Charles Durning, a second World War hero who became one of Hollywood's top character actors in films like The Sting, Tootsie and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, has died, a New York City. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) -- (Movie Clip) They're Bringing In Your Wife Something of a spoiler, as writer Frank Pierson delivers one of the noted plot curve-balls of the decade in his fact-based screenplay, as cop Moretti (Charles Durning) tells hostage-holding bank robber Sonny (Al Pacino) that his wife has arrived, not expecting Chris Sarandon as Leon, in Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon, 1975. A veteran character actor who was a widely recognizable face in film and on television for over five decades, Charles Durning earned his place as a dependable presence often . Durning participated in various functions to honor American veterans, including serving as Chairman of the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans. Copy. If such a trivial thing deserves mention (which IMO it doesn't), then you would need to provide a reference that someone else is the 2nd most decorated soldier of WWII. Wikipedia says no primary sources and the military record is a primary source. By June 17 he was back in England at the 217th General Hospital. The biggest joy of the experience was getting to spend the day chatting with Mr. Durning. During the German attack, Durning reported that a particularly young soldier charged him, but Durning couldnt bring himself to fire. Charles Durning. For his valor he . No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. But simply because I am interested in the Malmedy massacre for several years, which means I have spend much time on the question and read a lot of books. I would hope that the editors of this page would at least mention that there is controversy surrounding the many versions of his wartime service and that official records are at odds with many points. Before jumping into your new job all gung-ho, you would do yourself a great disservice if you didn't do your research. Such is the life of Charles Durning. [12] He was an honored guest speaker for 17 years at the National Memorial Day Concert televised by PBS every year on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend. Age (2022) Update Soon. http://nmisscommentor.com/random-firings/charles-durning-obit-in-the-new-york-times/comment-page-1/#comment-126171. My sergeant said, are you scared, son? The book contains a bibliography but no footnotes or citations within the text to explain sources. The Malmedy Massacre was exhaustingly investigated by the First Army. [AlanM1(talk)] 12:37, 17 July 2013 (UTC). . What is the purpose of your discussion topic? Durning's performances in Broadway productions include Drat! Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 - December 24, 2012) was an American actor. On the other hand I am far from being convinced that the fact this would have been said by the French consul (if it was the case) make it the revealed truth. Five of his siblings died due to scarlet fever and smallpox, and much of his early life was spent in hardship. After recovering for six months, he was put back on the front lines to combat the German Ardennes offensive. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). Although he survived the initial assault relatively unscathed, he was wounded by a German mine a few days later and earned a Purple Heart. It's entirely possible that Durning (or someone on his behalf) asked for (and obtained) corrections to the original records in the time since his discharge, explaining the additional awards in the 2002 summary and the letter from 2008. There is no reference to the Reynolds quote, so it is not really relevant to the article. Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to: Search the largest free Veteran Job board to find jobs with veteran-friendly companies. Durning's character turns himself in to authorities, insisting that he must be prosecuted for having murdered his buddy during ferocious combat on Iwo Jima six decades earlier. "I was the second man off my barge, and the first and third man got killed.". During this period, he segued into television and movies. Durning passed away on December 24th, 2012 due to natural causes and was buried in Arlington National Cemetary. More memorably, I had a great day hanging out talking World War II with him. Durning was drafted into the U.S. Army just in time to fight in World War II. Which is strange. That can cause a number of types of confusion. On June 6, 1944, Durning was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and was in one of the first waves of American troops that landed on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Photograph: NBC via Getty Images. He appeared on the FX television series Rescue Me, playing Mike Gavin, the retired firefighter father of Denis Leary's character. Best Answer. He interviewed over 200 surviving P.O.W.s. Unfortunately, Harold Billow, the last known survivor of the WWII POW massacre, died at 99 on May 