Messenger of Death is a 1988 American vigilante action thriller film starring Charles Bronson about an attempt by a water company to start a family feud among fundamentalist Mormons to take the family's land for the company.

The movie marks the eighth collaboration between Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson (following 1976's St. Ives, 1977's The White Buffalo, 1980's Caboblanco, 1983's 10 to Midnight, 1984's The Evil That Men Do, 1986's Murphy's Law, and 1987's Death Wish 4: The Crackdown).

Plot

Children play outside a rural Colorado home. They belong to Orville Beecham (Charles Dierkop) and his three wives. Two masked men pull up in a truck and wait for the children to go inside. They proceed to kill the three mothers, who are sister wives, and the children. The police arrive before the father, Orville, who returns to find his family massacred.

Arriving on the scene with the chief of police, Barney Doyle (Daniel Benzali) is a Denver newspaper reporter, Garret Smith (Charles Bronson). They were having lunch with a wealthy local businessman, Homer Foxx (Laurence Luckinbill), to discuss how to get Barney elected Denver mayor when Barney was called about the murders.

Garret does a news story on the massacre. Orville is in a local jail, there "for his own protection." Orville is reluctant to talk to Garret but does reveal that his father, Willis Beecham (Jeff Corey), may have been involved. Willis lives in a compound with his followers. He is an excommunicated fundamentalist Mormon who practices polygamy, as do his son and followers. Willis is the sect's prophet.

Willis tells the reporter that he believes that it was his brother, Zenas Beecham (John Ireland), who killed Orville's family. Willis and Zenas are alienated from each other by a doctrinal dispute.

Garret, aided by a local editor named Jastra Watson (Trish Van Devere), begins to investigate if Zenas could be behind the killings. Zenas lives in a different Colorado county on a large farm that happens to sit on an artesian lake that a large corporation, The Colorado Water Company, has wanted for years. Zenas tells the reporter that Willis probably killed the family of his own son because Willis preaches blood atonement. The symbol of both brothers is an avenging angel, which is alleged to be an early Mormon symbol with a doctrinal counterpart reflecting the idea of blood atonement.

As soon as Orville is released from jail, he returns to his father's compound and plots to attack Zenas in retaliation. Garret tries to warn Zenas, but it's too late. Armed men back each man and they open fire. Garret gets them to agree to a cease fire, but a third-party shoots Zenas (not one of the followers) and the shooting begins again. Zenas and Willis both are killed.

Garret realizes what is happening—The Colorado Water Company is behind everything. The company has hired an assassin (John Solari) and a junior partner (Gene Davis) to murder Orville's family, counting on the feud between the brothers to eliminate the rest.

Garret is approached by the junior assassin to make a deal, but the senior assassin kills his partner. It turns out the person who hired the assassin is Foxx, the businessman trying to get the police chief elected mayor.

The assassin shows up at a fundraising party for Doyle thrown by Foxx, where he attempts to kill Garret. The reporter gains the upper hand and gets the assassin to reveal that it was Foxx who was responsible for all of the murders. Foxx steals the chief's gun and kills himself.

Cast

Production

The film was based on a novel The Avenging Angel by Rex Burns which was published in 1983.^[2] It was the fifth in a series of novels starring Denver detective Gabe Wager. The New York Times said "There is plenty of action in the book, culminating in a real Western shoot-out. And, of course, we learn a lot - perhaps more than we want to - about Wager's emotional life. Still, Mr. Burns is a skillful and sensitive writer, and The Avenging Angel moves in a big, logical curve up to its wingding ending. It is as welcome as its predecessors."^[3]

Filming took place in LA and Colorado in 1987.^[4]

Bronson had just made Death Wish IV and expressed interest in making different types of films. "I prefer to play different characters in films. And I wouldn't want to be in a weekly TV series. I imagine a lot of series stars fall asleep playing the same guy every week. Some of them relax when they know their show is signed for a whole season. I admire Tom Selleck; he keeps bringing new things to his series."^[5]

"It's a nice script," said co star Trish Van Devere. "It's a Charles Bronson movie without much violence; I think that's why it interested him."^[6]

Marilyn Hassett said "It's nice to be playing just an ordinary, all-American girl after a career cast as serious, emotionally disturbed or crippled people."^[7]

