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Real
Name: Charles Dennis Bunchinsky
Born: 3 November 1921 Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, USA
Died 30 August 2003 Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA. (pneumonia)
Wives Harriet Tendler (1949 - 1967) (divorced) 2 children
Jill Ireland (5 October 1968 - 18 May 1990) (her death) 1 daughter
Kim Weeks (22 December 1998 - 30 August 2003) (his death)
Charles Bronson became an international star relatively
late in his career, depicting men of action who were
not afraid to use violence to get a job done. Bronson
was one of fifteen children born to Lithuanian immigrant
parents, and though he was the only member of the family
to complete high school, he joined his brothers working
in the coal mines to support the family. He served during
World War 2 as a tailgunner, then used his G.I. Bill
rights to study art in Philadelphia and, intrigued by
acting, enrolled at California's Pasadena Playhouse.
An instructor there recommended him to director Henry
Hathaway for a movie role and the result was Buchinsky's
debut in You're in the Navy Now (1951). He secured more
bit parts- mostly as tough-looking window dressing-
in films like The People Against O'Hara, The Mob (both
1951) and Red Skies of Montana (1952) and graduated
to more substantial roles in Pat and Mike (1952, where
he is beaten up by Katharine Hepburn!) and House of
Wax (1953, as Vincent Price's mute assistant, Igor).
Bronson starred in a series of classic movies during
the sixties including The Magnificent Seven (1960),
The Great Escape (1963), The Dirty Dozen (1967) and
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), directed by Sergio
Leone (who had originally offered him the role in A
Fistful of Dollars that made Clint Eastwood a star).Although
he made many films during the seventies, eighties and
nineties he was best remembered for his role as a tough
vigilante in the Death Wish movies directed by Michael
Winner.
Bronson starred with
Elvis in Kid Galahad in 1962. Although it is rumoured
the two men didn't hit it off, the on screen performance
worked well.
Shared a room with Jack Klugman in a New York boarding
house in the 1940s.
He had two children with his first wife, Tony and Suzanne. He then married Jill Ireland, who had two sons with her first husband, David McCallum. One adopted son (Jason) died in 1989. He and Ireland had a daughter named Zuleika.
Perhaps the biggest late bloomer in Hollywood history, Bronson never got the marquee treatment he deserved until his late 40s. He was already 53 when Death Wish premiered.
The name Bronson is said to taken from the "Bronson Gate" at Paramount Studios, at the north end of Bronson Avenue.
Spoofed in an episode of _"Simpsons, The" (1989) _ in which the Simpson family mistakenly travels to Bronson, Missouri, instead of Branson. In Bronson, such lines of dialogue as these are spoken by its citizens:"No dice.", "This ain't ovah."
Changed his stage name in the early 50s in the midst of the McCarthy "Red Scare" for fear his last name (Buchinsky) would damage his career.
Personal Quotes
"I guess I look like a rock quarry that someone has dynamited."
"Acting is the easiest thing I've done, I guess that's why I'm stuck with it."
"Someday I'd like a part where I can lean my elbow against a mantlepiece and have a cocktail."