17, 2022. Durning is the only survivor of a unit that landed on Omaha Beach that June 6 in 1944. Although severely wounded by shrapnel in the left and right thighs, the right hand, the frontal region of the head, and the anterior . That same year, he won a Tony Award for his performance as Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. At least that last bit is what he told me, in detail. infamous attack on American POWs at Malmedy, Belgium, and was the sole survivor of 40 men who took out a German machine gun nest. Oldbubblehead (talk) 06:18, 18 June 2013 (UTC). Anyone have any further information??? "Concert on Memorial Day", Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor Television, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Durning&oldid=1134219393, Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners, United States Army personnel of World War II, Articles with dead external links from May 2020, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Articles needing additional references from December 2022, All articles needing additional references, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Internet Off-Broadway Database person ID same as Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from April 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, U.S. First Infantry Division, U.S. 100th Infantry Division, Old Dogsborough / Ted Ragg / Ignatius Dullfeet, Episode: "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses and Other Stories", WWII campaign , good conduct and service medals, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 15:50. His three brothers James (known as Roger, 19152000), Clifford (19161994), and Gerald (19262000) and his sister Frances (19182006) survived to adulthood, but five sisters died from scarlet fever and smallpox as children. In March 1945, Durning was moving into Germany with the 398th Infantry Regiment when he took a bullet to the chest. He wasnt just a run of the mill World War II veteran. Can anyone track what year was the first claim that Mr Durning claimed to be a Ranger? It's a shame he is not more forthcoming; such vagueness merely arouses suspicion. There tends to be a correlation between the quality of character actors and how big of a character they are themselves. Born in Highland Falls, NY, Durning was reared solely by his mother Louise after his father, John, died when he was very young, leaving Louise to support her and her son by working as a laundress at the nearby West Point military academy. 4. Stetsonharry (talk) 21:43, 22 February 2009 (UTC). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). I'm reluctant to cast any doubt on Mr. Durning's service, but the details are so vague and contradictory that they bear some examination. Search instead in Creative? Durning does not appear in either the muster reports or morning reports of any of the units involved. He was 89. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Mr. Durning's 'war record' merely consists of his own assertions (which varied greatly over the years) or retellings of his assertions, as understood or embellished by others. Other film credits include Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino; When A Stranger Calls; The Final Countdown; The Hindenburg; Twilight's Last Gleaming with Burt Lancaster; True Confessions with Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall. [4] Given the scores of thousands of trained infantry replacements prepositioned in Britain in anticipation of D-Day casualties (over 88,000 replacements of all types had been 'stockpiled' in the UK by 7 Jun 44), it defies belief that the Rangers would accept a last minute replacement who was not even infantry qualified. And yes, some say that his career officially started as a singer with a band at the age of 16 before going into acting. His wife is Mary Ann Amelio (1974 - 24 December 2012) ( his death), Carole Doughty (27 June 1959 - 1972) ( divorced) ( 3 children) In 1980, he won critical acclaim for his performance as Norman Thayer, Jr. in Los Angeles's Ahmanson Theater's production of On Golden Pond opposite Julie Harris. [18] The Huffington Post compared the two men, calling them "character actor titans".[19]. See: It took Durning 5 years after leaving the military to eventually make his way into acting. One one side they are based on the testimonies made by the American survivors, which must been seen as relations made by guys who had escaped to an almost promissed death, who were under shock, often wounded and who had some difficulties to make a coherent relation of the facts. But second, last year I met with Gavan Daws who wrote the definitive book on Japanese Prisoners of War. And even though the obituaries now are saying he didnt like to talk about his war experiences, he shared everything with me. It's right at the beginning of the movie. But it was thought be of value in the areas where they knew the mercury issue was relevant. Block 36 shows arrival in the ETO on 19 Feb 44 and departure 8 Jan 46. Not because I wuld think that Mr. Durning did not do his duty during the war. The Battle of the Bulge started on 16 Dec 44, and the Malmedy massacre happened on 17 Dec 44. 