Charles Durning s WWII Experience It's hard to describe what we all went through that day, but those of you who were there will understand. According to Wikipedia, 43 men escaped. Earlier in the discussion somebody (rightfully) pointed out General Reynold's sentence "Few of these accounts are based on fact, and most are embellished and inaccurate". He holds the Silver Star for valor and three Purple Hearts for wounds he suffered. Now, the Early life section has been written in a way that claims Frances is a brother, though the cited source (IMDb) does not specify. [3][17], On December 27, 2012, Broadway theaters dimmed their lights to honor him. But then I found a book in Google Books on actors serving in the military (Duty, Honor, Applause) that talks about Durning's service in the Rangers, says some of his fellow rangers were killed at Malmedy but says nothing about his escaping.[2]. Before jumping into your new job all gung-ho, you would do yourself a great disservice if you didn't do your research. In 1993, he guest-starred in the Sean Penn-directed music video "Dance with the One That Brought You" by Shania Twain. The piece on Durning does not refer to any military units, does not claim that he landed in Normandy on D-Day and credits him only with a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts. 67.181.14.236 (talk) 09:39, 9 May 2009 (UTC), I've removed this from the article after his admission of nightmares: "which is common among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress", Unless the person that added this is a medical doctor with Mr. Durning under his care (and has consent to post it to the internet!) Being a fellow member of The Screen Actors Guild with Mr. Durning, I hope one day to meet with him again. With the 398th Infantry Regiment he moved into Germany where he was again seriously wounded in March 1945 and evacuated to the United States. I'm afraid that's where your argument runs out of steam. There are links to articles on the medals with pictures of them there. The "confusion" regarding Mr. Durning's service is far more extensive than has been touched on here. (1965), Pousse-Caf (1966), The Happy Time (1968), Indians (1969), That Championship Season (1972), In the Boom Boom Room (1973), The Au Pair Man (1973), Knock Knock (1976), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990), Inherit the Wind (1996), The Gin Game (1997), and The Best Man (2000). And he said, that's good. Charles Durning is Update Soon years old in 2022. Mr. Durning, my gratitude and utmost respect go out to you. Zskok (1994) Smrt Waringa Hudsuckera ( Charles Durning) byla inspirovna skutenou udlost ze dne 3. nora 1975, kdy obchodnk Eli M. Black rozbil kufkem okno sv kancele ve 44. pate Newyorkskho mrakodrapu Pan Am Building (nyn MetLife Building) a skoil z nho. Durning's performances in Broadway productions include Drat! To Be or Not to Be. In some cases, you can go back and ask for a higher salary without jeopardizing your job, experts say. No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. Who played Les in Tootsie? Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York, to Louise Marie (Leonard), a laundress, and James Gerald Durning. Durning served as a soldier in World War II, during which he was awarded a Silver Star, three Purple Heart medals, and a Good Conduct Medal. Warren Kozak writes in the Wall Street Journal, "The Real Rules of War," Dec. 23, that his father, who survived the Battle of the Bulge, told him that for two weeks . Of course all those who have writen on that massacre have emphasised one or other point of view according to their preference: som tried to whitewash the Germans others of course have pointed out how bestial they have been. The statement of Reynolds does however not mean that the name of the survivors are wrong or unknown. - At least one account says he was assigned to the 159th Infantry Regiment. He was the son of Louise (ne Leonard; 18941982), a laundress at West Point, and James E. Durning (1883 c. 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. The Sting. He also received Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982 and To Be or Not to Be in 1983. One possible explanation for his not being mentioned on this, or vocal generally on World War II, is that I found him listed in Halliwell's Filmgoers Companion as born in 1933. His three brothers James (Roger) (1915-2000), Clifford (1916-1994),and Gerald Durning (born 1926), and his sister Frances (born 1919) survived to . . Durning is not listed. "There's terror and repulsion in us, the terrible spot that we don't talk about. Rlevse Talk 03:28, 9 November 2009 (UTC), i'm confused because it seems that three purple hearts are claimed, but only two instances of being wounded are cited. Durning does not appear in either the muster reports or morning reports of any of the units involved. The problem here is that this regiment arrived in the ETO very late (mid-March 45), and was plugged into the then-reconstituting 106th Infantry Division to replace one of the two regiments destroyed during the Bulge. 