One wouldn’t think that a New Yorker born to Jewish immigrants from Poland would end up playing the role of a Mexican bandit, a lovable villain cast in one of the greatest movie westerns ever made.
But Eli Wallach always defied expectations. That’s why he was so special and bears remembering on this occasion of reflection.
Eli Wallach passed away today. He lived an amazing 99 years. He acted up until the final year of his life, appearing most recently in the sequel to Wall Street.
Wallach never retired from anything, other than the absurd notion that older people must be put out to pasture because they’re no longer useful. On the contrary, Wallach understood the intrinsic value of knowledge and experience better than most. He attended the University of Texas, my alma mater, and earned a degree in history.
Indeed, history is important. History not only tells us where we’ve been, but who we are. It can even give us guideposts for where we should be going in the future. Yes, history matters.
Wallach is probably best remembered for playing the memorable role of “Tuco,” the comically sinister half-shaven bandit in Sergio Leone’s film classic, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”
Wallach made the role truly unforgettable. In retrospect, his performance should draw rightful ire as one of the most mind-boggling oversights in the history of the Academy Awards. How Wallach wasn’t even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for that stellar performance is a farce.
Then again, no one thought much of those so-called “Spaghetti Westerns” back then, all of which have since become cinematic classics. To say they don’t make movies like that anymore is an understatement. Leone’s filmmaking techniques are now even taught in film school.
History reveals to us that clarity usually takes time — sometimes years or even decades — to appreciate many of the finer things in life. Greatness is indeed much like a fine wine — most of what appears fresh and new is in fact transitory and often an illusion. Fads don’t last. The classics bear out the most flavor, appreciated all the more with time.
Wallach never would have been cast in such an iconic film role opposite Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef (another underappreciated character actor, who passed away in the 1970s), except for two wacky accidents of fate. While attending college in Texas during the 1930s, Wallach learned how to ride a horse, a talent that served him well on camera since much of the 1967 film was shot on horseback in the mountains of central Spain. Wallach was also fluent in multiple languages which became a huge asset to director Leone while working on the set.
According to his IMDB profile, Leone only spoke in Italian. So, he had difficulty giving direction to his actors. One of Wallach’s languages was a strong command of French. Oftentimes during filming Leone would speak in Italian to one of his associates, who then translated instructions in French, which was then relayed to Eastwood and Van Cleef. Somehow it all worked and the end result was diabolically delicious and dusty movie magic with genuine authenticity.
Of course, Wallach had many other film roles, too. He appeared in Baby Doll, The Magnificent Seven, The Goodfather Part III, and way too many other films to mention. Even in his 90s, he did voiceovers for television commercials. When Wallach told us that Dodge trucks were tough with that sawdust voice chiseled by good old-fashioned know-how, we trusted him.
Before he became an actor, Wallach not only earned a B.A. from Texas. He also earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from City College of New York. Then, he served in World War II. Next, Wallach got his start in film, television, and theatre by attending the prestigious Actor’s Studio, alongside classmates Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Sidney Lumet, and others. He outlived them all.
Wallach leaves us with some wonderful memories in film. One of his memorable lines spoken as Tuca was, “I have a system, very much like yours. The only difference is I don’t shoot the rope, I shoot the legs off the stool. Adios.”
The legs are now off the stool for Tuco. But Eli Wallach, thanks to his roles in cinema, shall forever hang high.