Reception

Critical response

In the New York Times, Richard F. Shepard wrote that if the film "were a novel, it could be called a decent page turner, one that holds the eye and makes one wonder whodunit... Mr. Bronson is more a messenger of peace, an intermediary between the warring factions who is more shot upon than shooting. He does not even tote a gun in this movie... Bronson fans need not worry that their hero and his movies are going soft, however. There are enough bodies, car-crushings and lingering scenes of victims crossing over into death to slake any aficionado's thirst for blood."^[8]

In the Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas called it "a solid, efficient mystery, crisply directed by J. Lee Thompson...a genre piece from start to finish, nothing more, nothing less. But its cast is effective, and it gains from its Colorado locations, which include two religious communities that have the look of the real thing."^[9]

Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. Bronson's father, a miner, died when Bronson was young. Bronson himself worked in the mines as well until joining the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 to fight in World War II. After his service, he joined a theatrical troupe and studied acting. During the 1950s, he played various supporting roles in motion pictures and television, including anthology drama TV series in which he would appear as the main character. Near the end of the decade, he had his first cinematic leading role in Machine-Gun Kelly (1958).

Bronson had sizeable co-starring roles in The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), This Property Is Condemned (1966), and The Dirty Dozen (1967). On television, Bronson was nominated for an Emmy Award for his supporting role in an episode of General Electric Theater, and performed in many major television shows. Eventually, actor Alain Delon (who was a fan of Bronson) hired him to co-star with him in the French film Adieu l'ami (1968). That year, he played one of the leads in the Italian spaghetti western, Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Bronson continued playing leads in various action, western, and war films made in Europe, including Rider on the Rain (1970), which won Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. During this time Bronson was the most popular American actor in Europe.

Eventually, he returned to the United States to make more films, working with director Michael Winner. Their first collaborations included Chato's Land (1972), The Mechanic (1972) and The Stone Killer (1973). At this point, he became the world's number-one box office star, commanding $1 million per film. In 1974, Bronson starred in the controversial film Death Wish (also directed by Winner), about an architect-turned-vigilante, a role that typified the rest of his career. Most critics initially panned the film as exploitative, but the movie was a major box-office success and spawned four sequels.

Until his retirement in the late 1990s and death in 2003, Bronson played almost exclusively lead roles in action-oriented films, in films such as Mr. Majestyk (1974), Hard Times (1975), St. Ives,(1976), The White Buffalo (1977), Telefon (1977), and Assassination (1989). During this time he would often collaborate with director J. Lee Thompson. He made a number of non-action television films in which he would act against type. His last significant appearance in cinema was a supporting role in The Indian Runner (1991), a dramatic film for which his performance received good reviews.

Early life and war service

Bronson was born November 3, 1921, in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, a coal mining region in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains, north of Johnstown. He was the 11th of 15 children born into a Roman Catholic family of Lithuanian heritage.^[2][3] His father, Walter Buchinsky (born: Valteris P. Bučinskis),^[2][4][5] was a Lipka Tatar from Druskininkai in southern Lithuania. Bronson's mother, Mary (née Valinsky), whose parents were from Lithuania, was born in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania's Coal Region.^[6][7][8][9]

Bronson did not speak any English at home during his childhood in Pennsylvania, like many children he grew up with. He once recounted that even as a soldier, his accent was strong enough to make his comrades think he was a foreigner.^[10] Besides English, he could speak Lithuanian, Russian and Greek.^[11][12]

In a 1973 interview, Bronson remarked that he did not know his father very well, and was not sure if he loved or hated him, adding that all he could remember about him was that whenever his mother announced that his father was coming home, the children would hide.^[13] In 1933, Bronson's father died and he went to work in the coal mines, first in the mining office and then in the mine.^[2] He later said he earned one dollar for each ton of coal that he mined.^[10] In another interview, he said that he had to work double shifts to earn $1 a week.^[13] Bronson later recounted that he and his brother engaged in dangerous work removing "stumps" between the mines, and that cave-ins were common.^[13]

The family suffered extreme poverty during the Great Depression, and Bronson recalled going hungry many times. His mother could not afford milk for his younger sister, so she was fed warm tea instead.^[13] His family was so poor that he once had to wear his sister's dress to school for lack of clothing.^[14][15] Bronson was the first member of his family to graduate from high school.^{[citation needed]}

