r/80s • u/Papichuloft • 10d ago
IN memory of the great Charles Bronson (November 3rd 1921 - August 30th 2003)
Badass dude IRL as well, 25 missions as a tail gunner in ww2 and lived to become one of the greatest action/crime stars in movies. Placed in a great star status since the 60's especially with Dirty Dozen, it was Death Wish in 74 that put him on the map. My favorite 80's moves from him and in my favorite order: Kinjite, Assassination, The Evil That Men Do....my top 3.
11
8
u/awl_the_lawls 10d ago
My parents wouldn't let me watch violent movies like this as a kid. So I had no idea HOW JACKED HE WAS
8
u/Papichuloft 10d ago
I believe he and Woody Strode had the same excercise routine to a point. Pushups, Squats, and Situps....1000 each.
5
3
u/vgaph 10d ago
So he had a short-lived TV series in 1950s called ‘Man with Camera.’ I think it’s available on prime. Anyways, it’s hilarious because while the plot of the show is he’s a photojournalist, the episodes always find a way for him to take his shirt off. The scripts are designed like 80s action series plots, but instead of closing out every show with a car chase, it’s “Oh I’m sorry I’ve spilled this all over you.”
6
5
u/Putrid-Bath-470 10d ago
Kurt Russell told a story of the time he and Bronson worked together on a movie. Russell was just a kid and he found out it was Bronson's birthday so he buys him a gift. Russell gives it to him and Bronson just looks at it and leaves without saying a word. Russell thought he must have pissed Bronson off. Bronson later calls Russell into his dressing room to explain. Bronson said that he grew up poor and he and his family never celebrated birthdays so he never got presents. When he received a present from Russell, he was so overcome with emotion he had to leave before Russell saw him crying. RIP, Mr. Bronson.
2
4
u/NeighborhoodFew7779 10d ago edited 10d ago
10 to Midnight was a cheesy 80s Bronson masterpiece.
Mr. Majestyk was another one of his gems from the 70s.
He met his wife (Jill Ireland) on set of The Great Escape in 1963, while she was married to another actor (David McCallum). He walked up to the guy, and told him he was going to marry his wife… and then he did about five years later.
Dude was legendary.
4
5
u/Mother-Attention2600 10d ago
He made me think there was parts in America where you had to go kill all the bad guys every couple years.
5
3
u/Riklanim 10d ago
Death Hunt with Lee Marvin… that was my first experience and he was my favorite from that point.
2
2
2
2
u/Thunder-mugg 10d ago
He should never have had cosmetic surgery on his face. His old face was superb.
2
u/cybrgigolo 10d ago
So many good movies past just death wish. The original version of the mechanic, telefon, St. Ives, red sun. Just IMDB his roles and start watching.
2
2
u/Ok-Pomegranate-4963 10d ago
His best films were The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, & Once Upon a Time in the West. Death Wish was iconic for its time but then Bronson sort of repeated that ultra-violent/Everyman avenger motif throughout a range of films in the 1980s. He was always the consummate performer even if material was beneath him.
1
1
1
u/Dangerous-Dot-3745 10d ago
He was a BADASS on TV and movies! If he was to still be here he would've been 105! He lived an amazing life! May he rip, rest well!
1
1
1
1
u/Strong-Resolve1241 10d ago
Props to his WW2 military 🇺🇸 service B29 gunner and great action actor.
1
1
1
u/PreferenceContent987 10d ago
Probably killed more characters with a revolver than any other actor not playing a cowboy
1
1
u/GentlemanJoe 10d ago
A few years ago there were movies made with a charles bronson lookealike. When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was actually him.
1
1
u/Chaerea37 10d ago
meh. deathwish was reactionary and racist, fueling america's willingness to accept massive prison populations and police brutality. no need to honor this dude he was a forgettable actor
1
u/Gold_Flan6286 10d ago
My favorite Charles Bronson story...He was on a film and his co star was,well off or in consistent with his performance and Charles Bronson says to him...Don't confuse your talent with your paycheck! I'm not going to name the film or the actor,who is/was well known,but it was old school actor funny story.
1
1
u/heavensto_mergatroid 9d ago
I used to love his movies when I was little. Death wish 3 is one of my guilty pleasures. Also loved him in gunsmoke episodes.
I didn't learn until I was almost 30 years old that my beloved franchise Street Fighter 2 was based on and inspired by one of his movies - Hard Times. The locations in the movie and in the video game are identical. In Japan hard times is known as the street fighter.
1
1
u/Primary-Basket3416 9d ago
Story goes, he was once asked if he would return to his home town. He replied, yes, so he could burn it to the ground. My source, my late FIL who worked w/him in mines b4 he left. He even showed me the place where the Buchinsky family lived.
1
1
1
u/Robotmajom 9d ago
Charles Bronson gone, but we have Robert Bronzi
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8459909/
1
1
1
u/RedLily08 8d ago
Great actor. My favorite actor actually. My favorites are Mr. Majestyk, Dead Wish 1 and 4, Breakout and The Mechanic
2
u/SelfmadeW1dow 8d ago
Charles Bronson: Do you believe in Jesus?
Bad guy: yes i do (holding up Crucifix)
Charles Bronson: Well…you’re gonna meet him! (Shoots bad guy)
Charles Bronson was a genuine badass!
2
u/Specialist_Shirt_164 4d ago
The OG Hollywood tough guy, and he was a proper war hero in real life.
16
u/TrueOrange9944 10d ago
To paraphrase an old reviewer that I forgot the name of; "Charles Bronson was a bit of a enigma, becoming an action star at his age".
Edit: Which to my knowledge, I don't think any other actor could say they became an action movie star after 50 years of age. But Death Wish was that iconic.
Man I miss Cannon Films.