One of my favorite actors, James Coburn, was born on August 31, 1928, and he passed away on November 18, 2002. To celebrate and acknowledge the legend’s birthday, I thought I’d share one of my favorite scenes, and that’s his character’s introduction in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. What makes the scene so impressive is that it comes in on the heels of the badass intro of Bernardo O’Reilly (Charles Bronson) and somehow manages to top it. Enjoy!
Category Archives: tribute
Charles Bronson passed away 23 years ago, today…
I remember where I was when I heard the news that Charles Bronson passed away on August 30, 2003. I was standing outside of my parents’ cabin watching the South Fourche River roll by, when my sister came out and told me that a news report had just come across the TV. My family was there celebrating the Labor Day holiday. The cabin has always been my place of peace, and I guess you can say it was the perfect place to get the news.
In honor of the importance of this day in my life, I thought I would share a couple of scenes that I love from my two favorite Bronson films.
First comes a scene from MR. MAJESTYK where Al Lettier’s mobster tries to bully Majestyk. It doesn’t work out so well for the bully.
Next comes an early scene from HARD TIMES where a smirking opponent underestimates Bronson’s seasoned character of Chaney. Once again, things don’t go well for the smartass.
I’ll never be able to fully explain why I developed a healthy obsession for Charles Bronson when I was a kid growing up in the 1980’s and why that obsession still persists to this day. I may try to put that down on paper someday before I die, but today is not that day. Today, I just want to celebrate my movie hero with some of my favorite films and moments.
Famous Actors Throughout the Decades: Charles Bronson – 1960’s!
Last year around this time, I was sitting poolside at a resort in Maui when I wrote about Charles Bronson’s career in the 1950’s. A year later, I’m sitting on the beach in Perdido Key, FL, and it seems like the perfect time to write about Bronson in the 1960’s! Holy hell… a guy just caught a shark!!
Back to Bronson, the 1960’s were a pivotal decade in Charles Bronson’s personal life and career. As the decade started, he was headlining his own TV series, MAN WITH A CAMERA, although that show’s run would end in 1960. He would also have a memorable supporting role in the classic western, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). His portrayal of Bernardo O’Reilly would be one of the most heroic of the film. This type of supporting performance would come to be a staple for Bronson throughout the 1960’s.
For the most part, it seems that Charles Bronson’s career would settle into a series of important co-starring roles in both television and in major motion pictures. The most important of these movies were his excellent performances in classics like THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) and THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967). He also had important supporting roles in popular films like KID GALAHAD (1962) with Elvis Presley, THE SANDPIPER (1965) with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED (1966) with Natalie Wood and Robert Redford.
On TV, he was performing in prominent “guest star” roles in classic TV series like ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, BONANZA, GUNSMOKE, RAWHIDE, and THE F.B.I. He also had turned into an actor who would join a TV series already in progress to help class it up some. He would provide that service to EMPIRE (1962-1963), starring Richard Egan and Ryan O’Neal, as well as THE TRAVELS OF JAIMIE MCPHEETERS (1963-1964) starring a young Kurt Russell. While he seemed to be everywhere, and there were some exceptions, it seemed he was always the guest star and never the star. This was very frustrating for an actor who had already spent over a decade providing strong support to bigger stars, while his contemporaries like Steve McQueen and James Coburn were headlining their own films. But things were about to change in a big way for Bronson, in both his personal life and professional life.
First, his personal life… Charles Bronson had been married to Harriet Tendler Bronson from 1949 to 1965. He met Jill Ireland on the set of THE GREAT ESCAPE in 1962 when she was there with her then-husband David McCallum, who was also starring in the film. Legend has it that Bronson told McCallum that he was going to “marry his wife,” but who really knows what’s fact and what’s fiction when it comes to Hollywood. Regardless, Bronson and Ireland would both get divorced in the sixties and marry each other on October 5th, 1968. They were a true Hollywood love story and would be inseparable until her death from breast cancer in 1990.
