Charles Bronson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town in the Allegheny Mountains. Bronson's father, a miner, died when Bronson was young. Bronson himself worked in the mines as well until joining the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 to fight in World War II. Bronson had sizeable co-starring roles in The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), This Property Is Condemned (1966), and The Dirty Dozen (1967). Bronson also performed in many major television shows, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his supporting role in an episode of General Electric Theater. Actor Alain Delon (who was a fan of Bronson) hired him to co-star with him in the French film Adieu l'ami (1968). That year, he also played one of the leads in the Italian spaghetti Western, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Bronson continued playing leads in various action, Western, and war films made in Europe, including Rider on the Rain (1970), which won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. During this time Bronson was the most popular American actor in Europe. Early life and war service Bronson was born November 3, 1921, in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, a coal mining region in the Allegheny Mountains, north of Johnstown. He was the 11th of 15 children born into a Roman Catholic family of Lithuanian descent. The very large family slept in shifts in their cold-water shack. The coal car tracks that ran out of the mine's mouth passed just a few yards away. His father, Walter Buchinsky (né Vladislavas Valteris Paulius Bučinskas/Bučinskis), was a Lipka Tatar from Druskininkai in southern Lithuania. Bronson's mother, Mary (née Valinsky), whose parents were from Lithuania, was born in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, in the Anthracite Coal Region. Bronson said English was not spoken at home during his childhood, like many other first-generation American children he grew up with. He once recounted that even as a soldier, his accent was strong enough to make his comrades think he was a foreigner. Besides English, he could speak Lithuanian and Russian. Marriages His first marriage was to Harriet Tendler, whom he met when both were fledgling actors in Philadelphia. They had two children, Suzanne and Tony, before divorcing in 1965. Bronson died at age 81 on August 30, 2003, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Bronson was married to English actress Jill Ireland from October 5, 1968, until her death in 1990. Death Bronson died at age 81 on August 30, 2003, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Although pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease have been cited as his cause of death, neither appears on his death certificate, which cites "respiratory failure", "metastatic lung cancer", with, secondarily, "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" and "congestive cardiomyopathy" as the causes of death. He was interred at Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont. CLR
Filmography
Elvis: A Life in Music
as Self (archive footage)
Elvis: A Life in Music
as Self (archive footage)
Breakdown: 1975
as Self - Actor in Death Wish (archive footage)
Breakdown: 1975
as Self - Actor in Death Wish (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Charles Bronson: The Spirit of Masculinity
as Self (archive footage)
Charles Bronson: The Spirit of Masculinity
as Self (archive footage)
Spanish Western
as Self (archive footage)
Spanish Western
as Self (archive footage)
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
Operation Dirty Dozen
as Self
Operation Dirty Dozen
as Self
Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion
as Paul Fein
Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion
as Paul Fein
Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II
as Commissioner Paul Fein
Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II
as Commissioner Paul Fein
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
as Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
as Self - Audience Member (uncredited)
Family of Cops
as Paul Fein
Family of Cops
as Paul Fein
Death Wish V: The Face of Death
as Paul Kersey
Death Wish V: The Face of Death
as Paul Kersey
La Classe américaine
as The Indian (archive footage)
La Classe américaine
as The Indian (archive footage)
Donato and Daughter
as Sgt. Mike Donato
Donato and Daughter
as Sgt. Mike Donato
The Sea Wolf
as Capt. Wolf Larsen
The Sea Wolf
as Capt. Wolf Larsen
Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
as Francis Church
Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
as Francis Church
The Indian Runner
as Mr. Roberts
The Indian Runner
as Mr. Roberts
Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects
as Lieutenant Crowe
Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects
as Lieutenant Crowe
Messenger of Death
as Garret Smith
Messenger of Death
as Garret Smith
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
as Paul Kersey
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
as Paul Kersey
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
as Self
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
as Self
Assassination
as Jay Killion
Assassination
as Jay Killion
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
as Self (uncredited)
All Star Party for Clint Eastwood
as Self (uncredited)
Act of Vengeance
as Joseph 'Jock' Yablonski
Act of Vengeance
as Joseph 'Jock' Yablonski
Murphy's Law
as Jack Murphy
Murphy's Law
as Jack Murphy
Death Wish 3
as Paul Kersey
Death Wish 3
as Paul Kersey
Night of 100 Stars II
as Self
Night of 100 Stars II
as Self
The Evil That Men Do
as Holland
The Evil That Men Do
as Holland
All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra
as Self
All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra
as Self
10 to Midnight
as Leo Kessler
10 to Midnight
as Leo Kessler
Death Wish II
as Paul Kersey
Death Wish II
as Paul Kersey
Death Hunt
as Albert Johnson
Death Hunt
as Albert Johnson
Borderline
as Jeb Maynard
Borderline
as Jeb Maynard
Catastrophe: No Safe Place
as Self - Host
Catastrophe: No Safe Place
as Self - Host
Caboblanco
as Gifford Hoyt
Caboblanco
as Gifford Hoyt
Love and Bullets
as Charlie Congers
Love and Bullets
as Charlie Congers
The Meanest Men in the West
as Harge Talbot Jr.
The Meanest Men in the West
as Harge Talbot Jr.