 • Family of Cops III (1999) (TV) .... Paul Fein
• Breach of Faith: Family of Cops II (1997) (TV) .... Commissioner Paul Fein
• Family of Cops (1995) (TV) .... Paul Fein
... aka Une famille de flics (1995) (TV) (Canada: French title)
• Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) .... Paul Kersey
• Classe américaine, La (1993) (archive footage) .... Chef
... aka Grand détournement, Le (1993) (France)
• Donato and Daughter (1993) (TV) .... Sgt. Mike Donato
... aka Dead to Rights (1993) (TV)
... aka Under Threat (1993) (TV) (UK)
• Sea Wolf, The (1993) (TV) .... Capt. Wolf
Larsen
• Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991) (TV) .... Francis Church
• Indian Runner, The (1991) .... Mr. Roberts: Joe & Frank's Father
• Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989) .... Lt. Crowe
• Messenger of Death (1988) .... Garret Smith
• Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) .... Paul Kersey
• Assassination (1987) .... Jay Killion
• A City of Vengeance (1986) (TV) .... Joseph "Jock" Yablonski
• Murphy's Law (1986) .... Jack Murphy
• Death Wish 3 (1985) .... Paul Kersey
• Evil That Men Do, The (1984) .... Holland/Bart Smith
• 10 to Midnight (1983) .... Leo Kessler
• Death Wish II (1982) .... Paul Kersey/Paul Kimmel/Dr. Carter
• Death Hunt (1981) .... Albert Johnson
• Borderline (1980) .... Jeb Maynard
• Caboblanco (1980) .... Gifford Hoyt
• Love and Bullets (1979) .... Charlie Congers
• Telefon (1977) .... KGB Agent Grigori Borzov
• White Buffalo, The (1977) .... Wild Bill Hickok (James Otis)
... aka Hunt to Kill (1977) (USA: TV title)
• Raid on Entebbe (1977) (TV) .... Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron
• St. Ives (1976) .... Raymond St Ives
• From Noon Till Three (1976) .... Graham Dorsey
• Breakheart Pass (1975) .... John Deakin (John Murray, Secret Service agent)
• Hard Times (1975) .... Chaney
... aka Streetfighter, The (1975) (UK)
• Breakout (1975) .... Nick Colton
• Death Wish (1974) .... Paul Kersey
• Mr. Majestyk (1974) .... Vince Majestyk
• Valdez, il mezzosangue (1973) .... Chino Valdez
... aka Chino (1974) (France) (USA)
... aka Caballos salvajes (1974) (Spain)
... aka Valdez Horses, The (1973)
... aka Valdez the Halfbreed (1973) (UK)
... aka Valdez, il mezzosangue (1973) (Italy)
... aka Wild Horses (1973)
• Stone Killer, The (1973) .... Detective Lt. Lou Torrey
... aka Assassino di pietra, L' (1973) (Italy)
• Mechanic, The (1972) .... Arthur Bishop
... aka Killer of Killers (1972)
• Chato's Land (1972) .... Pardon Chato
• Valachi Papers, The (1972) .... Joe Valachi
... aka Carteggio Valachi (1972) (Italy)
... aka Cosa Nostra (1972)
... aka Dossier Valachi, Le (1972) (France)
... aka Joe Valachi (1972)
... aka Segreti di Cosa Nostra, I (1972)
• Bull of the West, The (1971) (TV) .... Ben Justin
... aka Hot Lead (1971) (TV)
... aka Vengeance Is the Spur (1971) (TV) (USA)
• Quelqu'un derrière la porte (1971) .... The Stranger
... aka Someone Behind the Door (1971) (USA)
... aka Two Minds for Murder (1971) (UK)
• Soleil rouge (1971) .... Link
... aka Red Sun (1972) (USA)
... aka Sol rojo (1971) (Spain)
... aka Sole rosso (1971) (Italy)
• De la part des copains (1970) .... Joe Moran, aka Martin
... aka Cold Sweat (1974) (USA)
... aka Uomo dalle due ombre, L' (1970) (Italy)
... aka Vrienden laten groeten, De (1970) (Belgium: Flemish title)
• Città violenta (1970) .... Jeff Heston
... aka Cité de la violence, La (1970) (France)
... aka Family, The (1970) (USA)
... aka Violent City (1970)
• You Can't Win 'Em All (1970) .... Josh Corey
... aka Dubious Patriots, The (1970)
... aka Soldiers of Fortune (1970) (USA: video title)
• Passager de la pluie, Le (1969) .... Col. Harry Dobbs
... aka Rider on the Rain (1970) (USA)
... aka Uomo venuto dalla pioggia, L' (1969) (Italy)
• Twinky (1969) .... Scott Wardman
... aka Lola (1972) (USA)
... aka London Affair (1972) (USA)
... aka Statutory Affair (1969)
• C'era una volta il West (1968) .... Harmonica
... aka Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) (USA)
... aka There Was Once the West (1969) (USA: literal English title)
• Adieu l'ami (1968) .... Franz Propp
... aka Due sporche carogne (1968) (Italy)
... aka Farewell, Friend (1968) (USA)
... aka Honor Among Thieves (1968) (USA: reissue title)
... aka Tecnica di una rapina (1968) (Italy)
V• illa Rides (1968) .... Rodolfo Fierro
• Bataille de San Sebastian, La (1968) .... Teclo
... aka Cañones de San Sebastián, Los (1968) (Mexico)
... aka Cannoni di San Sebastian, I (1968) (Italy)
... aka Guns for San Sebastian (1968) (USA)
• Meanest Men in the West, The (1967) (TV) .... Harge Talbot Jr.
