Charles Bronson Biography (1921?-)

Original name, Charles Buchinsky (surname is sometimes spelled Buchinski); born November 3, 1921 (some sources say 1920), in Ehrenfeld, PA; son of a coalminer; married Harriet Tendler, 1949 (divorced, 1967); married Jill Ireland (an actress), 1969 (died, 1990); children: (first marriage) two; (second marriage) Zuleika (daughter), two stepchildren. Career: Actor, best known for his film roles as tough, uncompromising action/adventure heroes. Military service: Served in armed forces, 1943-46; some sources say U.S. Army,some say Air Force (as tail gunner). Awards, Honors: Emmy Award nomination, best supporting actor in a single program, 1961, for General Electric Theatre; Golden Globe Award, world film favorite-male, 1972; Gold StarAward, film industry's top international star, 1979. Addresses: Agent:William Morris Agency, 151 South El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2704.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Actor
Birth Details
November 3, 1921?
Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • (Uncredited) Jack, The Mob (also known as Remember That Face), Columbia, 1951
  • (As Charles Buchinski) Wascylewski, You're in the Navy Now (also known as U.S.S. Teakettle), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951
  • (Uncredited) Angelo Korvac, The People against O'Hara, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1951
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Neff, Red Skies of Montana (also known as Smoke Jumpers), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1952
  • (As Charles Buchinski) Hank Taslins, Pat and Mike, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Jocko, My Six Convicts, Columbia, 1952
  • (Uncredited) The Russian, Diplomatic Courier, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1952
  • (Uncredited) Eddie, The Clown, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952
  • (As Charles Buchinski) Pittsburgh Phil, Bloodhounds of Broadway, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1952
  • (As Charles Buchinski) Eddie, The Marrying Kind, Columbia, 1952
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Private Edwards, Miss Sadie Thompson, Columbia, 1953
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Igor, House of Wax, Warner Bros., 1953
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Sixty Jubel, Tennessee Champ, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1954
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Pinto, Riding Shotgun, Warner Bros., 1954
  • (First listing as Charles Bronson) Captain Jack, Drum Beat, WarnerBros., 1954
  • (As Charles Buchinskky) Hondo, Apache, 1954
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Ben Hastings, Crime Wave (also known as The City Is Dark), Warner Bros., 1954
  • (As Charles Buchinsky) Pittsburgh, Vera Cruz, United Artists, 1954
  • Vince Gaspari, Target Zero, Warner Bros., 1955
  • Benny Kelly, Big House, U.S.A., United Artists, 1955
  • Reb Haislipp, Jubal, Columbia, 1956
  • Blue Buffalo, Run of the Arrows (also known as Hot Lead), Universal, 1957
  • George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Machine Gun Kelly, American International Pictures, 1957
  • Steve Boland, When Hell Broke Loose, Paramount, 1958
  • Luke Welsh, Showdown at Boot Hill (also known as Shadow of BootHill), 1958
  • Alan Avery, Gang War, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
  • Sergeant John Danforth, Never So Few, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1959
  • Bernardo O'Reilly, The Magnificent Seven, United Artists, 1960
  • Trooper Hanna, A Thunder of Drums, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1961
  • Lieutenant Colonel Lee Brandon, X-15, 1961
  • John Strock, Master of the World, American International Pictures,1961
  • Lew Nyack, Kid Galahad, United Artists, 1962
  • Lonely Are the Brave, Universal, 1962
  • Paul Moreno, This Rugged Land, 1962
  • Danny Velinski (the "tunnel king"), The Great Escape, United Artists, 1963
  • Matson, Four for Texas, Warner Bros., 1963
  • (Uncredited) Himself, The Big Sur, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965
  • Major Wolenski, The Battle of the Bulge, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965
  • Cos Erickson, The Sandpiper, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965
  • J. J. Nichols, This Property Is Condemned, Paramount, 1966
  • Joseph Wladislaw, The Dirty Dozen, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
  • Teclo, Guns for San Sebastian (also known as La Bataille de SanSebastian, I Cannoni di San Sebastian, and Los Canones de SanSebastian), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