Jill Ireland turned out to be crucial in the success of Charles Bronson’s career. She was able to convince him to accept some of the offers that he had been receiving to go to Europe where he could finally be the “star” of his movies. The first of these films was FAREWELL, FRIEND (1968), where he would co-star with international superstar Alain Delon. Delon had specifically requested Bronson based on his strong performance a decade earlier in Roger Corman’s MACHINE GUN KELLY. Bronson would steal the film from Delon and it would be a huge box office hit across Europe. Suddenly, Bronson found himself to be a sex symbol across the continent. When I was a kid in the 80’s, this movie was only available on terrible VHS tapes under the title HONOR AMONG THIEVES. I didn’t fully appreciate how important it was to Bronson’s career until decades later.
Bronson’s next film would turn him into a true international stud when he would play Harmonica in Sergio Leone’s ultimate masterpiece ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968). His incredible screen presence would dominate a film that featured excellent performances from Henry Fonda, Jason Robards and possibly the most beautiful woman on earth, Claudia Cardinale. Leone had wanted to work with Bronson for years, including all three films in the “Dollars” trilogy, but it had never worked out. While their film was butchered for its American release, it was a monster hit all across Europe and Bronson would be one of the biggest stars on the planet for the next decade.
The 1960’s turned out to be a great decade for Charles Bronson. He married the love of his life and became one of the biggest movie stars in the world, even if he wasn’t fully appreciated in his home country yet. But we’ll get to that next when we discuss the 1970’s, his most successful decade of all!
Rest in Peace, Tim Curry!
Tim Curry is an actor I’ve always loved. So many love him for THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and CLUE, and while those are probably his most memorable performances, neither of those are the first movies I think of when I think of Curry. I think of HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK, because I saw it in the theater, and I think of PASS THE AMMO because it was filmed here in my home state of Arkansas when I was a teenager. In my personal celebration of his wonderful career and life, I share this scene from PASS THE AMMO (1988), which also stars Bill Paxton, Linda Kozlowski, and Annie Potts!
Rest in Peace, Mr. Curry!
Scenes That I Love: Tim Curry Explains It All In Clue
Yesterday, the great actor Tim Curry passed away at the age of 80.
Though Tim Curry will probably always be best-known for his role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, my favorite Tim Curry film is 1985’s Clue. Here he is, in all three of the film’s endings.
Rest in Peace, Dolly.
Like most of America, I’ve always loved Dolly Parton. I’ve been to her “Stampede” in Branson at least 10 times in my life. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for her movie STRAIGHT TALK, because one of my all-time favorite actors, James Woods, was her co-star and played her love interest. They have a great chemistry in the film, and Woods has said, “Dolly Parton is the nicest person I’ve ever worked with…. She’s everything you imagine and so much more. Anybody who’s ever spent any time with her absolutely adores her.” That’s high praise, but it’s right on point with what almost everyone says about her.
In celebration of an incredible life, well lived, I thought I’d share this scene where Dolly and James first meet. Thanks for a lifetime of good music, good movies, and just being a good human being.
The “This Week in Charles Bronson” Podcast discusses Antoinette Bower, my trip to Vermont and Val McCallum!
I’ve shared several episodes of the “This Week in Charles Bronson” podcast with our readers over the last year. I just love visiting with my Buchinsky Buddy Eric Todd about all things related to Charles Bronson. In our latest episode, Eric pays tribute to actress Antoinette Bower, who passed away on April 30th, 2026, at the age of 93. The first Bronson film he ever saw was THE EVIL THAT MEN DO (1984), where Bower plays Claire Molloch, the sister and the love of the life of political torturer Clement Molloch (Joseph Maher). In Bower’s three-decade career she starred in just about every classic TV series you can think of, including Have Gun, Will Travel, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, and with Bronson and Kurt Russell in The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. It’s a lot of fun revisiting much of her film work, and finding out a lot of other interesting things about her life after she retired from show business in the early 90’s.
