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Monday, July 30, 2018
Texas History Minute “I never dreamed I would do westerns,” commented the one-time Texan and legendary actor Eli Wallach. In his Dr. Ken career, he Bridges appeared in dozens of westerns, including some of the most well-known westerns of the 1960s. The native New Yorker had some of his most important early lessons in acting and life in the west as a young man in Texas and would go on to appear in nearly one hundred films.
of the time. He co-starred with Edward G. Robinson in Seven Thieves in 1960 and appeared as the notorious bandit Calvera in the popular western The Magnificent Seven the same year with Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, and Yul Brynner. The next year Wallach appeared in The Misfits, which featured the last roles of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. In 1962, he co-starred in How the West Was Won with Henry Fonda and James Stewart.
At the age of 51 in 1966, when many people are starting to wind down their careers, Wallach’s career was only speeding up. He co-starred with Clint Eastwood in Eli Herschel Wallach was born in the classic The Good, The Bad, Brooklyn, New York, in December and The Ugly, the last of the “Man With No Name” spaghetti 1915. His parents, both Polish westerns starring Eastwood. immigrants, came to become business owners. His parents had Wallach played Eastwood’s one other son and two daughters in greedy sometime partner and addition to the future actor. While sometime antagonist. Though he was an accomplished actor by this each of his siblings became point, he credited Eastwood with teachers, Wallach gravitated to helping him with his role in the acting. “I always wanted to tell film, a note of graciousness that stories and act,” he later recalled. Wallach’s co-stars often noted. As Wallach himself once said in After graduating high school in an interview, “The big secret in 1932, Wallach enrolled at the acting is listening to people.” University of Texas. Austin was about as far from his New York In 1967, he played the villain “Mr. upbringing as possible, but Freeze” on the Batman TV series Wallach quickly fit in. that starred Adam West as the Caped Crusader. Out of the The university did not have a formal theater major at that point. many roles for which he was known, an amused Wallach noted However, the university did have that he received the most fan mail an active student stage group which attracted a very unique mix for that one particular role. Into the 1970s, he played a mix of roles of students. Wallach developed his acting skills in plays along with in mostly dramas and westerns. In 1980, he appeared in The Hunter fellow student actors Walter Cronkite, the future journalist, and with Steve McQueen, his last film role. John Connally, the future governor. It was also in Texas In 1986, he played an aging where Wallach said he learned to assassin in the comedy Tough ride a horse, which became an important part of some of his most Guys with Kirk Douglas and Burt famous roles. He graduated from Lancaster. He appeared in two major films in 1990, the detective UT in 1936. drama The Two Jakes with Jack Nicholson, and as an elderly mafia As World War II approached, Wallach enlisted in the army. He don in The Godfather Part III with Al Pacino. Wallach continued to originally worked as a medic but worked his way up to becoming a appear on film and television well into his eighties and nineties, hospital administrator. Wallach was honorably discharged with the regularly receiving high praise for his work. rank of captain in 1945. When he returned to New York, he worked to refine his skills through local theater groups. He landed his first Broadway role not long after he arrived in 1945. His skills were quickly noted as he earned a prestigious Tony Award for his role in “The Rose Tattoo” in 1951. He found time for family, marrying actress Anne Jackson in 1948; and the two remained together for the rest of their years. In 1956, Wallach appeared in his first film role, Baby Doll, a tale of revenge set in a small Mississippi town and co-starring Karl Malden. In his dozens of screen appearances, Wallach appeared with some of the most noted actors
Nearing 90, he released an autobiography, The Good, the Bad, and Me, retelling his stories of Old Hollywood. He received and honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007, but he kept working. Though he had slowed down, he continued to appear in small roles up until the end, always finding ways to do the work he always loved. He passed away quietly at the age of 98 at his home in New York City in June 2014. Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor. He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com.
© 2018 The Howe Enterprise
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ATTENTION! Booster Club Football Program Info Attention incoming seventh and eighth grade football players!! Coach Elvington would like you to report to Bulldog Stadium on Saturday, August 11 at 1:15 pm to take team photos for the 2018 Howe Bulldogs football program. Very slowly starting to get a few student ads for the Howe
Bulldogs program rolling in. Don’t miss out!! Get yours in soon and remember, it is NOT just for seniors!! Underclass men can also have an ad! These are the days they will remember. Message us for more information or email Michelle Walker at vice president.habc@gmail.com
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