  • Major Rudolfe Fierro, Villa Rides, Paramount, 1968
  • Franz Propp, Adieu l'Ami (also known as Farewell, Friend, Honor among Thieves, Due Sporche Carogne, and Tecnica di UnaRapina), 1968
  • The man ("Harmonica"), Once Upon a Time in the West (also known asC'era Una Volta il West), Paramount, 1969
  • Scott Wardman, Lola (also known as Statutory Affair and Twinky), World Film Services, 1969
  • Colonel Harry Dobbs, Rider in the Rain (also known as Le Passager de la Pluie), Avco Embassy, 1970
  • Josh Corey, You Can't Win Them All (also known as The Dubious Patriots and Soldiers of Fortune), Columbia, 1970
  • Jeff, Citta Violenta (also known as The Family and Violent City), United Artists, 1970
  • The stranger, Someone behind the Door (also known as Two Mindsfor Murder and Quelqu'un Derriere la Porte), Cinerama, 1971
  • Pardon Chato, Chato's Land, United Artists, 1971
  • Ben Justin, The Bull of the West (also known as Hot Lead),1971
  • Joe Martin, De la Part des Copains (also known as Cold Sweat and L'Uomo dalle Due Ombre), 1971
  • Link, Red Sun (also known as Soleil Rouge), National General, 1972
  • Joseph Valachi, The Valachi Papers (also known as Joe Valachi, Carteggio Valachi, Le Dossier Valachi, and I Segreti diCosa Nostra), Columbia, 1972
  • Arthur Bishop, The Mechanic (also known as Killer of Killers), United Artists, 1972
  • Detective Lieutenant Lou Torrey, The Stone Killer, Columbia, 1973
  • Pancho Villa, 1973
  • Chino Valdez, Valdez, il Mezzosangue (also known as Chino,The Valdez Horses, Valdez the Halfbreed, Wild Horses, and Caballos Salvajes), 1973
  • Vince Majestyk, Mr. Majestyk, United Artists, 1974
  • Paul Kersey, Death Wish, Paramount, 1974
  • Chaney, Hard Times (also known as The Streetfighter), Columbia, 1975
  • Nick Colton, Breakout, Columbia, 1975
  • John Deakin, Breakheart Pass, United Artists, 1976
  • Raymond St. Ives, St. Ives, Warner Bros., 1976
  • Graham Dorsey, From Noon Till Three, United Artists, 1976
  • Grigori Borzov, Telefon, United Artists, 1977
  • James Otis ("Wild Bill Hickok"), The White Buffalo (also known asHunt to Kill), de Laurentiis, 1977
  • Charlie Congers, Love and Bullets, Sir Lew Grade, 1979
  • Giff Hoyt, Cabo blanco, 1979
  • Jeb Maynard, Borderline, Associated Film Distributors, 1980
  • Albert Johnson, Death Hunt, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
  • Paul Kersey, Death Wish II, Filmways, 1982
  • Leo Kessler, Ten to Midnight, Cannon, 1983
  • Holland, The Evil That Men Do, TriStar, 1984
  • Paul Kersey, Death Wish 3, Cannon, 1985
  • Jack Murphy, Murphy's Law, Cannon, 1986
  • Jay Killian, Assassination, Cannon, 1987
  • Paul Kersey, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, Cannon, 1987
  • Garret Smith, Messenger of Death, Cannon, 1988
  • Lieutenant Crowe, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, Cannon, 1989
  • Father (Mr. Roberts), The Indian Runner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Pathe, 1991
  • Paul Kersey, Death Wish V: The Face of Death, Trimark, 1994
  • Also appeared in 10 North Frederick.
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Mike Kovac, Man with a Camera, ABC, 1958-60
  • Paul Moreno, Empire, NBC, 1963
  • Linc Murdock, The Travels of Jamie McPheeters, ABC, 1963-64
  • Burton Badman, The Sheriff of Hollywood Hills, Israel EducationalTelevision, 1971
  • Movies
  • Linc Murdock, Guns of Diablo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1964
  • Harge Talbot, Jr., The Meanest Men in the West, 1967
  • General Dan Shamron, Raid on Entebbe, NBC, 1977
  • Jock Yablonsky, Act of Vengeance, HBO, 1986
  • Francis P. Church, Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, ABC, 1991
  • Captain Wolf Larsen, The Sea Wolf, TNT, 1993
  • Sergeant Mike Donato, Donato and Daughter (also known as Dead to Rights), Multimedia Motion Pictures, 1993
  • Paul Fein, Family of Cops, Trimark, 1995
  • Paul Fein, Breach of Faith: Family of Cops II, Trimark, 1997
  • Paul Fein, Family of Cops III, CBS, 1999
  • Episodic
  • "Knockout," The Roy Rogers Show, CBS, 1952
  • "Take the Odds," The Doctor, NBC, 1953
  • "The Witness," Four Star Playhouse, CBS, 1953
  • "The Neutral Corner," The Joe Palooka Story, syndicated, 1954
  • "Adventure in Java," Philco Television Playhouse, NBC, 1954
  • "My Brother Joe," Medic, NBC, 1954
  • "Case of the Escaped Convict," Treasury Men in Action, ABC, 1954
  • "A Bell for Adano," Lux Video Theatre, NBC, 1955
  • "The Case of the Invisible Mark," Man behind the Badge, NBC, 1955
  • "Debt of Honor," Stage 7, CBS, 1955
  • "Cornered," Public Defender, CBS, 1955
  • "The Case of the Deadly Dilemma," Treasury Men in Action, ABC, 1955
