Charles Bronson, a true American Hero dies at 81

Hollywood-Hero ^ | 09-01-03 | www.hollywood-hero.us

[lisaann8]

Charles Bronson 1921-2003

Charles D. Buchinski (Bronson) with his airplane commander Ken Trow

314th Wing, 39th Bomb Group, 61st Squadron
Weather Observation Crew Member

Yesterday, Hollywood lost a true American hero.  Charles D. Buchinski aka Charles Bronson died Saturday in a Los Angeles hospital after a month long bout with pneumonia.  Star of many films, such as ''The Magnificent Seven,'' ''The Great Escape,'' ''The Battle of the Bulge,'' ''The Sandpiper'' and ''The Dirty Dozen''
which you can read about all over the Internet, but most famous for his Death Wish films, we at Hollywood-Hero want to tell you a bit about the man that you can't find much about on the Internet. 

We find it sad but not surprising that entertainment writers choose to ignore that Charles Bronson served as a nose gunner on a B-29 in World War II.  As Charles D. Buchinski, he served in the 314th Bomb Wing, 39th Bomb Group, 61st Squadron under Commander Ken Trow, pictured above.

Fortunately, my Dad is a veteran of World War II, having been a B-29 pilot serving in Guam, so I knew exactly where to look to find this information.

We must never forget the brave souls who have served our country both past and present.  And we here at Hollywood-Hero will continue to highlight the Era of Hollywood when, during the last time this country faced a world war, Hollywood was on our side.

[A CA Guy]

God Bless, RIP!

[ThreePuttinDude]

lisaann8: I'm sure Charlie is looking down and smiling at you.

Thanks, from one of his many fans.....ThreePuttinDude

[exnavy]

"true american hero"? we seem to bandy about that term very loosely lately.

All the same, I liked C.B., RIP.

[xJones]

Charles Bronson served as a nose gunner on a B-29 in World War II. As Charles D. Buchinski, he served in the 314th Bomb Wing, 39th Bomb Group, 61st Squadron under Commander Ken Trow

Thanks for posting this, it's not surprising.

[ThreePuttinDude]

I took this from the website above, I don't think she will mind.

______________________________________________________________________

Charles D. Buchinsky died 30 August 2003

His name appears on the 61st BS Enlisted Men Roster dated 15 September 1945 at the rank of Corporal with a then hometown as Ehrenfield, PA.

According to Capt Trow the crew flew 5 missions before the end of the war - Buchinsky's public profile states he flew 25 combat missions as Tail Gunner - it is unknown if the 5 missions with the Weather Observation Crew are part of the 25 or where he obtained the other 20 missions if these 5 are indeed included in the total

[lisaann8]

I beg to differ, but I happen to believe that anyone who served this country in the military during both times of peace and war, deserve our everlasting gratitude.

[Salo]

He died? Again? I thought he died a month ago.

[Sir Charles]

It would probably be surprising just how many Hollywood heroes are true heroes, and also how many are not.

Goodbye, good man.

[exnavy]

I understand that, you could say the same thing about alot of us vets. I just think that term should be reserved for people like those that died in the towers tring to save others, know what I mean?

[exnavy]

tring=trying

[thegreatbeast]

I'm with you. Heroism is a specific thing and can not be bandied about casually otherwise it will lose its meaning.
Bronson may well have been a hero but someone would have to furnish the particulars before we could make that judgement.
Being in the service and doing one's job does not make one a hero.

[exnavy]

Very true.

[ambrose]

Thug to Bronson:

"Guns make your nervous?"

Bronson to Thug:

"No... Idiots with guns make me nervous."

[F-117A]

God Bless!

[Paul Atreides]

Biography for
Charles Bronson

Page 11 of 17


Birth name
Charles Buchinsky

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Nickname
Il Brutto (Italy)
Le Sacre Monstre (France)

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Height
5' 11"

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Spouse
Harriet Tendler (1949 - 1967) (divorced) 2 children
Kim Weeks (22 December 1998 - present)
Jill Ireland (5 October 1968 - 18 May 1990) (her death) 1 daughter

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Trivia
Shared a room with Jack Klugman in a New York boarding house in the 1940s.

