Tribute to Charles Durning

Everybody and anybody can do a tribute for someone when they die. I did that when I heard about Sydney Pollack. Anybody and everybody can do a tribute for someone or something ultra popular. Today I want to go against the grain. Do a tribute for someone enormously appreciated by the Coen Brothers and Burt Reynolds. With references like that there can be few people cooler. Charles Durning. For a while I just thought he was a flunky for Burt Reynolds. Imagine pro boxer and war hero and someone who has been in countless films. Here's to you Charles!!!!

Ed

www.nndb.com/people/939/000022873/

Charles Durning

Born: 28-Feb-1923
Birthplace: Highland Falls, NY

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: The Muppet Movie

Military service: US Army (Ranger, WWII)

Charles Durning joined the US Army when he was 17 years old, and during World War II he was seriously wounded by a mine and suffered severe bayonet wounds in hand-to-hand combat with Nazis. His unit was eventually defeated in Belgium by an SS Panzer unit, but Durning escaped and was spared the fate met by many of his friends -- the infamous Malmedy massacre, in which German officer Joachim Peiper had over 100 American prisoners shot dead without warning as they stood in a field. On 6 June 1944, Durning was with Allied troops for the invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings. For his military service, he was awarded three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. He later had a long career as a movie actor.

Wife: Carol (div. 1972, three children)
Wife: Mary Ann Amelio (childhood sweetheart, m. 1973)

Purple Heart
Silver Star
French Legion of Honor
Tony 1990 for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Golden Globe 1991 for The Kennedys of Massachusetts
Taken Prisoner of War
Risk Factors: Obesity

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001164/bio

Ex-pro boxer, WWII veteran, dance instructor and diversely talented stage & screen actor are all inclusions on the resume of this perpetually busy US actor who didn't get in front of the cameras until around the time of his fortieth birthday ! The stockily built Charles Durning is one of Hollywood's most dependable and sought after supporting actors who first got his start in guest appearances in early 1960's TV shows. He scored minor roles over the next decade until he really got noticed by film fans as the sneering, corrupt cop "Lt. Snyder" hassling street grifter 'Robert Redford' in the multi award winning mega-hit The Sting (1973). Durning was equally entertaining in the Billy Wilder production of The Front Page (1974), he supported screen tough guy Charles Bronson in the suspenseful western Breakheart Pass (1975) and featured as "Spermwhale Whalen" in the story of unorthodox police behavior in The Choirboys (1977).

The versatile Durning is equally adept at comedic roles and demonstrated his skills as "Doc Hopper" in The Muppet Movie (1979), a feisty football coach in North Dallas Forty (1979), a highly strung police officer berating maverick cop Burt Reynolds in Sharky's Machine (1981), and a light footed, dancing Governor (alongside Burt Reynolds once more) in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Durning continued a regular on screen association with Burt Reynolds appearing in several more feature films together and as "Dr. Harlan Elldridge" in the highly popular TV series "Evening Shade" (1990). On par with his multitude of feature film roles, Durning has always been in high demand on television and has guest starred in "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1996), "Monk" (2002) and "Rescue Me" (2004). Plus, he has appeared in the role of "Santa Claus" in five different telemovies!

TELEVISION
Another World Police Chief Gil McGowan (#1, 1972)
Evening Shade Dr. Harlan Elldridge (1990-94)
First Monday Justice Henry Hoskins (2002)

FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
Deal (29-Jan-2008)
Desperation (23-May-2006)
Dirty Deeds (26-Aug-2005)
A Boyfriend for Christmas (27-Nov-2004)
Mr. St. Nick (16-Nov-2002)
Bleacher Bums (7-Apr-2002)
The Judge (6-May-2001)
Lakeboat (13-Apr-2001)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (22-Dec-2000)
State and Main (26-Aug-2000)
The Last Producer (22-Aug-2000)
Hard Time: Hostage Hotel (14-Nov-1999)
Justice (30-Apr-1999)
Hard Time (13-Dec-1998)
Hi-Life (27-Nov-1998)
Jerry and Tom (19-Jan-1998)
Shelter (16-Jan-1998)
One Fine Day (20-Dec-1996)
Mrs. Santa Claus (8-Dec-1996)
The Grass Harp (11-Oct-1996)
Spy Hard (24-May-1996)
The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists (1996) [VOICE]
Home for the Holidays (3-Nov-1995)
The Last Supper (8-Sep-1995)
I.Q. (25-Dec-1994)
The Hudsucker Proxy (11-Mar-1994)
Cat Chaser (08-Sep-1993)
The Music of Chance (4-Jun-1993)
When a Stranger Calls Back (4-Apr-1993)
V.I. Warshawski (26-Jul-1991)
Dick Tracy (15-Jun-1990)
Brenda Starr (20-Jul-1989)
Far North (10-Sep-1988)
Cop (Mar-1988)
A Tiger's Tale (12-Feb-1988)
The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains (31-Oct-1987)
Happy New Year (7-Aug-1987)
The Rosary Murders (1987)
Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III (1987)
Solarbabies (26-Nov-1986)
Tough Guys (3-Oct-1986)
Where the River Runs Black (11-Sep-1986)
Big Trouble (30-May-1986)
Death of a Salesman (14-Sep-1985)
Stick (25-Jul-1985)
The Man with One Red Shoe (19-Jul-1985)
Mass Appeal (06-Dec-1984)
Two of a Kind (16-Dec-1983)
To Be or Not To Be (1983)
Tootsie (17-Dec-1982)
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (23-Jul-1982)
Sharky's Machine (18-Dec-1981)
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (24-Oct-1981)
True Confessions (2-Oct-1981)
The Best Little Girl in the World (11-May-1981)
The Final Countdown (9-Jul-1980)
Die Laughing (Apr-1980)
Attica (2-Mar-1980)
Tilt (18-Jan-1980)
When a Stranger Calls (12-Oct-1979)
Starting Over (5-Oct-1979)
North Dallas Forty (3-Aug-1979)
The Muppet Movie (22-Jun-1979)
The Greek Tycoon (29-Jul-1978)
An Enemy of the People (17-Mar-1978)
The Fury (10-Mar-1978)
The Choirboys (23-Dec-1977)
Twilight's Last Gleaming (9-Feb-1977)
Harry and Walter Go to New York (17-Jun-1976)
Breakheart Pass (25-Dec-1975)
The Hindenberg (25-Dec-1975)
Dog Day Afternoon (21-Sep-1975)
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (13-Feb-1975)
The Front Page (17-Dec-1974)
The Sting (25-Dec-1973)
Sisters (27-Mar-1973)
Deadhead Miles (1972)
I Walk the Line (18-Nov-1970)
Hi, Mom! (27-Apr-1970)
Stiletto (30-Jul-1969)