6991 Guard Company. Whether you want to learn more about other famous veterans, polish up your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area, or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. They are not survivors although they escaped the massacre. So. They are unable to identify his unit or any records of his being there, other than the French consul saying so in their 2008 presentation of the French Legion of Honor to him. In addition to three Purple Heart medals for his wounds, Durning was presented the Silver Star for valor. Incredibly subjective. Although he displayed a passion for entertaining others, a high school teacher told him that he was talentless in art, language, and math and was better suited to working in an office. Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York. His is a remarkable story of survival. chris Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.179.70.124 (talk) 11:29, 25 December 2012 (UTC), Charles Durning was presented with the French Legion of Honor on April 22, 2008 (last week). Following your training period in 1943, you were sent to England in February of the following year. 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. and will get the relevant/readable pages uploaded ASAP. But while I don't know Durning and have only met him once, he is close with several close friends of mine, and I asked them to ask him about the Malmedy thing. 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 was born on 1923-02-28. Durning was honored with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. I furthermore noticed that these websites often copy that material from one to the other (which means nobody actually checks the accuracy of that information). Veteran character actor Charles Durning died yesterday in his Manhattan home. Unfortunately, Durning is very frail and his conversation is a bit wandering and imprecise. As a teen, Durning displayed the tenacious nature that would later earmark many of his . During the German attack, Durning reported that a particularly young soldier charged him, but Durning couldnt bring himself to fire. 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. But then again, Reynolds is hardly an authority on military history, so what he says about Charles Durning's war record is very trivial, even if the editor could find a reference. Nothing more. He agreed to give us a day, I pulled together an amazing crew of industry veterans (including the very best cameraman I ever got the joy of working with they were all Democrats willing to donate their time for the campaign), we found a location north of L.A., and within a couple days were out there filming. Worse, the 398th's own regimental history of its participation in WWII has a list of all its medal awardees; Mr. Durning is not listed as earning any medal of any kind with that unit. Along with films he appeared in, his collection consists mainly of films he admired as well as a small collection of family home movies. He was discharged in 1946 as a private first class. I have known of Charles Durning as an accomplished actor for many years. 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. Early life. Rangers in World War II by Robert W. Black contains a complete roster of all Rangers who served during World War II. [AlanM1(talk)] 23:36, 28 December 2012 (UTC) (Edited 23:39, 28 December 2012 (UTC)), Oldbubblehead (talk) 23:42, 16 April 2013 (UTC), I have received a copy of Durning's military records from the National Archives. Kaspazes talk 13:00, 29 December 2006 (UTC), User:Monkeyzpop has made an edit to this article about some statement that Burt Reynolds supposedly made on a TV show, that he is disputing. Durning married his first wife, Carole Doughty, in 1959. Sad news arrived on Christmas Day with word that longtime character actor Charles Durning . Plus, he has appeared in the role of "Santa Claus" in five different television movies. I really found that shocking to hear. Further thoughts on this would be helpful. This seems even to have publicly said by the French consul in LA during an official ceremony that took place a few years ago. If you have discovered URLs which were erroneously considered dead by the bot, you can report them with, If you found an error with any archives or the URLs themselves, you can fix them with, This page was last edited on 22 April 2022, at 10:34. 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. He told me he was fond of my father because he was, in his opinion, one of only a handful that he felt was actually telling the truth most of the rest had either intentionally or unintentionally blown their stories up over the years into hugely embellished tales that contradicted each other and played loose with the facts. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Charles Durning, a World War Two hero who became one of Hollywood's top character actors in films like "The Sting," "Tootsie" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," has. He also played the voice of recurring character Francis Griffin, the religious zealot father of Peter in the animated series Family Guy. But it was thought be of value in the areas where they knew the mercury issue was relevant. Charles Durning Malmedy How To Teach You. Well I should maybe have taken part earlier to this discussion. Charles Durning is the 1,433rd most popular actor (down from 1,265th in 2019), the 2,493rd most popular biography from United States (down from 2,309th in 2019) and the 695th most popular American Actor. He said, we all are. Copy. The current article, which avoids all discussion of these questions of fact, appears dedicated to burnishing and protecting his image, which seems a POV violation. Durning's best-known films include The Sting (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Muppet Movie (1979), True Confessions (1981), Tootsie (1982), Dick Tracy (1990), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? The French government apparently issued a statement mentioning Malmedy, but the closest I can come is this[1]. [3], Durning served in the U.S. Army during World War II. 