Bronson worked in the mines, until enlisting in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 during World War II.^[2] He served in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron, and in 1945 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress aerial gunner with the Guam-based 61st Bombardment Squadron^[16] within the 39th Bombardment Group, which conducted combat missions against the Japanese home islands.^[17] He flew 25 missions and received a Purple Heart for wounds received in battle.^[18]

Career and education

1946 to 1951: acting training

After the end of World War II, Bronson did odd jobs until a theatrical group in Philadelphia hired him to paint scenery, which led to acting in minor roles.^[19] He later shared an apartment in New York City with Jack Klugman, who was an aspiring actor at the time. Eventually, he moved to Hollywood, where he enrolled in acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse.^[20]

1951 to 1958: early films to leading roles

In his early career, Bronson was still credited as Charles Buchinsky.^[20] His first film role – an uncredited one – was as a sailor in You're in the Navy Now in 1951, directed by Henry Hathaway.^[21][20] Other screen appearances in 1951 were The Mob,^[22] and The People Against O'Hara, directed by John Sturges^[23]

In 1952, he acted in Bloodhounds of Broadway;^[24] Battle Zone;^[25] Pat and Mike,^[26] Diplomatic Courier (1952),^[27] Henry Hathaway's My Six Convicts,^[28] The Marrying Kind,^[29] and Red Skies of Montana.^[30]

That year on television, he boxed in a ring with Roy Rogers in Rogers' show Knockout. He appeared on an episode of The Red Skelton Show as a boxer in a skit with Skelton playing "Cauliflower McPugg". He appeared with fellow guest star Lee Marvin in an episode of Biff Baker, U.S.A., an espionage series on CBS.^{[citation needed]}

In 1953, he played Igor the sidekick of Vincent Price in the horror film House of Wax, directed by Andre de Toth.^[31] To prepare his role as a mute he took a course in sign language.^[32] Ben S. Parker of The Commercial Appeal said "Buchinsky adds mute menace as a deaf-and-dumb assistant to the madman".^[33] In the US, the film reach the 4th place on the highest box-office of that year and made 23 millions.^[34] The Library of Congress selected House of Wax for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2014, deeming it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[35][36]

That same year, he had roles in The Clown,^[37] and Off Limits.^[38]

In 1954, he appeared in Riding Shotgun, starring Randolph Scott, directed by de Toth.^[39] It was reported that he got the role due to the quality his performance in House of Wax.^[40] That year on television, he acted in "The case of the desperate men" and episode of Treasury Men in Action.^[41]

Also that year, he acted in the film Apache for director Robert Aldrich,^[42] Tennessee Champ,^[43] Miss Sadie Thompson,^[44] Crime Wave directed by de Toth, Vera Cruz,^[45] and Drum Beat', directed by Delmer Daves.^[46]

Also in 1954, during height of the Red Scare and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) proceedings, he changed his surname from Buchinsky to Bronson at the suggestion of his agent, who feared that a Russian surname might damage his career.^[47]

In 1955, Bronson acted in Target Zero,^[48] Big House, U.S.A.,^[49] and Jubal.^[50] That year on television he played a lead in "A Chain of Hearts" an episode of the anthology drama series DuPont Cavalcade Theater.^[51]

In 1956 he acted in Sam Fuller's Run of the Arrow.^[52] That year on television, he played Alexis St. Martin in "Who search for truth" an episode of Medic.^[53] Also that year he started acting in the television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents and would return over the year: These episodes are "And So Died Riabouchinska" (Season 1 Episode 20 which aired 2/10/1956), "There Was an Old Woman" (1956), and "The Woman Who Wanted to Live" (1962).^{[citation needed]}

In 1957, Bronson was cast in the Western series Colt .45 as an outlaw named Danny Arnold in the episode "Young Gun".^[54] He had the lead role in the episode "The Apache Kid" of the syndicated crime drama The Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield.^{[citation needed]} He appeared in five episodes of Richard Boone's Have Gun – Will Travel (1957–63). He guest-starred in the short-lived CBS situation comedy, Hey, Jeannie!.^{[citation needed]}

In May 1958, Roger Corman's biopic of a real life gangster Machine-Gun Kelly premiered, in it Bronson plays the lead.^[55] Geoffrey M. Warren of The Los Angeles Times said Bronson makes Kelly "a full, three dimensional human being".^[56]

