Such sad news. With his soft, sinister voice, angular features and
wicked smirk Jack Palance was a great master of menace. Although
perhaps more closely associated with Westerns thanks to his turn in
"Shane," Jack also had many great horror roles to his credit. His
portrayal of Dr. Jeklyll and Mr. Hyde ranks as one of the absolute
best. His satyr-like Hyde was pure id. Palance's Hyde clearly
relished his own viciousness. He was a terrifying, and tragic,
Dracula as well, giving off a cold majestic presence in every scene he
was in. He played Jack the Ripper in "The Man in the Attic," was
featured in the horror anthology "The Torture Garden," and was the
memorably eccentric host of "Ripley's Believe It or Not" in the 1980s.
When the makers of "Batman" were having a hard time finding an actor
intimidating enough to play Jack Nicholson's boss, someone mentioned
Jack Palance - problem immediately solved.
Jack was a great performer with incredible presence. He will be missed.