He has 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 "The Simpsons" 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."

---

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."

---

Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia:
He once said, "I guess I look like a rock quarry that someone has dynamited," but despite his craggy, unconventional features and taciturn manner, 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).

He began playing Indians in 1954's Apache and received good notices as Captain Jack in Drum Beat (also 1954, and the film in which he was first credited as Charles Bronson). He alternated features like Vera Cruz (1954) with television work, and won larger roles in B movies like Big House, U.S.A and Target Zero (both 1955). Good supporting roles continued in big features like Jubal (1956) and Run of the Arrow (1957, as Chief Blue Buffalo), but his leads were confined to a string of B's like Gang War, Showdown at Boot Hill, Machine Gun Kelly and When Hell Broke Loose (all 1958). Following his own TV series, "Man With a Camera" (1958-60, as photographer Mike Kovac), Bronson had his first taste of film stardom as Bernardo, one of the The Magnificent Seven (1960). Master of the World, A Thunder of Drums (both 1961), X-15 and Kid Galahad (both 1962), were followed with a solid role in The Great Escape (1963), as the claustrophobic tunnel-digger Danny Velinski. He had more good parts in 4 for Texas (1963), The Sandpiper (1965), and the smash The Dirty Dozen (1967) before heading to Europe, where he spent the next few years. He appeared in Guns for San Sebastian and Villa Rides (both 1968), and then teamed with Alain Delon for Adieu l'ami (1968), which was a smash in France, before starring in the classic 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).

These films established Bronson as a top box-office draw in Europe, and the stylish Rider on the Rain, The Family (both 1970), Cold Sweat (1971), and Red Sun (1972) raised him to the ranks of the most popular stars worldwide. Duplicating that success in the U.S. came slowly with Chato's Land, The Mechanic, The Valachi Papers (all 1972), and Mr. Majestyk (1974), until Bronson's frequent collaborator Michael Winner directed him in Death Wish (1974), a revenge fantasy about an architect who turns vigilante when his wife and daughter are raped. The movie was both controversial and extremely popular (and spawned four inferior sequels in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1994). It also established Bronson as a star in his own country and set the tough, cold, violent persona he would project from that time on. There were some exceptions along the way, most notably the excellent Hard Times (1975, as a 1930s streetfighter), the offbeat black comedy From Noon Till Three (1976, the best of many teamings with his wife, Jill Ireland), and The White Buffalo (1977, as Wild Bill Hickok). However, Bronson stuck with action-thrillers like Breakout (1975), Telefon (1977), and Love and Bullets (1979) and spent the 1980s in gory fodder like Ten to Midnight (1983), The Evil That Men Do (1984), Murphy's Law (1986), and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989), exterminating a variety of pimps and psychos. Bronson did some of his most interesting work in TV movies, including Raid on Entebbe (1977), Act of Vengeance (1986, as United Mine Workers official Jack Yablonski), and in the title role of The Sea Wolf (1993), although his role as a stern father in Sean Penn's The Indian Runner (1991) proved he could become a character actor if he chose to. He was married to actress Jill Ireland from 1968 until her death in 1990.

Copyright © 1994 Leonard Maltin, used by arrangement with Signet, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.

[Reagan Man]

A salute to Charles Bronson.

Thanks for all the entertaining films and RIP Mr.Bronson.

[Free Vulcan]

I never imagined Bronson as old enough to be a WWII vet, he always seemed like he should have been in Vietnam. The guy was ageless. All my buddies and I growing up in the 80's idolized him.

[maxwellp]

When my husband and I lived in New York City we saw Mr. Bronson coming out of a store on Fifth Avenue. Along with us, many people recognized him and we watched as he greeted his fans in an extremely friendly manner. He was gracious and took the time to speak to several people. He was good at what he did and he will be missed. God Bless you, Mr. Bronson.

[A CA Guy]

Seemed a great guy and took the death of his wife hard.