In June 1958, Showdown at Boot Hill premiered, where he played the lead.^[57]

The following July Gang War, started its theatrical run.^[58] Bronson plays the lead as a Los Angeles high-school teacher, who witnesses a gangland killing and agrees to testify. Not realizing this will cause retaliation.^[59]

On October 10, ABC's series Man with a Camera premiered. Bronson played the lead in which he portrayed Mike Kovac, a freelance crime fighting photographer in New York City.^[60] The show lasted two season until 1960.^[61]

In November, When Hell Broke Loose premiered, where he played the lead.^[62]

In 1958 on television, Bronson appeared as Butch Cassidy on the TV western Tales of Wells Fargo in the episode titled "Butch Cassidy".^{[citation needed]}

1959 to 1968: supporting roles in major projects to European breakthrough

In 1959, Bronson had a supporting role in an expensive war film, Never So Few, directed by John Sturges.^[63]

In 1959 on television, he acted in the Yancy Derringer episode "Hell and High Water",^[64] and in U.S. Marshal.^[65]

In 1960, in John Sturges's The Magnificent Seven, he played one of seven gunfighters taking up the cause of the defenceless.^[66] According to co-star Eli Wallach, during filming "Bronson was a loner who kept to himself."^[67] He received $50,000 for this role.^[68] The film was a box office disappointment, but proved to be such a smash hit in Europe that it ultimately made a profit.^[69][70] Harrison's Reports praised the film as "A superb Western, well acted and crammed full of action, human interest, pathos, suspense, plus some romance and humor."^[71] In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[72][73]

In 1960, he acted in "Zigzag" an episode of Riverboat,^[74] "The Generous Politician" an episode of The Islanders,^{[citation needed]} and "Street of Hate" an episode of Laramie.^[75] He played a recurring role in the second season of Hennesey. The first episode was episode 3 "Hennesey a la Gunn", the second one was episode 26 "The Nogoodnik" which aired in 1961.^[76]

In 1961, Bronson played supporting roles in William Witney's Master of the World,^[77] Joseph Newman's A Thunder of Drums,^[78] and Richard Donner's X-15.^[79]

On television in 1961, Bronson played a boxer in an episode of One Step Beyond titled "The Last Round", aired January 10,^{[citation needed]} and starred alongside Elizabeth Montgomery in a Twilight Zone episode named "Two".^[80] Bronson was nominated for an Emmy Award for his supporting role in an episode entitled "Memory in White" of CBS's General Electric Theater.^[81]

In 1962, acted in the Elvis Presley film Kid Galahad.^[82]

In 1963, in John Sturges's The Great Escape, Bronson was part of an ensemble cast who played World War 2 prisoners of war.^[83] The film received acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the critics consensus reads, "With its impeccably slow-building story and a cast for the ages, The Great Escape is an all-time action classic."^[84] It grossed $11.7 million at the box office,^[85] after a budget of $4 million.^[86] It became one of the highest-grossing films of 1963.^[87] It was nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards,^[88] and is 19th in AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills.^[89]

Also that year he played a villain in Robert Aldrich's 4 for Texas.^[90]

On television that year, he co-starred in the series Empire,^[91] which lasted one season.^[92] Bronson acted in the 1963–64 television season of the ABC western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.^[93]

In 1964, Bronson guest-starred in an episode of the western TV series Bonanza named "The Underdog".^[94]

In 1965, Bronson acted in Guns of Diablo, a film derived from the television series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.^[95] Also that year, he acted in Ken Annakin's in Battle of the Bulge.^[96]

That year in television, in the 1965–1966 season, he guest-starred in an episode of The Legend of Jesse James. Bronson was cast as Velasquez, a demolitions expert, in the third-season episode "Heritage" on ABC's WW II drama Combat!.^{[citation needed]}

In 1966, Bronson played a central character in Sydney Pollack's This Property Is Condemned, based on a Tennessee Williams's play.^[97] Elston Brooks of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said "Bronson has never been better as the embittered boarder".^[98]

Also that year, Bronson acted in Vincente Minnelli's The Sandpiper.^[99]