  • "The Time of Day," Stage 7, CBS, 1955
  • "The Case of the Shot in the Dark," Treasury Men in Action, ABC, 1955
  • "Woman in the Mine," Pepsi Cola Playhouse, ABC, 1955
  • Mike Brod, "A Boxing Match," Crusader, CBS, 1955
  • "Chain of Hearts," Cavalcade Theatre, ABC, 1955
  • "Prosper's Old Mother," General Electric Theatre, CBS, 1955
  • Frank Bramwell, "There Was an Old Woman," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, CBS, 1956
  • "Explosion," Warner Brothers Presents, ABC, 1956
  • "Deep Freeze," Warner Brothers Presents, ABC, 1956
  • Crego, "The Killer," Gunsmoke, CBS, 1956
  • Detective Krovitch, "And So Died Riabouchinska," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, CBS, 1956
  • "The Story of Jerry Bell," The Millionaire, CBS, 1957
  • "Jeannie the Police Woman," Hey Jeannie, CBS, 1957
  • "Chester's Mother," Gunsmoke, CBS, 1957
  • "Outpost," Studio '57, syndicated, 1957
  • "The Peter Rocco Case," Richard Diamond, Private Detective, CBS, 1957
  • "The Outlaw," Have Gun-Will Travel, CBS, 1957
  • "Young Gun," Colt .45, ABC, 1957
  • "Doomsday," Suspicion, NBC, 1957
  • "The Steve Hardlika Case," Court of Last Resort, NBC, 1958
  • "Man Wanted," Sugarfoot, ABC, 1958
  • "Fight," M Squad, NBC, 1958
  • "The Bullet and the Cross," Sugarfoot, ABC, 1958
  • "The Gentleman," Have Gun-Will Travel, CBS, 1958
  • "Butch Cassidy," Tales of Wells Fargo, NBC, 1958
  • Ben Tiple, "The Long Rifle," Gunsmoke, CBS, 1958
  • "Hell on High Water," Yancy Derringer, CBS, 1959
  • "Pursuit," U.S. Marshal, syndicated, 1959
  • "Rank and File," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1959
  • "The Cruel Day," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1960
  • "Street of Hate," Laramie, NBC, 1960
  • "Ala Gun," Hennessey, CBS, 1960
  • "The Cave Divers," The Aquanauts, CBS, 1960
  • "Zigzag," Riverboat, NBC, 1960
  • "Memory in White," General Electric Theatre, CBS, 1961
  • "The Last Round," Alcoa Presents, ABC, 1961
  • "The Generous Politician," Islanders, ABC, 1961
  • "Wood Lot," The Loretta Young Show, NBC, 1961
  • "Run of the Hunted," Laramie, NBC, 1961
  • "The No-Good-Nik," Hennessey, CBS, 1961
  • The man, "Two," Twilight Zone, CBS, 1961
  • "A Proof of Love," Have Gun-Will Travel, CBS, 1961
  • "Ben Jalisco," Have Gun-Will Travel, CBS, 1961
  • "The Valley of Three Charlies," The New Breed, ABC, 1961
  • "Dead Load," Cain's Hundred, NBC, 1961
  • "Survival," Adventures in Paradise, ABC, 1961
  • Ray, "The Woman Who Wanted to Live," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, NBC, 1962
  • Yonish Kolesko, "The Death Tree," The Untouchables, ABC, 1962
  • "The Day the Empire Stood Still," Empire, NBC, 1962
  • "Brotherhood," Have Gun-Will Travel, CBS, 1963
  • "Who Ever Heard of a Two-Headed Doll?," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1963
  • Harry Starr, "The Underdog," Bonanza, NBC, 1964
  • "Heritage," Combat, ABC, 1965
  • Tate, "Earthquake," The Big Valley, ABC, 1965
  • "Nobility of Kings," The Virginian, NBC, 1965
  • "Duel at Daybreak," Rawhide, CBS, 1965
  • "The Chase," The Legend of Jesse James, ABC, 1966
  • "The Animal," The FBI, ABC, 1966
  • Ralph Schuyler, "The One That Got Away," The Fugitive, ABC, 1967
  • "The Cat in the Brief Bag," Dundee and the Culhane, CBS, 1967
  • "The Reckoning," The Virginian, NBC, 1967
  • Appeared as Eddie, "Two Rings for Eddie," The Joe Palooka Story, syndicated; also appeared in episodes of Meet McGraw, Redigo, The Line-Up, and Sheriff of Cochise.
  • Appeared in numerous television shows in the early 1950s under the name Charles Buchinsky.
  • Specials
  • The Night of 100 Stars II, ABC, 1985
  • All Star Party for Clint Eastwood, CBS, 1986
  • Happy Birthday, Hollywood!, ABC, 1987
  • America's All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (also known as The 2nd Annual America's Hope Award), ABC, 1989
  • Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come (also known as Frank Sinatra: 75th Birthday Celebration), CBS, 1990
  • Host, 100 Years of the Hollywood Western, 1994
  • Presenter, Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, 1997
  • Pilots
  • John Wesley Hardin, Luke and the Tenderfoot, CBS, 1965
  • Stage Appearances
  • Night of 100 Stars II, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1985

Further Reference

Adaptations:

  • Bronson's life was featured in the television movie Reason for Living:The Jill Ireland Story, 1991.
OTHER SOURCES
    Books:
    • Vermilye, Jerry, The Films of Charles Bronson, Citadel (Secaucus,NJ), 1980.
    Periodicals:
    • New York Times, September 22, 1974, .*

    User Contributions:

    Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

    CAPTCHA


    forum