Telefon
as Major Grigori Borzov
Telefon
as Major Grigori Borzov
The White Buffalo
as Wild Bill Hickok/James Otis
The White Buffalo
as Wild Bill Hickok/James Otis
Raid on Entebbe
as Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron
Raid on Entebbe
as Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron
From Noon Till Three
as Graham Dorsey
From Noon Till Three
as Graham Dorsey
St. Ives
as Raymond St. Ives
St. Ives
as Raymond St. Ives
Breakheart Pass
as John Deakin
Breakheart Pass
as John Deakin
Hard Times
as Chaney
Hard Times
as Chaney
Breakout
as Nick Colton
Breakout
as Nick Colton
Death Wish
as Paul Kersey
Death Wish
as Paul Kersey
Mr. Majestyk
as Vince Majestyk
Mr. Majestyk
as Vince Majestyk
The Valdez Horses
as Chino Valdez
The Valdez Horses
as Chino Valdez
The Stone Killer
as Lou Torrey
The Stone Killer
as Lou Torrey
The Mechanic
as Arthur Bishop
The Mechanic
as Arthur Bishop
Chato's Land
as Pardon Chato
Chato's Land
as Pardon Chato
The Bull of the West
as Ben Justin
The Bull of the West
as Ben Justin
The Valachi Papers
as Joe Valachi
The Valachi Papers
as Joe Valachi
Valachi: The Violent Era
as Self
Valachi: The Violent Era
as Self
Red Sun
as Link
Red Sun
as Link
Someone Behind the Door
as The Stranger
Someone Behind the Door
as The Stranger
Mean Justice
as Moreno
Mean Justice
as Moreno
Cold Sweat
as Joe Martin
Cold Sweat
as Joe Martin
Violent City
as Jeff Heston
Violent City
as Jeff Heston
You Can't Win 'Em All
as Josh Corey
You Can't Win 'Em All
as Josh Corey
Rider on the Rain
as Col. Harry Dobbs
Rider on the Rain
as Col. Harry Dobbs
Twinky
as Scott Wardman
Twinky
as Scott Wardman
Once Upon a Time in the West
as 'Harmonica'
Once Upon a Time in the West
as 'Harmonica'
Farewell, Friend
as Franz Propp
Farewell, Friend
as Franz Propp
Villa Rides
as Rodolfo Fierro
Villa Rides
as Rodolfo Fierro
The Dirty Dozen
as Joseph Wladislaw
The Dirty Dozen
as Joseph Wladislaw
Guns for San Sebastian
as Teclo
Guns for San Sebastian
as Teclo
This Property Is Condemned
as J.J. Nichols
This Property Is Condemned
as J.J. Nichols
Battle of the Bulge
as Maj. Wolenski
Battle of the Bulge
as Maj. Wolenski
The Sandpiper
as Cos Erickson
The Sandpiper
as Cos Erickson
The Big Sur
as Self (uncredited)
The Big Sur
as Self (uncredited)
Guns of Diablo
as Linc Murdock
Guns of Diablo
as Linc Murdock
4 for Texas
as Matson
4 for Texas
as Matson
The Great Escape
as Danny 'Tunnel King'
The Great Escape
as Danny 'Tunnel King'
X-15
as Lt. Col. Lee Brandon
X-15
as Lt. Col. Lee Brandon
A Thunder of Drums
as Trooper Hanna
A Thunder of Drums
as Trooper Hanna
Master of the World
as John Strock
Master of the World
as John Strock
The Magnificent Seven
as Bernardo O'Reilly
The Magnificent Seven
as Bernardo O'Reilly
Never So Few
as Sgt. John Danforth
Never So Few
as Sgt. John Danforth
When Hell Broke Loose
as Steve Boland
When Hell Broke Loose
as Steve Boland
Gang War
as Alan Avery
Gang War
as Alan Avery
Machine-Gun Kelly
as George R. 'Machine Gun' Kelly
Machine-Gun Kelly
as George R. 'Machine Gun' Kelly
Showdown at Boot Hill
as Luke Welsh
Showdown at Boot Hill
as Luke Welsh
No Time at All
as Wolf Hagan
No Time at All
as Wolf Hagan
Run of the Arrow
as Blue Buffolo
Run of the Arrow
as Blue Buffolo
Jubal
as Reb
Jubal
as Reb
Big House, U.S.A
as Benny Kelly
Big House, U.S.A
as Benny Kelly
Vera Cruz
as Pittsburgh
Vera Cruz
as Pittsburgh
Drum Beat
as Kintpuash
Drum Beat
as Kintpuash
Apache
as Hondo
Apache
as Hondo
Riding Shotgun
as Pinto
Riding Shotgun
as Pinto
Tennessee Champ
as Sixty Jubel
Tennessee Champ
as Sixty Jubel
Miss Sadie Thompson
as Pvt. Edwards
Miss Sadie Thompson
as Pvt. Edwards
The Clown
as Gambler (uncredited)
The Clown
as Gambler (uncredited)
Off Limits
as Russell (Uncredited)
Off Limits
as Russell (Uncredited)
Bloodhounds of Broadway
as Phil Green, aka 'Pittsburgh Philo' (uncredited)
Bloodhounds of Broadway
as Phil Green, aka 'Pittsburgh Philo' (uncredited)
Battle Zone
as Marine Private (uncredited)
Battle Zone
as Marine Private (uncredited)
Diplomatic Courier
as Russian Agent (uncredited)
Diplomatic Courier
as Russian Agent (uncredited)
Pat and Mike
as Henry 'Hank' Tasling
Pat and Mike
as Henry 'Hank' Tasling
My Six Convicts
as Jocko
My Six Convicts
as Jocko
The Marrying Kind
as Eddie
The Marrying Kind
as Eddie
Red Skies of Montana
as Neff (uncredited)
Red Skies of Montana
as Neff (uncredited)
You're in the Navy Now
as Wascylewski
You're in the Navy Now
as Wascylewski
After Death
as Paul Kersey
After Death
as Paul Kersey