In 1967, in Robert Aldrich's The Dirty Dozen, Bronson was part of an ensemble cast who played GI-prisoners trained for a suicide mission.^[100] The Dirty Dozen was a massive commercial success. In its first five days in New York, the film grossed $103,849 from 2 theatres.^[101] Produced on a budget of $5.4 million, it earned theatrical rentals of $7.5 million in its first five weeks from 1,152 bookings and 625 prints, one of the fastest-grossing films at the time.^[102] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the critics consensus reads, "Amoral on the surface and exuding testosterone, The Dirty Dozen utilizes combat and its staggering cast of likeable scoundrels to deliver raucous entertainment."^[103] It is 65th in AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills.^[89]

That year on television, he guest-starred as Ralph Schuyler, an undercover government agent in the episode "The One That Got Away" on ABC's The Fugitive.^[104]

In 1968, Bronson made a serious name for himself in European films. He was making Villa Rides when approached by the producers of Jean Herman's French film Adieu l'ami looking for an American co-star for Alain Delon, a fan of Bronson's acting. Bronson's agent Paul Kohner later recalled the producer pitched the actor "on the fact that in the American film industry all the money, all the publicity, goes to the pretty boy hero types. In Europe... the public is attracted by character, not face."^[105] Bronson was signed in December 1967. The film was shot in Marseilles and Paris.^[106] The film was a massive hit in France, earning around $6 million at the box office. Bronson went on to star in a series of European made movies that were hugely popular.^[107] The TV Guide praised the chemistry between Delon and Bronson.^[108]

Another European success, was Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western Once Upon a Time in the West where played one of the leads.^[109] Bronson had turned down Leone prior to this film for the lead in 1964's A Fistful of Dollars.^[110][111] In Italy, the film sold 8,870,732 tickets.^[112] In the United States, it grossed $5,321,508,^[113] from 3.7 million ticket sales.^[114] It sold a further 14,873,804 admissions in France^[115] and 13,018,414 admissions in Germany.^[116] The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[117][118] The film is regarded as one of the greatest westerns of all time and one of the greatest films of all time.^{[119][120][121][122]} Leone called Bronson "the greatest actor I ever worked with".^[123]: 123

Also that year, Bronson acted in Henri Verneuil's Guns for San Sebastian,^[124] and Buzz Kulik's Villa Rides.^[125] He was also set to star in Duck, You Sucker! (1972), but did not work on the project.^[126]

1969 to 1973: subsequent success to US breakthrough

In 1969, he was being considered to co-star in 99 and 44/100% Dead (1974), while early drafts of the script were being made.^[127]

In 1970, Bronson played lead roles in Richard Donner's Lola,^[128] Peter Collinson's You Can't Win 'Em All,^[129] Sergio Sollima's Violent City,^[130] and Terence Young's Cold Sweat.

Also in 1970, Bronson played a lead in René Clément's French thriller, Rider on the Rain.^[131] It was a big hit in France.^{[citation needed]} Wanda Hale of the Daily News gave it four stars and said Bronson is "marvellous as the tough American colonel".^[132] It won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.^[133]

In June 1970, it was announced that he was being considered to star in Papillon (1973), the role that went to Steve McQueen.^[134]

In 1971, he acted in Nicolas Gessner's French thriller, Someone Behind the Door, alongside Anthony Perkins. Also that year, he acted in Terence Young's French-Spanish-Italian Western, Red Sun.^{[citation needed]}

In 1972, The Valachi Papers was directed by Terence Young; Bronson played Joseph Valachi.^[135]

That year, this overseas fame earned him a special Golden Globe Henrietta Award for "World Film Favorite – Male" together with Sean Connery.^{[136][citation needed]}

In 1972, Bronson began a string of successful action films for United Artists, beginning with Michael Winner's Chato's Land. This would lead Winner and Bronson to work on multiple films together following up with The Mechanic (1972) and The Stone Killer (1973).^[137]

By 1973, Bronson was considered to be the world's top box office attraction, and commanded $1 million per film.^[138]

In 1973, Bronson worked with director John Sturges on Chino.^[139] Also Warner Bros. were trying to convince director Robert Aldrich to have Bronson play the lead in The Yakuza. The role went to Robert Mitchum.^[140]

In 1974, Bronson's most famous role came at age 52, in Death Wish, his most popular film, with director Michael Winner.^[141] He played Paul Kersey, a successful New York architect who turns into a crime-fighting vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted. This movie spawned four sequels over the next two decades, all starring Bronson.^[142] Many critics were displeased with the film, considering it an "immoral threat to society" and an encouragement of antisocial behavior.^{[143][144][145][146]} The film was the 20th highest grossing film in the US that year making 22 millions at the box office.^[147]

