Cowboy from Ukraine: history of the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Jack Pelensa

Western hero Jack Palance was one of the most prominent Hollywood actors of the last century. But few people know that Jack’s real name was Vladimir, and the surname Pelens is a euphonious American English abbreviation for Palagnyuk. He is the only actor of Ukrainian origin to receive an Oscar.

By the centenary of the birth of the legendary Ukrainian, his relatives and friends gathered in Los Angeles. In 2019, he would have turned 100 years, writes Voice of America. On the ever-crowded Alley of Fame, his star can be found in the 6660 quarter of Hollywood Boulevard.

Known for his sparkling gaze and cowboy hat, Jack Pelens was one of the most popular characters and characters in Hollywood westerns and melodramas.

However, his unique image was formed not by cowboy, but by Ukrainian roots.

The Palagnyuk family emigrated to the USA in the early twentieth century from Western Ukraine. Relatives of the future actor mined coal in Pennsylvania, where Vladimir was born. He had four brothers and sisters. The youngest, Ivan Palagnyuk, recalls that the family spoke Ukrainian, and his father was especially worried about preserving his roots.

“He always talked about Ukraine. He never renounced his origins. Mom too, but not like father. He was proud to be Ukrainian,” says the actor’s brother Ivan Palahniuk.

Vladimir worked in the mines, but rather quickly left Pennsylvania to play American football on the university team. At the end of 30, he began a boxer career under the name Jack Brazzi. During the Second World War, he served in the ranks of military aviation.

After the war, Vladimir Palanik entered Stanford University in the faculty of acting. During his studies, he earned his living in various small jobs in restaurants, working as a security guard, a model, writes Lvivil.livejournal.com.

After graduating in 1947, he worked briefly as a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle and for radio. His first acting job was on Broadway together with the famous American actor Marlon Brando in the play based on the famous play A Streetcar Named Desire. Having already become an actor, Vladimir changed his name to Walter Jack Palance.

“Nobody could say my name. Then they said - we will call you Polanski. And I took Pelens from Polanski,” said the actor.

His screen debut was his role as a criminal in the film Panic in the Streets (1950).

After the success of this film, Pelens becomes the star of gangster films and westerns.

Pelens was first nominated for an Oscar in 1952 for his role in A Sudden Fright, and next time for his role in the classic Western Shane (1955). He received his Oscar 40 years after his first nomination in 1992 for his role in the comedy western City Slickers. He also starred a lot in Europe, in films that now belong to the classics, in particular, together with Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard’s film “Contempt”.

At Hollywood's top awards show, when Jack Pelens beat out Tommy Lee Jones, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley and Michael Lerner, he remembered his real name was Vladimir and showed off his fitness by doing some one-arm push-ups on stage. YouTube subscribers still call Pelens's stunt one of the most remarkable moments of the Oscar ceremonies over the years.

And although it was under the name Jack Pelens that he became a Hollywood darling and was nominated for an Oscar three times, Vladimir never forgot his roots.

In 1996, Jack arrived in Ukraine and donated humanitarian aid from the Chernobyl Children's Aid Fund.

His Hollywood colleagues learned that Pelens was Ukrainian only in 2004. Then art critic Yulia Volkhonovich worked as a translator at the Russian Film Festival in Los Angeles. Pelens was also invited there.

“They called Palagnyuk, and he said: “Why did you call me here? I'm from Ukraine. What am I doing here? This is mistake". And he left the hall,” recalls Volkhonovich.

Two years later, in 2006, Jack Pelens passed away.

“He was much more Ukrainian than me. He spoke Ukrainian fluently, but I only spoke a little. He was proud to be Ukrainian and was the first to take part in everything that had to do with Ukrainians,” said the actor’s brother Ivan Palagnyuk.

Pelens' friends recall that he always stood out for his unconventional thoughts and behavior. He never became a hunched old man - Pelens always had gunpowder in his flasks. Even at 80, he remained macho.

He loved life and women. Was married twice. He lived with his first wife, theater actress Virginia Baker, for almost 20 years and raised three children. Jack Pelens married flight attendant Elaine Rogers for the second time in May 1987. It was she who was with Jack in his last moments.

Jack loved to joke. He said that he was a favorite of women and in this field he had no competitors. This was motivated by the fact that his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located opposite the famous “Frederick of Hollywood” store, which specializes in selling... underwear for ladies.

Peles was a deep man and did not forget his roots until his death. He was interested in Ukrainian history, belonged to the category of people who want to get to the bottom of the truth. In Ukrainian cinema respected Dovzhenko, Parajanov, Ilyenko, Sanin. I often spoke with friends of Ukrainian origin in my native language.

A miner, a boxer, a military pilot, an actor, a poet, an artist, Jack Pelens experienced many illnesses in his life. But star fever was never able to kill him. Until the end of his days he remained a modest man, easy to communicate and friendly to all.

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.