Originally published November 13, 1954
“I learned how to hate when I was a kid,” says Walter Jack Palance. “In the hard-coal mines.” As a villain in nearly 90 percent of his roles, he has never forgotten the elementary tutoring of his childhood roughandtumble in a Northeastern Pennsylvania coal town. He has changed from an arrogant, stiff-necked youngster to a mild-spoken, thoughtful family man. But he can still summon up at will the turbulent emotions that he once experienced. This ability, together with his unusual face, makes him the foremost portrayer of “heavy roles” in Hollywood.
The deadliness of his deep-set stare, the shine of his high cheekbones and the honest witness of his dipsydoodled nose, his tousled, lusterless black hair and