• Dirty Dozen, The (1967) .... Joseph T. Wladislaw
• This Property Is Condemned (1966) .... J.J. Nichols
• Battle of the Bulge (1965) .... Maj. Wolenski
• Sandpiper, The (1965) .... Cos Erickson
• Guns of Diablo (1964) (TV) .... Linc Murdock
• "Empire" (1962) TV Series .... Paul Moreno (1963)
... aka "Big G" (1962) (UK)
• 4 for Texas (1963) .... Matson
• Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, The" (1963) TV Series .... Linc Murdock
• Great Escape, The (1963) .... Flight. Lt. Danny 'The Tunnel King' Velinski
• This Rugged Land (1962) .... Paul Moreno
• Kid Galahad (1962) .... Lew Nyack
• X-15 (1962) .... Lt. Col. Lee Brandon
• Thunder of Drums, A (1961) .... Trooper Hanna
• Master of the World (1961) .... John Strock
• Magnificent Seven, The (1960) .... Bernardo O'Reilly
• Never So Few (1959) .... Sgt. John Danforth
... aka Campaign Burma (1959) (USA: alternative title)
• Gang War (1958) .... Alan Avery
• Machine-Gun Kelly (1958) .... George R. "Machine Gun" Kelly
• When Hell Broke Loose (1958) .... Steve Boland
• Man with a Camera" (1958) TV Series .... Mike Kovac
• Ten North Frederick (1958) (uncredited) .... Bit Part
• Showdown at Boot Hill (1958) .... Luke Welsh
... aka Shadow of Boot Hill (1958)
• Run of the Arrow (1957) .... Blue Buffalo, Sioux Chief
... aka Hot Lead (1957) (USA: video title)
• Jubal (1956) .... Reb Haislipp
• Target Zero (1955) .... Vince Gaspari
• Big House, U.S.A. (1955) .... Benny Kelly
• Vera Cruz (1954) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Pittsburgh
• Drum Beat (1954/I) .... Kintpuash, aka Captain Jack
• Apache (1954) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Hondo
• Riding Shotgun (1954) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Pinto
• Tennessee Champ (1954) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Sixty Jubel
• Crime Wave (1954) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Ben Hastings
... aka City Is Dark, The (1954) (UK)
• Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Pvt. Edwards
• House of Wax (1953) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Igor
• Torpedo Alley (1953) (uncredited) .... Submariner
... aka Down Periscope (1953) (USA)
• Clown, The (1953) (uncredited) .... Eddie, Dice Player
• Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952) (as Charles Buchinski) .... Phil Green, aka 'Pittsburgh Philo'
• Battle Zone (1952) (uncredited)
• Diplomatic Courier (1952) (uncredited) .... The Russian
• Pat and Mike (1952) (as Charles Buchinski) .... Henry 'Hank' Tasling
• My Six Convicts (1952) (as Charles Buchinsky) .... Jocko
• Marrying Kind, The (1952) (as Charles Buchinski) .... Eddie
• Red Skies of Montana (1952) (uncredited) .... Neff
... aka Smoke Jumpers (1952)
• Mob, The (1951) (uncredited) .... Jack, a longshoreman
... aka Remember That Face (1951) (UK)
• People Against O'Hara, The (1951) (uncredited) .... Angelo Korvac
• You're in the Navy Now (1951) (as Charles Buchinski) .... Wascylewski
... aka U.S.S. Teakettle (1951) (USA)
 Himself
- filmography
• 100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994)
(TV) .... Himself
• Happy 100th Birthday Hollywood (1987) (TV)
.... Himself
• 48th Annual Academy Awards, The (1976)
(TV) .... Himself - Co-presenter: Best Actress
• San Sebastian 1746 in 1968 (1968) (uncredited)
.... Himself
• Operation Dirty Dozen (1967) (uncredited)
.... Himself
• Big Sur, The (1965) (uncredited) .... Himself
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