2001 | Portrayed Long John Silver in feature remake of "Treasure Island" |
2000 | Returned to films after a six-year absence in "Marco Polo" |
1999 | Cast as Christopher Walken's father in the CBS "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation "Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End" |
1998 | Played title role in "Ebenezer", the TNT-aired adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" |
1995 | Had featured role in the CBS miniseries "Buffalo Girls" |
1994 | Provided the voice for the sinister villain Rothbert in the animated "The Swan Princess" |
1994 | Appeared as Curly's twin brother in "City Slickers II: The Secret of Curly's Gold" |
1992 | Startled audience and gave host Billy Crystal material for quips when he performed a series of one-armed push-ups as part of his Oscar acceptance speech at the Academy Awards ceremony after winning Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "City Slickers" |
1991 | Played Curly, an ornery trail boss who whips a trio of urban dwellers into shape to participate in a Montana cattle drive in "City Slickers" |
1989 | Co-starred in "Batman" directed by Tim Burton |
1988 | Portrayed a painter in "Bagdad Cafe" |
1992 | Hosted four syndicated historical documentary specials, "Legends of the West with Jack Palance" |
1987 | Returned to features with his leading role in the adult action-fantasy, "Gor" |
| Hosted the ABC half-hour primetime documentary series, "Ripley's Believe It or Not!"; daughter Holly served as co-host |
| Hosted the ABC primetime documentary series, "Ripley's Believe It or Not" |
1981 | Hosted the special "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" |
1980 | First TV miniseries, "The Golden Moment--An Olympic Love Story" |
1974 | Had title role in the CBS adaptation of "Dracula" |
1973 | Co-starred with George C Scott and Faye Dunaway in "Oklahoma Crude" |
1969 | Cast as Fidel Castro in "Che!", the biopic of revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara |
1968 | Had title roles in the ABC special "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"; was injured in a fall during filming and later sued, receiving some $500,000 in damages |
1966 | Co-starred in "The Professionals" |
1974 | TV-movie debut, "Dracula" |
1965 | Returned to the stage as the King of Siam opposite Celeste Holm's Anna Leonowens in "The King and I" in Anaheim, California |
1966 | Played the Jabberwock in a one-hour NBC-TV musical adaptation, "Alice Through the Looking Glass" |
1963 | Directed by Jean-Luc Godard in "Contempt" |
1965 | Began playing primarily supporting parts in features with his role in "Once a Thief" |
| Starred as Johnny Slate on the ABC TV series, "The Greatest Show on Earth" |
1960 | Starred in the title role of the NBC adventure special "Rivak, the Barbarian" |
1958 | Lived in Switzerland |
1957 | Had dual role in "The House of Numbers" |
1957 | Made guest appearance on TV's "The Perry Como Show"; surprised many by displaying his vocal abilities |
1955 | Portrayed a movie idol in "The Big Knife" |
1955 | Spent a summer season at the American Shakespeare Festival in Straford, Connecticut |
1954 | Co-starred in "Sign of the Pagan" |
1953 | First color film, "Second Chance" |
1953 | Received top billing in a feature film for the first time in the Jack the Ripper Gothic thriller, "Man in the Attic" |
1953 | Cast as the hired gunman in "Shane"; although filmed before "Sudden Fear", "Shane" was not released until the following year |
1952 | Received first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for "Sudden Fear" |
1951 | Returned to Broadway in "Darkness at Noon" |
1950 | Walked out on Fox contract when he failed to be cast alongside Brando in "Viva, Zapata!"; role went to Anthony Quinn who won an Oscar |
1952 | Received first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for "Sudden Fear" |
1950 | Film debut in "Panic in the Streets", directed by Kazan |
| Put under contract by 20th Century Fox |
| After returning to NYC, became Marlon Brando's understudy for the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire", staged by Elia Kazan; spotted by 20th Century Fox talent scout when he went on for Brando |
| Understudied Anthony Quinn in the national tour of "A Streetcar Named Desire" |
1948 | Appeared in the Off-Broadway production of "The Silver Tassie" |
1947 | Broadway acting debut, a one-line role as a Russian soldier in "The Big Two" |
1946 | Moved to NYC |
| While at Stanford, landed role alongside Aline MacMahon in the play "My Indian Family" |
| Worked for a time as a reporter in San Francisco for $35 a week |
| Attended Stanford on the GI Bill |
1944 | Left military service; returned to work in the coal mines |
1942 | Joined US Army Air Force; involved in plane crash during training |
| Returned to Pennsylvania and worked briefly as a coal miner |
| Injured throat in last fight; left with signature raspy voice |
1938 | Became a professional boxer at age 20; reportedly won 18 out of 20 bouts (date approximate) |