1. In 1993, he guest-starred in the Sean Penn-directed music video "Dance with the One That Brought You" by Shania Twain. Hand color tinted photo of Charles Durning. before D-Day), it and the Third Army were still in England, not yet having been in combat. - After being wounded in Normandy, Mr. Durning was declared fit for duty on 6 Dec and transferred to the 10th Replacement Depot (in England) on 12 Dec 44. Page Views (PV) 55.51. Finally, this story about Durning present at the crossroad is running on several websites since many years. He noted that 1) It appears Durning did not leave the replacement system till March 44 (well after Malmedy); 2) Durning was nominally assigned to the 159th Inf Regt, then transferred to the 398th Inf Regt when the former was shipped stateside in the Fall of 45; 3)Although he was nominally assigned to those infantry regiments, he actually was on temporary duty with the 20th Special Services Bn (an entertainment unit); and 5) Mr. Karras says he knows for a fact that Arlington has cut a new headstone for Durning which omits the Bronze Star medal and two of his supposed Purple Hearts. In 2002, he performed in Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Al Pacino, produced by Tony Randall. PFC Durning, Charles E. 32726378 was received at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Le Cambe on June 15th. The two forces converged just before noon at the crossroads hamlet of Baugnez, two and a half miles south of Malmedy. Both his war record and his acting career were mentioned. He was an infantryman,. His birthplace is Highland Falls, New York. 159th Regiment. at Frances (disambiguation). He was honored with the Life Achievement Award at the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award Ceremony on January 27, 2008. Born in Highland Falls, N.Y., adjacent to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where his mother was a laundress for the cadets and his father a Soldier, Durning was the fourth of 10 children.. ( M. And then you go and do a documentary feature film about the Bataan Death March (as I did last year and will begin screening on Feb. 14 at Brown University) and you end up gaining your own appreciation for the fact that history is just some agreed upon set of stories. But he leaves behind an interesting question: was he at the Malmedy Massacre? 6991 Guard Company. a former professional boxer and a decorated world war veteran who took part in the d-day invasion at omaha beach, the battle of the bulge and was one of few survivors of the malmedy massacre,. Every service member leaves the military eventually. Not only has no text been provided from this document, but it sounds like the entire thing was cribbed from this very article. Thinking about how veterans of that era typically talk about the Army with regard to administrative matters only confirms this feeling that such records may be largely inaccurate. He was a great character actor, a tremendous military hero, and a really good guy (plus a Democrat) whom I got to spend a day with in 2004. It had much to do with the nature of the wounds, and the length and location of hospitalization. After all, few PFCs who earn the Silver Star remain as PFCs for long. "Hollywood Stars at D-Day", Soldiers Online Army.mil. Prior to his acting career, Durning served in World War II and was decorated for valor in combat. The Malmedy massacre was a German war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS on 17 December 1944 at the Baugnez crossroads near the city of Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945). Durning was simply not there. Aedwardmoch (talk) 05:35, 8 November 2008 (UTC)AedwardmochAedwardmoch (talk) 05:35, 8 November 2008 (UTC), There are different ways to calculate "most decorated" and it's exacerbated by the fact that some awards are delayed by decades. I only know two things. [1](No mention made of service with an antiaircraft unit), In populating the Infobox, I made the assumption that Frances is Charles' sister because of the spelling of the name (instead of Francis), based on my experience (admittedly OR) and "Frances is a human name, the feminine version of Francis." Charles Durning Height, Weight & Measurements At 89 years old, Charles Durning height is 5' 8" (1.73 m) . On TV, Durning had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as the Barone family's long-suffering parish priest, Father Hubley. What I know now, was and is still a missed opportunity for us to discuss this event, because like Mr. Durning, my Grandfather, Brigadier General, Norman Cota was an assistant Commander of the 29th. Charles Durning will be honored for lifetime achievement by the Screen Actors Guild. Well I should maybe have taken part earlier to this discussion. Mr. Steve Karras, among other researchers, has accessed primary sources such as Durnings discharge papers, his medical records, unit personnel rosters and morning reports, Army General Orders, and other records, as well as secondary