After that, I get to tell you all about my trip to Vermont! My wife and I were able to visit Charles Bronson’s gravesite at the Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, as well as the property that was once his and Jill Ireland’s horse farm on Bronson Road. We were able to eat at places where he liked to eat and even go shopping at places where he liked to shop! And to top it all off, we had the good fortune to meet his son, Valentine McCallum, who still has property in the area and just happened to be visiting when we were there. Val’s an incredible professional musician and singer, and we were able to catch him performing at the Skunk Hollow Tavern on our last night in the area. I share a couple of his songs on the podcast. What I love the most is that these are very personal songs that Val performed that night. I think you’ll enjoy them. I know we sure did!
So, if any of that sounds like fun to you, take some time to give us a listen. I’m sharing the YouTube and Spotify links below, but you can find us on Apple Podcasts as well!
Brad’s “6 Shots from 6 Films” – featuring Billy Bob Thornton!
One of the greatest actors to come from the state of Arkansas was born in Hot Springs on August 4th, 1955. Sometimes called the “Hillbilly Olivier,” Billy Bob Thornton seems to be aging like fine wine!
Happy Birthday, Billy Bob. You’re the best!
Brad ranks the nine J. Lee Thompson / Charles Bronson movies!
British director J. Lee Thompson was born on August 1, 1914. He directed some classics in the early 60’s, movies like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961), where he received an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and the original CAPE FEAR (1962), which I personally consider superior to Scorsese’s 1991 remake. Gregory Peck, who starred in both films, once said there were only four directors he could trust to tell him whether or not he was faking his performance: Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor, William Wyler and J. Lee Thompson. High praise indeed!
When the British film industry began caving in at the end of the decade, Thompson moved into Hollywood productions and continued to work steadily for the next couple of decades. He worked on films in all genres, like westerns (MACKENNA’S GOLD – 1968), science fiction (CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – 1972) and horror (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME – 1981). After Thompson retired in 1989, he would sometimes lament that he had “sold out” his individual artistic desires in order to just keep working. But he would never be too hard on himself, because he enjoyed making movies and always brought professionalism and competence no matter the movie.
The main reason I like J. Lee Thompson is because he would make 9 films with actor Charles Bronson from 1976 to 1989. With Thompson as director, you knew the film would always have a certain level of quality, and Bronson loved his fast, no-frills method of shooting. In celebration of Thompson’s 112th birthday in cinema heaven, I thought it might be fun to provide my ranking of those 9 films. So here we go!
Coming in at #9 is MESSENGER OF DEATH (1988). Thompson is at his best during the incredibly tense and vicious opening sequence, but the script ultimately can’t keep the momentum going, and it’s one of Bronson’s more boring films. On some positive notes, it’s a different kind of movie for Bronson, more of a whodunnit than a straight action film. It has a strong cast, filled with veterans like John Ireland, Jeff Corey, and Trish Van Devere. It also has some beautiful Colorado scenery.
Next up at #8 is CABO BLANCO (1980). After years of poor video releases, Kino Lorber released the film on a special edition Blu-ray in 2016, which highlights how Thompson was able to capture the natural beauty of the Mexican locations. Bronson gives a committed performance as Giff Hoyt. The casting of legends like Jason Robards and Fernando Rey, in a fantastically corrupt turn, are a big plus as well. Unfortunately, the film’s script and story never really come together and the end doesn’t make much sense.
Coming in at #7 is KINJITE: FORBIDDEN SUBJECTS (1989). This would be Thompson’s final film, and he goes out with a slick and sleazy thriller. In my opinion, KINJITE contains one of Bronson’s stronger Cannon performances, but the subject matter is particularly dark and ugly, with themes of child exploitation, human trafficking, sexual violence, and prejudice. I think it’s a good film, but you definitely need a bath afterwards. Juan Fernandez is odd and memorable as the villainous pimp, Duke.