Also that year, he played the lead in Mr. Majestyk directed by Richard Fleischer based on a book by Elmore Leonard.^[148]

1975 to 1989: action film star

In 1975, Bronson starred in two films directed by Tom Gries: Breakout, and Breakheart Pass, a Western adapted from a novel by Alistair MacLean, which was a box office disappointment.^[149]

In 1975 he starred in the directorial debut of Walter Hill, Hard Times, playing a Depression-era street fighter making his living in illegal bare-knuckled matches in Louisiana. It earned good reviews.^[150] The film was the 29th highest grossing film in the US that year making 5 millions at the box office.^[151] Roger Ebert said it is "a powerful, brutal film containing a definitive Charles Bronson performance."^[152]

In 1975, he was among the many actors who were offered the lead in The Shootist (1976), they all turned it down because the character had prostate cancer.^[153]

Bronson reached his pinnacle in box-office drawing power in 1975, when he was ranked 4th, behind only Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, and Al Pacino.^[154]

In 1976, Bronson did a Western comedy for UA, Frank D. Gilroy's From Noon till Three.^[155] Also that year, Bronson made St. Ives, his first film with director J. Lee Thompson.^[156]

In 1977, Bronson acted in Irvin Kershner's Raid on Entebbe, where he played Dan Shomron.^[157] The NBC television film was based on the true story of the Entebbe raid.^[158] It received initially good reviews. Capitalizing on its strong all-star ensemble cast, a film version was released theatrically in the UK and Europe in early 1977.^[159] At the Golden Globe Awards it won "Best Television Movie".^[160] At the Emmy Awards it was nominated for "Outstanding Special – Drama or Comedy" as well as winning and receiving nominations in other categories.^[161] Also that year, he was reunited with Thompson in The White Buffalo, produced by Dino de Laurentiis for UA.^[162] UA also released Telefon, directed by Don Siegel.^[163] Finally in 1977, Bronson was announced as the star of Raise the Titanic (1980), but didn't appear in the final product.^[164]

In the 1970s, director Ingmar Bergman wanted to make a film with Bronson but he turned him down finding Bergman's works dull. "Everything is weakness and sickness with Bergman," he said.^[165] Bronson auditioned for the role of Superman for the 1978 film adaptation, but producer Ilya Salkind turned him down for being too earthy and decided to cast Christopher Reeve.^[166] Another 1978 film he was considered as a lead was Capricorn One.^[167] For the 1981 film Escape from New York, the studio wanted him to play the role of Snake Plissken,^[168] but director John Carpenter thought he was too tough looking and too old for the part, and decided to cast Kurt Russell instead.^{[citation needed]}

Bronson went on to make two films for ITC, Love and Bullets (1979) and Borderline (1980). He was reunited with Thompson on Caboblanco (1980), and played Albert Johnson in Death Hunt (1981), opposite Lee Marvin.^{[citation needed]}

Between 1976 and 1994, Bronson commanded high salaries to star in numerous films made by smaller production companies, most notably Cannon Films, for whom some of his last films were made.^{[citation needed]}

Bronson was paid $1.5 million by Cannon to star in Death Wish II (1982), directed by Michael Winner.^[169] In the story, architect Paul Kersey (Bronson) moves to Los Angeles with his daughter. After she is murdered at the hands of several gang members, Kersey once again becomes a vigilante. The film was a big success at the box office.^{[citation needed]}

Cannon Films promptly hired Bronson for 10 to Midnight (1983), in which he played a cop chasing a serial killer. The film marks the fourth collaboration between Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson. The supporting cast includes Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens, Gene Davis, Geoffrey Lewis, and Wilford Brimley.^{[citation needed]}

ITC Entertainment hired Thompson and Bronson for The Evil That Men Do (1984), co-starring Theresa Saldana and Joseph Maher. The film was adapted by David Lee Henry and John Crowther from the novel of the same name by R. Lance Hill. Bronson plays a former assassin, who comes out of retirement to avenge the death of his journalist friend.^{[citation needed]}