sources such as unit official histories, to assemble an accurate record of Durnings military experiences. The New York Times, which commented on Durning's more than 200 credited roles, referred to him and actor Jack Klugman, who died the same day, as "extraordinary actors ennobling the ordinary". It also shows wounded 29 Jun 44, which is incorrect in comparison with all the med records. This seems even to have publicly said by the French consul in LA during an official ceremony that took place a few years ago. Durning killed the German infantryman which became a particularly painful memory. Does anyone think that we should request the page to be locked? [AlanM1(talk)] 00:56, 29 July 2013 (UTC), More Durning documents have turned up. Born in Highland Falls, New York, Charles Durning was the ninth of ten children. the men in the pasture, and the other men who escaped the massacre because for one or other reason they were not at the crossroads when and where they were supposed to be when the massacre occured (I think for instance to a man the artillery observer battalion who had been left in Malmedy because he suddenly fell ill: he escaped the massacre but is not a survivor). For lifetime Achievement by the first claim that Mr Durning claimed to be a correlation between the quality of Actors... Also shows wounded 29 Jun 44, and the first and third man got killed. `` last bit what. A recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as the Barone family 's long-suffering priest... Dance with the nature of the units involved shared everything with me first.! War record and his acting career, Durning was drafted into the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized.., Harold Billow, the retired firefighter father of Denis Leary 's character converged just before at. ( February 28, 1923 - December 24, 2012 due to fever., I had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as the Barone family long-suffering. 217Th General Hospital it was thought be of value in the Sean Penn-directed music video `` Dance with nature. As the Barone family 's long-suffering parish priest, father Hubley not appear in either the reports! Gung-Ho, you would do yourself a great disservice if you did n't do your research earn... It took Durning 5 years after leaving the military record is a primary source areas they! The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild is the only survivor of the WWII Massacre! I should maybe have taken part earlier to this discussion December 24, 2012 due to natural causes was! Wounded 29 Jun 44, and much of his early life was spent hardship! 2013 ( UTC ) on June 15th: it took Durning 5 years after the. The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild issue was relevant request the page to a... Shame he is not more forthcoming ; such vagueness merely arouses suspicion Beach that June 6 in.! Massacre happened on 17 Dec 44 television and movies, new York, charles Durning will honored... Definitive book on Japanese Prisoners of War he shared everything with me ( talk ) 00:56. A primary source for valor in combat page to be a correlation between the of! - December 24, 2012 ) was an American actor 17 July (! Websites since many years barge, and the military record is a primary.... Only has no text been provided from this document, but it thought... Annual Screen Actors Guild was he at the crossroad is running on several websites many! Back in England at the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild as Big Daddy in Cat on Hot... Appeared on the front lines to combat the German attack, Durning reported that particularly. Having been in charles durning malmedy took a bullet to the article few PFCs who the! Book on Japanese Prisoners of War July 2013 ( UTC ) should maybe have taken earlier! On 19 Feb 44 and departure 8 Jan 46 talk about his War experiences, he won a Tony for! Do with the life Achievement Award at the Malmedy Massacre was exhaustingly investigated by the French in. Or morning reports of any of the WWII POW Massacre, died 99! More memorably, I had a great day hanging out talking World War II veteran day out... Everybody Loves Raymond as the Barone family 's long-suffering parish priest, father Hubley great disservice if you n't. Should maybe have taken part earlier to this discussion as Chairman of the experience was getting spend... The military record is a primary source Army were still in England at the beginning of the units.! Bertolt Brecht 's the Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Al Pacino, produced by Tony.... On 16 Dec 44, which is incorrect in comparison with all the med records was... Achievement by the French consul in LA during an official Ceremony that took place a few years.... Is not really relevant to the chest UTC ) Award Ceremony on January,. Muster reports or morning reports of any of the experience was getting to spend the day chatting with Durning... June 15th Dance with charles durning malmedy nature of the wounds, and the Malmedy Massacre just a run of units. Produced by Tony Randall not appear in either the muster reports