For #6, I’m going with DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN. After the bonkers outrageousness of DEATH WISH 3, Thompson took the reins from Michael Winner for this entry, and delivered a much more straightforward action film. There is so much action in DEATH WISH 4, and the oilfield shootout contains some of Bronson’s more iconic imagery of the 80’s. The film was a huge renter at the video store, the most successful of the entire franchise in that department. John P. Ryan is also gleefully over the top as the bad guy.
At #5, I’m going with THE WHITE BUFFALO (1977). This western has grown on me over the years. Thompson is able to pull strong performances out of Charles Bronson and Will Sampson in the lead roles of Wild Bill Hickok and Crazy Horse. Combined with John Barry’s musical score, he’s able to give the film an eery, otherworldly quality with each appearance of the white buffalo. The film may have bombed at the box office, but it’s pretty darn good movie.
At #4, I’m going with THE EVIL THAT MEN DO (1984). I’m especially appreciative of Thompson for his work on Bronson’s final badass hitman film. The original director, Fielder Cook, was fired and Thompson was brought in at the last minute with very little prep time. He was still able to deliver a violent, brutal thriller. This one has its rough moments, but I’ve always liked Bronson as the amoral instrument of justice. And his down-low takedown of the giant sexual predator in the slimy Mexican bar is one of the more memorable scenes in any action film!
Heading into the top 3, I’m going with ST. IVES (1976) at #3. In Thompson’s first movie with Bronson, he delivers a fun, little mystery thriller. I particularly enjoy Bronson’s performance as Ray St. Ives. He seems to always have a smile on his face as he makes his way through the various Los Angeles locations. With definitely less action than your average Bronson film, I enjoy the change of pace as well as the excellent supporting cast of veteran actors like John Houseman, Jacqueline Bisset, Maximillian Schell, Harry Guardino, Harris Yulin, Dana Elcar and Michael Lerner. Heck, Jeff Goldblum and Robert Englund even show up as some henchmen. This is Bronson at the peak of his movie stardom.
At #2, I make an extremely personal choice with MURPHY’S LAW (1986). While the film is definitely an 80’s Cannon time capsule, this is one of two movies that kicked off my lifelong obsession with Charles Bronson, with the other being DEATH WISH 3. Thompson keeps the action moving efficiently from one set piece to another as Jack Murphy and Arabella McGee (Kathleen Wilhoite) try to figure out who is framing him for the murder of his stripper ex-wife. Carrie Snodgress is enjoyably nuts as the bad lady. Not only have I watched this movie dozens of times, I have been blessed to meet the film’s composer (Val McCallum) and interview Murphy’s partner (Robert F. Lyons). This movie is just special to me in ways that critical analysis can never capture.
And at #1 in my list of Bronson-Thompson collaborations, I choose the 1983 tough cop/slasher hybrid TEN TO MIDNIGHT. Charles Bronson is particularly strong as Leo Kessler, the veteran detective and dad who will go to any length to bring down a vicious, impotent killer of women, played brilliantly by Gene Davis. It has one of the best and most controversial endings of Bronson’s career. I give credit to Thompson for delivering an entertaining thriller that would appeal to an audience outside of Bronson’s normal fanbase. 10 TO MIDNIGHT would be a major player on premium cable channels like HBO. When I met my wife, she didn’t know who Bronson was, but she knew the film and loved it. Even though he was already an aging action star, the success of this movie propelled Bronson’s theatrical leading man career to the end of the 80’s.
Thanks for all the memories, J. Lee. Your films have been an endless source of entertainment for me for over 40 years! Rest in peace, sir
Glen Hansard, RIP
I woke up to the tragic news that Glen Hansard, lead singer of the Frames and the star of The Commitments and Once, was killed earlier in a motorcycle accident. He was 56 years old. In America, he’ll probably always be remembered for his enthusiastic and heartfelt speech after he was on Oscar for Best Original Song. I’ll always remember him for Once, one of the most wonderful romantic films ever made. Nearly 20 years after seeing the film, I still listen to the soundtrack.
Glen Hansard, RIP.