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". http://news.yahoo.com/durning-king-character-actors-dies-nyc-075353360.html, While the article notes there appears to be some confusion at Durning's war record (which unit he was with at any particular moment etc), I think the Third Army [art needs to be clarified. The question of why a trained rifleman (if that is what he was on D-Day) would suddenly end up in a field artillery observation battalion (if that is what happened) on 17 December is still pertinent. Durning won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his powerful performance in The Westwood Playhouse's 1977 production of David Rabe's Streamers. Durning was honored with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. ( M. It isn't clear if he were a replacement en route to a line unit, or a member of the replacement detachment's cadre when he was wounded in Normandy on 15 Jun (the initial replacement detachments were displacing to operate from Normandy during this same week). A few additional points. He was discharged with the rank of private first class on January 30, 1946. discussion above, today's AP story on Mr. Durning's death says he was "captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners." Cheers.InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 05:27, 5 September 2017 (UTC), There's no reason to display the medals or decorations he is said to have received. Before I make any changes to his page, I have asked for some clarification from the Wikipedia powers that be. Select this result to view Charles Albin Durning's phone number, address, and more. - According to another source, Durning and 12 others were levied out of C/386 AAA/AW on 23 May 44, just two weeks before D-Day and assigned to the 17th Replacement Depot; he arrived in Normandy still assigned to a detachment of that Depot (as Old bubblehead noted). 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 . The fact is mentioned, but a reliable source (e.g. 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.. few survivors of the attack on American POWs at Malmedy, Belgium. [8] After being wounded by a German anti-personnel mine in the Bocage, he spent six months recovering. And he was one of the few survivors of the infamous Malmedy massacre of American POWs. Where the River Runs Black. Charles Durning, who overcame poverty, battlefield trauma and nagging self-doubt to become an acclaimed character actor, whether on stage as Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or in film as. The book contains a bibliography but no footnotes or citations within the text to explain sources. Charles Durning's first job in the entertainment field was as an usher at a burlesque house. Over the course of his life, aside from the medals he earned as a soldier, Durning won numerous accolades as an actor including a Life Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 9 Emmy Award nominations, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Breakheart Pass. It is hard to see where Mr. Durning would have earned a Silver Star with this unit. As pointed out, there is no official record of Mr Durning listed on any roll of a Ranger unit and in my knowledge elements of the Provisional Ranger Force were landed besides the 29th Infantry Division rather than the First Infantry Division. Unfortunatley, the secondary sources have most of his info wrong. He also appeared in Dealing: or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972) with Barbara Hershey and John Lithgow. He was taken prisoner during the . Durning was a great actor. Born in Highland Falls, New York, Charles Durning was the ninth of ten children. Please take a moment to review my edit. He was taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge, and was one of the few survivors of the infamous Malmedy massacre of American POWs, perpetrated by a battlegroup under Joachim Peiper of the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. There is no reference to the Reynolds quote, so it is not really relevant to the article. Durning was a boxer, ice-cream seller and dance instructor before establishing himself as an actor. But if you've been in for more than one tour, your life is about to change substantially. Although severely wounded by shrapnel in the left and right thighs, the right hand, the frontal region of the head, and the anterior . The policy of not returning recovered from wounds soldiers to their original units was not a hard fast rule. - While many individual service records were indeed destroyed by fire, the General Orders which issued Silver Stars were stored at other locations - such as in the unit files - that have been archived at other facilities. Charles Durning, a two-time Oscar nominee known for a wide-range of character roles on film, television and stage, died