Cannon reunited Bronson and Winner for Death Wish 3 (1985). It is the last to be directed by Winner. Kersey returns to battle with New York street punk gangs while receiving tacit support from an NYPD lieutenant (Ed Lauter).^{[citation needed]}

In Murphy's Law (1986), directed by Thompson, Bronson plays Jack Murphy, a hardened, antisocial LAPD detective who turns to alcohol to numb the pain of harsh reality. His ex-wife, played by Angel Tompkins, has become a stripper and his career is going nowhere. His world is turned upside down when an ex-convict, played by Carrie Snodgress, frames him for putting her in prison earlier in his career.^{[citation needed]}

In 1986. Bronson acted in John Mackenzie's Act of Vengeance.^[170] Based on a true story, he plays union leader Joseph Yablonski going against W.A. Boyle (Wilford Brimley). For the HBO television film, Bronson acted against type and said "it's a complete departure for me, I'm not wearing a moustache, and I'm not carrying a gun. I don't perform any violence in this film."^[171] He also explained since he didn't act for television in a long time, he had to think a lot about it before accepting which he did partly because of his background in mining.^[172] For his commitment on this project, Bronson dropped out of a lead role in The Delta Force (1986).^[173] Greg Burliuk of the Kingston Whig-Standard and Robert DiMatteo of The Advocate-Messenger both praised Bronson acting against type.^[174][175]

More typical of this period were four Cannon action films: Assassination (1987) directed by Peter R. Hunt,^[176] and three with Thompson: Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1988),^[177] Messenger of Death (1989),^[178] and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989).^[179]

1990 to 1999: final roles to retirement

In the early 1990s, Bronson declined the role of Curly Washburn in City Slickers (1991).^[180]

In 1991, Bronson acted in The Indian Runner, directed by Sean Penn. Starring David Morse and Viggo Mortensen, it is generally positively received.^[181] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said that Bronson performance "is a performance of quiet, sure power. After his recent string of brainless revenge thrillers, I wondered if Bronson had sort of given up on acting, and was just going through the motions. Here he is so good it is impossible to think of another actor one would have preferred in his place".^[182]

In 1991, Bronson acted in ABC's TV movie Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, directed by Charles Jarrott. It is a fictionalized account on how the a widely republished editorial by the same name written in 1987 came to be. In the holiday drama, Bronson plays Francis Pharcellus Church, a reporter assigned to reply to letter by a young girl, whose family is in despair facing a bleak Christmas.^[183] Linda Renaud of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Bronson "cast totally against type, is thoroughly convincing as the distraught newspaperman".^[184]

In 1993, Bronson was paired Dana Delany to lead in the CBS television film Donato and Daughter, directed by Rod Holcomb. In it, Bronson plays Delany's father, and are both cops assigned to investigate a serial killer. In Kay Gardella's review published in The Gazette she says "Delany and Bronson work well together. Bronson shows a warmer, more caring side than his usual tough-guy image allows. And Delany, as attractive as ever, is crisp and efficient as cop."^[185]

Also that year, he acted against type playing the antagonist in Michael Anderson's television film The Sea Wolf, an adaptation of the novel by the same name, with the lead played by Christopher Reeve. About playing the main villain Bronson had reservations and said "I was a little worried about all of the dialogue. I don't usually do that much talking in movies. And this is a bad guy. A really bad guy."^[186] Ray Loynd of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Bronson playing what's probably his first thinking's man heavy seems right at home."^[187]

Bronson's last starring role in a theatrically released film was 1994's Death Wish V: The Face of Death.^[188] The film received unfavorables reviews many feeling that film was dull, too gory, with Bronson bored of playing that role again.^{[189][190][191][192][193][194]}

From 1995 to 1999, Bronson acted in a trilogy of TV movies as Commissioner Paul Fein,^[195] the patriarch of a family of law enforcers.^[196] They were Family of Cops (1995),^[197] Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops 2 (1997),^[198] and Family of Cops 3 (1999).^[199]

Bronson's health deteriorated in his later years, and he retired from acting after undergoing hip-replacement surgery in August 1998.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Bronson died at age 81 on August 30, 2003, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Although pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease have been cited as his cause of death, neither appears on his death certificate, which cites "respiratory failure", "metastatic lung cancer", with, secondarily, "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" and "congestive cardiomyopathy" as the causes of death.^[200] He was interred at Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont.^[201]