I'm a Charles Bronson fan

[manicrodder]

A story I read about Charles Bronson:

“I was working out in a popular gym in Hollywood and I happened to notice Charles Bronson working out there. He was curling a 70 pound dumbbell in each arm, which is not impossible, but he was doing it like it was air, which was impressive. (Several young punks were watching him out of the corner of their eye, trying to match him, and failing.) I didn’t want to bother him but when he was at a break point I complimented him on his workout regime and he mentioned that he kept a membership in this gym for when he was visiting Hollywood and that this was his ‘maintenance workout.’

When I got home I looked up his birthday to find out his age. He was 71 at the time.”

So definitely a strong man. Any number of stories have mentioned how he and other Hollywood stars of the time would just rip out pushups between scenes and takes to keep themselves going."

He did a lot of his own stunts and one of his most successful films was "Hard Times" with James Coburn. He was a street fighter that was bet on. At 53, he looked pretty tough in that one.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I understand he was a very big star in Europe. And for awhile was the highest paid actor in Hollywood.

 

[Falcon_LS]

I'm a big fan; his movies were awesome.

 

[Lubener]

Definitely one tough dude. He was not that big but was chiseled.

My favorite Bronson movies are Hard times, Dirty Dozen and Death Hunt. The last two also starred Lee Marvin.

 

[Kira]

"Telefon" was mentioned complimentarily in a review of his work. Someday I'll find it.
I've always liked location shots in European movies.

Pennsylvania boy...born and buried.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Charles Bronson was a total bad ass! He was awesome!

 

[Bobaloo22]

I love his movies, I just watched Mr Majestik the other day. Yes, he was one bad dude.

 

[Snagglefoot]

So how tough was Charles Bronson? Let’s hear it.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

You guys know he was also big time in the old western movies too? He got started in the old black & white Tv western shows. There is a good kind of off beat one called Red Sun where he gets drug across the country side by a Japanese Samurai he keeps trying to escape from. He is totally ripped shape in that movie as well as the one Mr Majestic. Often wondered "what on earth routine did he follow?" He was totally ripped and all muscle. A little of his early life:

The family suffered extreme poverty during the Great Depression, and Bronson recalled going hungry many times. His mother could not afford milk for his younger sister, so she was fed warm tea instead.[14] His family was so poor that he once had to wear his sister's dress to school for lack of clothing.[15][16] Bronson was the first member of his family to graduate from high school.

Bronson worked in the mine until he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 during World War II.[3] He served in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron, and in 1945 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress aerial gunner with the Guam-based 61st Bombardment Squadron[17] within the 39th Bombardment Group, which conducted combat missions against the Japanese home islands.[18] He flew 25 missions and received a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle.[19]

 

[Zee09]

I will get beaten half to death.
Fan of the man but not him as an actor.
Not sure why?
Don't doubt his toughness as the greatest generation was a generation unlike any other.

 

[Inked]

"Telefon" was mentioned complimentarily in a review of his work. Someday I'll find it.
I've always liked location shots in European movies.

Pennsylvania boy...born and buried.

Yep, came from a family of coal crackers who were known to be hard as stone. Worked with a few in my day and the reputation is true.

 

[manicrodder]

You guys know he was also big time in the old western movies too? He got started in the old black & white Tv western shows. There is a good kind of off beat one called Red Sun where he gets drug across the country side by a Japanese Samurai he keeps trying to escape from. He is totally ripped shape in that movie as well as the one Mr Majestic. Often wondered "what on earth routine did he follow?" He was totally ripped and all muscle. A little of his early life:

The family suffered extreme poverty during the Great Depression, and Bronson recalled going hungry many times. His mother could not afford milk for his younger sister, so she was fed warm tea instead.[14] His family was so poor that he once had to wear his sister's dress to school for lack of clothing.[15][16] Bronson was the first member of his family to graduate from high school.

Bronson worked in the mine until he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 during World War II.[3] He served in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron, and in 1945 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress aerial gunner with the Guam-based 61st Bombardment Squadron[17] within the 39th Bombardment Group, which conducted combat missions against the Japanese home islands.[18] He flew 25 missions and received a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle.[19]

One of the best was "Once upon a time in the west" In that one Henry Fonda was the meanest man there was.

 

[PimTac]

This was a great movie that he starred in.

 

[DBMaster]

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

This was a great movie that he starred in.

Just watched the entire movie a few days ago. Had never seen that one.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

I will get beaten half to death.
Fan of the man but not him as an actor.
Not sure why?
Don't doubt his toughness as the greatest generation was a generation unlike any other.

yeah, once he became an "American star" and a lead, I though the quality of the films he took went way down. Could not even get into all the Death Wish movies etc.... Pretty much liked just Mr Majestic and then all the westerns or war pictures he did. He is in The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven.

 

[Bud]

Hard Times was my favorite.

 

[manicrodder]

This was a great movie that he starred in.

Who was a greater character actor than Jack Elam?

 

[PimTac]

Who was a greater character actor than Jack Elam?

Jack Elam was very underrated. He played that part perfectly.

All the actors and the actress played their parts well. That movie is so great because of the lack of dialogue. The soundtrack is great. The ending is spectacular.

 

[Inked]

Who was a greater character actor than Jack Elam?

Maybe not greater but Walter Brennan, Slim Pickens.