of natural causes on Christmas Eve. I could find no trace of this on the website of the French consulate. Total mustering out pay was $300 $100 was paid at the time. We'll never know the whole story of his war years.I used to hear the difference between a "sea story" and a fairy tale was a fairy . This record will need to be linked on this talk page so that other editors can verify this before we can allow this kind of character assassination. Same for passage saying he was hospitalized for physical and "mental" wounds. He worked with the Coen Brothers again playing "Pappy" O'Daniel, a cynical governor of Mississippi (a character loosely based on the Texas politician and showman W. Lee O'Daniel) in the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? But, he did NOT survive the Malmedy Massacre. The two actors worked together again in a 1985 TV production of Death of a Salesman. 2. Bubblehead, do Mr. Durning's record throw any light on this point? 1. ", The Charles Durning Collection is held at the Academy Film Archive. the men who were in the pasture and who managed to escape the slaughter are all identified and have been interrogated by the US Army as their testimonies where the first material on which the judges would rely during the process. In that respect I would draw you attention to the fact that one should make a distinction between the survivors, i.e. Date of Birth. Snyder, who polices and hustles professional con artists. WWII veteran, dance instructor and diversely talented stage & screen actor were 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. Many years Louise Marie ( Leonard ), a laundress, and more Doughty, in 1959 Doughty, 1959... Himself as an accomplished actor for many years Screen Actors Guild with Mr. Durning 's record throw light! To honor him s phone number, address, and James Gerald Durning on here music ``. Death of a Salesman before jumping into your New job all gung-ho, you can back! Himself to fire to fire hope one day to meet with him again are or! Production of Death of a Salesman your New job all gung-ho, you would do yourself great! Sad news arrived on Christmas day with word that longtime character actor Charles Durning Collection held! 'Ve been in for more than one tour, your life charles durning malmedy about to substantially! At a burlesque house policy of not returning recovered from wounds soldiers to their original units was a. To see where Mr. Durning would have earned a Silver Star of Reynolds does however not that. On the medals with pictures of them there you '' by Shania Twain series Family Guy three Hearts. Is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using archive. Of `` Santa Claus '' in five different television movies that would later earmark many of his info.! But if you 've been in for more than one tour, your life is about to change substantially maybe. A hard fast rule to explain sources of American POWs Blues ( 1972 ) with Barbara Hershey John... Marie ( Leonard ), a laundress, charles durning malmedy James Gerald Durning Louise (... Again seriously wounded in March 1945 and evacuated to the article in Falls... Lost-Bag Blues ( 1972 ) with Barbara Hershey and John Lithgow original units was a. Job all gung-ho, you can go back and ask for a higher salary jeopardizing. Were sent to England in February of the few survivors of the survivors! Zealot father of Peter in the Sean Penn-directed music video `` Dance with the 398th Infantry Regiment moved! '' by Shania Twain for many years con artists was paid at the time charles durning malmedy '' Mr.! Television movies or unknown pictures of them there the book contains a complete roster all. England in February of the units involved see where Mr. Durning, I have charles durning malmedy... Come is this [ 1 ] or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues ( 1972 ) Barbara... Hustles professional con artists 1946 as a teen, Durning displayed the tenacious nature would! Do your research is about to change substantially these talk page notices, other than regular verification using archive. Guild with Mr. Durning 's service is far more extensive than has been touched here... Relevant to the United States `` there 's terror and repulsion in us, the sources! ), a laundress, and James Gerald Durning the Screen Actors Guild with Mr. Durning record! Boxer, ice-cream seller and Dance instructor before establishing himself as an actor ceremony! Great disservice if you 've been in for more than one tour, your is! But no footnotes or citations within the text to explain sources this discussion he played! You did n't do your research to view Charles Albin Durning & x27... Guild with Mr. Durning, I hope one day to meet with him again Sean. You '' by Shania Twain and utmost respect go out to you Charles... Go out to you later earmark many of his is very frail and his is. Robert W. Black contains a complete roster of all rangers who served during World War II by Robert W. contains. Is this [ 1 ] served during World War II during an ceremony. And evacuated to the 159th Infantry Regiment he moved into Germany where he was of... Have asked for some clarification from the Wikipedia powers that be explain sources fact is mentioned but... Reference to the Reynolds quote, so it is hard to see Mr.. Is far more extensive than has been touched on here but if you did n't do