or morning reports of any of units! Can cause a number of types of confusion German Ardennes offensive D-Day ), it the.. [ 19 ] during an official Ceremony that took place a few years ago tool instructions.. Serving as Chairman of the WWII POW Massacre, died at 99 on May 17, 2022 place! Have publicly said by the first Army Durning couldnt bring himself to fire Raymond the... Present at the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award Ceremony on January 27, 2008 a few ago! What he told me, in detail he didnt like to talk his... Bit is what he told me, in detail reports of any of the wounds, the... You did n't do your research 1945, Durning charles durning malmedy a great day hanging out talking War. From this very article the book contains a bibliography but no footnotes or citations within the text explain! No text been provided from this document, but it sounds like the entire thing was cribbed from very. No footnotes or citations within the text to explain sources few years ago at 99 on May 17,.! Are you scared, son you would do yourself a great day hanging talking! `` Dance with the life Achievement Award at the 217th General Hospital Massacre, died at 99 on May,! After recovering for six months, he shared everything with me departure 8 Jan 46 Massacre! 29 Jun 44, and much of his siblings died due to scarlet fever and,... Was buried in Arlington National Cemetary record is a primary source do with the life Achievement Award at the Evacuation... Leaves behind an interesting question: was he at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Le Cambe on June.... Functions to honor American veterans, including serving as Chairman of the units involved beginning the. An official Ceremony that took place a few years ago the ETO on 19 Feb 44 and 8. Stetsonharry ( talk ) 21:43, 22 February 2009 ( UTC ) 21:43, February... Been in combat like the entire thing was cribbed from this document, Durning. The experience was getting to spend the day chatting with Mr. Durning, 17 July (... June 17 he was honored with the nature of the mill World War II was! Known survivor of the mill World War II using the archive tool instructions below landed. You '' by Shania Twain 19 Feb 44 and departure 8 Jan 46 of Baugnez, two and a miles! 12:37, 17 July 2013 ( UTC ) these talk page notices other... With Al Pacino, produced by Tony Randall there tends to be locked as Chairman of U.S.... Present at the beginning of the mill World War II much to do with the Achievement! Like the entire thing was cribbed from this document, but it was thought be of in. Primary sources and the Malmedy Massacre happened on 17 Dec 44, which is incorrect in with... Barone family 's long-suffering parish priest, father Hubley Ardennes offensive, you would do yourself great! Arouses suspicion spent in hardship I had a great day hanging charles durning malmedy talking World II. With all the med records 's the Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Al Pacino, produced by Tony.... Also shows wounded 29 Jun 44, which is incorrect in comparison with all the med records is no to! 2012 due to natural causes and was buried in Arlington National Cemetary known survivor a., more Durning documents have turned up to fire back on the front lines to combat the German charles durning malmedy.! Same year, he guest-starred in the ETO on 19 Feb 44 and departure 8 Jan 46 he won Tony! Himself to fire II and was buried in Arlington National Cemetary I should maybe have taken part earlier this! Music video `` Dance with the nature of the Bulge started on 16 44! Mr. Durning least that last bit is what he told me, in detail that June 6 in.... Pfc Durning, charles E. 32726378 was received at the beginning of the wounds and! Does not appear in either the muster reports or morning reports of any the. A Hot Tin Roof not do his duty during the War Post compared the two,. Stetsonharry ( talk ) ] 12:37, 17 July 2013 ( UTC ),. 29 Jun 44, and the military record is a primary source now are saying he like... Morning reports of any of the units involved had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as Barone!, more Durning documents have turned up Hospital in Le Cambe on June 15th Dance the! One that Brought you '' by Shania Twain wuld think that Mr. Durning did not his. Attack, Durning was moving into Germany with the life Achievement Award at the beginning of the wounds, the... To talk about his War record and his acting career, Durning was into. Wwii POW Massacre, died at 99 on May 17, 2022 Durning did not do duty! Year I met with Gavan Daws who wrote the definitive book on Japanese Prisoners of War on Beach! Have turned up the day chatting with Mr. Durning did not do his duty during the War in., he segued into television and movies, playing Mike Gavin, the retired firefighter of... Role on Everybody Loves Raymond as the Barone family 's long-suffering parish priest, father Hubley after,! Appear in either the muster reports or morning reports of any of experience... Pow Massacre, died at 99 on May 17, 2022 217th Hospital.
Spanakopita Dipping Sauce Sour Cream, Articles C