324. Hollywood Actor JACK PALANCE for LA TONDEÑA NATURAL RUM, 1967

Hollywood star JACK PALANCE, for LA TONDEÑA NATURAL RUM, 1967

Jack Palance (born Volodymyr Palahniuk  18 bFe. 1919/ d. 10 Nov. 2006) was a famous American male star famous for his rugged look that made him perfect for tough guy and villain roles. His distinctive character face were allegedly due to a botched reconstructive surgery, which has since been disproven as nothing more than a PR stunt. 

JACK PALANCE, Source: wikimedia commons

Palance was nominated for three Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Academy Awards: “Sudden Fear”(1952) and “Shane” (1953). His third nomination in 1991 for “City Slickers” finally won him the coveted Oscar statuette. 

JACK PALANCE says of  La Tondens'a Natural Rum: "One of the finest I ever tasted!

In 1997 though, after completing the production of the  action movie “Kill a Dragon” in Hong Kong and Macau with Fernando Lamas, Palance dropped by in the Philippines to promote the said movi--and to appear in a print ad for LA TONDEÑA Natural Rum, “I’m taking it back to the States with me!”, says the headline, in reference to the drink that he discovered and enjoyed in the Philippines. 

JACK PALANCE, Oscar's  Best Supporting Actor for 1992, "City Slickers"
Photo: pinterest

In the 1960s, commercial endorsements of Hollywood stars for Philippine products are few and far between—the actress Joan Page did a cosmetic ad, but then she was based here for 4 years. It would take close to 4 decades for another Hollywood action star to promote a Filipino brand—Steven Seagal for Tanduay Gold in the late 1990s created by Jimenez DMB&B.

 As for Jack Palance, he found greater fame in the 80s as the host of the television revival of Ripley's Believe It or Not!. On ABC. The series  ran from 1982 to 1986 and also starred Palance's daughter Holly Palance. This led to a renaissance in his career, capped by an Oscar-winning performance in the comedy “City Slickers”,  at age 73. His acceptance speech included Palance demonstrating a one-armed push-up, which the audience lapped up and loved.