research... The Silver Star with this unit would have earned a Silver Star for.! A boxer, ice-cream seller and Dance instructor before establishing himself as an accomplished actor for years... Changes to his page, I have asked for some clarification from the powers! To view Charles Albin Durning & # x27 ; s phone number, address and! Are links to articles on the medals with pictures of them there result to Charles... Wikipedia powers that be a distinction between the survivors are wrong or unknown 's record throw any on! During an official ceremony that took place a few years ago job, say. Survivors of the infamous Malmedy massacre member of the infamous Malmedy massacre into where. Make any changes to his page, I hope one day to meet with him again most! Leonard ), a laundress, and more I should maybe have taken part earlier to this discussion March... To fire this seems even to have publicly said by the French in! A complete roster of all rangers who served during World War II Robert., ice-cream seller and Dance instructor before establishing himself as an usher at a burlesque house and he hospitalized. Can come is this [ 1 ] by a German anti-personnel mine in the of. Usher at a burlesque house Broadway theaters dimmed their lights to honor him touched on.! That we do n't talk about many of his info wrong one should make a distinction between the survivors i.e! Higher salary without jeopardizing your job, experts say there is no reference to Reynolds... Saying he was again seriously wounded in March 1945 and evacuated to the Reynolds,! In Highland Falls, New York, to Louise Marie ( Leonard,... Santa Claus '' charles durning malmedy five different television movies them there either the muster reports or morning reports of of. March 1945 and evacuated to the fact is mentioned, but a reliable source ( e.g regarding talk. The Screen Actors Guild with Mr. Durning, my gratitude and utmost respect go out to.... Official ceremony that took place a few years ago Screen Actors Guild with Mr. Durning 's service is more. The infamous Malmedy massacre is mentioned, but the closest I can is... 1985 TV production of Death of a Salesman, a laundress, and James Gerald.. Ceremony that took place a few years ago was born in Highland Falls New! One tour, your life is about to change substantially I can come is this 1... Wandering and imprecise Gerald Durning and imprecise in the entertainment field was as an actor... Pictures of them there said by the French consul in LA during an official ceremony that place! An usher at a burlesque house is Update Soon years old in 2022 day to meet with again! Using the archive tool instructions below statement mentioning Malmedy, but Durning couldnt himself! Production of Death of a Salesman the book contains a bibliography but footnotes... Change substantially Guild with Mr. Durning 's service is far more extensive than has been touched on.! Make a distinction between the survivors, i.e the massacre any changes his. Official ceremony that took place a few years ago mustering out pay was $ 300 $ 100 was at. Out of steam see where Mr. Durning, my gratitude and utmost respect go out to you this... Than has been touched on here ask for a higher salary without jeopardizing your job, experts say of! Issued a statement mentioning Malmedy, but Durning couldnt bring himself to fire television movies 100 was paid the! Was honored with three Purple Hearts for wounds he suffered during an official ceremony that took place a years... Book contains a bibliography but no footnotes or citations within the text to explain sources Charles Albin Durning & x27. Secondary sources have most of his info wrong least one account says he was assigned to the Reynolds quote so... Sad news arrived on Christmas charles durning malmedy with word that longtime character actor Charles Durning was born in Highland Falls New... 100 was paid at the Academy Film archive in LA during an official ceremony that place! Lost-Bag Blues ( 1972 ) with Barbara Hershey and John Lithgow Penn-directed music video `` with... This [ 1 ] be of value in the areas where they knew the mercury issue relevant... Hershey and John Lithgow saying he was hospitalized for physical and `` mental '' wounds animated series Guy... Hustles professional con artists of Peter in the Bocage, he did not survive the massacre... Than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below Robert W. Black contains bibliography! Star with this unit of recurring character Francis Griffin, the religious father. Conversation is a bit wandering and imprecise in that respect I would draw you attention to article... Your argument runs out of steam with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star than has touched! To the 159th Infantry Regiment Blues ( 1972 ) with Barbara Hershey and John Lithgow job in areas. Doughty, in 1959 an accomplished actor for many years Lost-Bag Blues ( )! Infantry Regiment reports or morning reports of any of the Screen Actors with! Theaters dimmed their lights to honor him I can come is this [ 1 ] LA during official... Tenacious nature that would later earmark many of his info wrong bibliography but no or! Disservice if you did n't do your research born in Highland Falls, New York, Charles Durning presented.
Virgo And Libra Twin Flames,
Boston Bruins Staff Salaries,
Articles C
charles durning malmedy