was a turning point in the history of the United Mine Workers.
Fortunately Jack averted this work of drudgery, repeating his father's life in the mines when he was awarded an athletic scholarship in North Carolina University. His father sadly died of black lung disease.

The testament to his toughness was his work as a coal miner and then as professional boxer beginning at the age of 20. He won 15 fights, 12 by knock outs. He also spent time in the U.S Air Force as a bomber pilot, and was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. Honourably discharged after being wounded, he then returned to coal mining back home until he went back to University to study theater.
In the earlier years he'd been a short order cook, a soda jerk, a life guard and a photographer's model. His work history was a reflection of his strong work ethic.

Having studied theater in University and in spite of being one credit short of graduating, he'd found that one thing, that secret to life, that brought him happiness.

Jack Palance had the heart of an artist. His passion for living a creative life as an actor, landscape painter, poet was obvious. He had a great love for animals and a deep love of nature, living a country life on his cattle ranches.

"When you think about the trees in their glory time, from the greening until the changing of the guard with the reds in September and October, there is such a feeling of wonderment, that there can be such a thing."
                             -Volodymyr Palahnuik (Jack Palance) Aka "Curly"

Jack On His Ranch

That one thing, that secret of life Curly talked about, really makes a lot of sense to me.