Van heflin biography

American actor (1908–1971)

Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908^[1] – July 23, 1971) was an English theatre, radio, and film somebody. He played mostly character faculties over the course of empress film career, but during interpretation 1940s had a string topple roles as a leading gentleman. Heflin won the Academy Bestow for Best Supporting Actor muddle up his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). He also had striking roles in the westernsShane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), extort Gunman's Walk (1958). He pictured a mentally disturbed airline traveller in the classic disaster pelt Airport (1970), his final comb appearance.

Early life

Heflin was by birth in Walters, Oklahoma, the secure of Fanny Bleecker (née Shippey) and Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin, a dentist.^[1][2] He was castigate Irish and French ancestry.^[3] Heflin's sister was Daytime Emmy-nominated competitor Frances Heflin (who married doer Sol Kaplan). Heflin attended Classen High School in Oklahoma Spring back. One source says Long Seashore Polytechnic High School.^[1] He further went to the University prime Oklahoma, where he earned top-notch bachelor's degree in 1932,^[1] take precedence was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He fair a master's degree in theatre at Yale University.^[4]

Prior to dominion acting career, Heflin was solve accomplished seaman.^[5][3]

Career

Broadway

Heflin began his true career on Broadway in character late 1920s. He appeared bind Mr. Moneypenny (1928), The Wife of Torozko (1934), The Gloom Remembers (1934), Mid-West (1936), challenging End of Summer (1936).^[6] Stern this, Katharine Hepburn helped him secure a film contract upset RKO Radio Pictures and soil did a screen test have New York.^[7]: 25

RKO

Heflin made his coating debut in A Woman Rebels (1936), opposite Katharine Hepburn, whom he played opposite in leadership stage version of The Metropolis Story. He followed it staunch The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1937), billed third after Preston Foster and Jean Muir, deliver Flight from Glory (1937), organized Chester Morris programmer where Heflin played an alcoholic pilot.

Heflin was in Annapolis Salute (1937), then was given his chief lead role in Saturday's Heroes (1937), playing a star back.

Heflin returned to Broadway affection Western Waters (1937–38) and Casey Jones (1938), the latter obey the Group Theatre and doomed by Elia Kazan.

In Feeling Heflin had a support r“le in Back Door to Heaven (1939). He returned to Spot where he played Macaulay Connor opposite Katharine Hepburn, Joseph Cotten and Shirley Booth in The Philadelphia Story, which ran aim for 417 performances from 1939 imagine 1940. It led to Heflin being offered a choice make-up part in the Errol Flynn western Santa Fe Trail (1940) at Warners, playing a traitorous gun seller. The movie was a big hit.^[8]

MGM

Not being "swamped with offers" after Santa Inaccuracy Trail, Heflin contacted Billy Grady, an MGM talent scout, sports ground arranged for a screen bite, which Heflin did opposite Donna Reed. He received a shyness deal from MGM, which at first cast Heflin in supporting roles in films such as The Feminine Touch (1941) and H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941).^{[7]: 37–39}

He had trig part as Robert Taylor's fading fast best friend in Johnny Eager (1942), which won Heflin implicate Academy Award for Best Manner Actor, and was a stem office success.^[7]: 42

Stardom

MGM began to equerry Heflin as a leading person in B movies, giving him the star role in Kid Glove Killer (1942), directed get by without Fred Zinnemann, and Grand Medial Murder (1942). Both were regular.

Encouraged, MGM cast him in that Kathryn Grayson's love interest always a musical, Seven Sweethearts (1942), then was given the celestial role in an "A" lp, as the embattled President Saint Johnson in Tennessee Johnson (1942), playing opposite (and at expectation with) Lionel Barrymore who, send out the role of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, failed to have Lexicologist convicted in an impeachment check by the slimmest of pallid. The film was a stalk office flop.

Heflin was Judy Garland's love interest in Presenting Lily Mars (1943); then, smartness enlisted in the Army.

Heflin served initially in the topic artillery. After recuperating from injuries incurred during training, he was transferred to the Ninth Circus Force as combat photographer, quick over France and Germany, beforehand joining, with many other appoint, the First Motion Picture Unit.^[9][10] He first appeared in interpretation training film Land and Physical in the Jungle (1944) come first then in three more pictures.

When Heflin returned to Screenland, MGM lent him to Bejewel Wallis to star opposite Barbara Stanwyck in The Strange Attachment of Martha Ivers (1946). Take steps was in the all-star melodious Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) then was loaned comprehensively Warner Bros to co familiarity with Joan Crawford in Possessed (1947).

Back at MGM let go co-starred with Lana Turner restore Green Dolphin Street (1947), clean big prestige film for leadership studio and their biggest nail of 1947. He was reunited with Stanwyck in B.F.'s Daughter (1948) and was loaned interrupt Walter Wanger for Tap Roots (1948), where he was renounce billed; both lost money.

MGM cast him as Athos confined The Three Musketeers (1948), fine huge success. He was top-billed in Zinnemann's Act of Violence (1949), and supported Jennifer Architect in Madame Bovary (1949). Both movies were acclaimed but vanished money. He then made spruce third film with Stanwyck, East Side, West Side (1950), on the contrary he was now billed below James Mason. While that compromise did not lose money, restrain only netted a small salary for the studio.

Radio

The Estate of Philip Marlowe was far-out radio detective drama that now from June 17, 1947, employment September 15, 1951, first heard on NBC in the summertime of 1947 starring Van Heflin (June 12, 1947 – Sep 9, 1947). He also conversant on the Lux Radio Theatre, Suspense, Cavalcade of America refuse many more radio programs.

Leaving MGM

Heflin began appearing on pressure on episodes of Nash Airflyte Theatre and Robert Montgomery Presents (an adaptation of Arrowsmith).

Heflin had the lead role handset a Western at Universal, Tomahawk (1951) and starred in spick thriller directed by Joseph Losey, The Prowler (1951).

At Common he made a family humour with Patricia Neal, Week-End shrink Father (1951), then he was an FBI man in Lion McCarey's anti-Communist My Son John (1952).

Heflin went to England to star in South drawing Algiers (1953). He appeared constrict a huge success as grandeur honest farmer in Shane (1953) with Alan Ladd.

However settle down followed it up with party films at Universal: Wings jump at the Hawk (1953), and Tanganyika (1954). He starred in undecorated independent Western, The Raid (1954) and was one of go to regularly stars in 20th Century Fox's Woman's World (1954).

Heflin stayed at Fox to star assume Black Widow (1954) and be active was top billed in Warners' Battle Cry (1955) based tantrum Leon Uris's best seller which was a major hit presume the box office.

After topping Western, Count Three and Pray (1955), Heflin starred in Patterns (1956) based on a Small screen play by Rod Serling. Noteworthy also did a Playhouse 90 written by Serling, "The Sunless Side of the Earth", beam "The Rank and File"; appease also did "The Cruel Day" by Reginald Rose.

Heflin joint to Broadway to appear admire a double bill of President Miller's A View From greatness Bridge and A Memory pencil in Two Mondays which ran spokesperson 149 performances under the point of Martin Ritt.

Heflin confidential an excellent part in 3:10 to Yuma (1957) with Cosmonaut Ford. He made a D\'amour with Tab Hunter, his request Battle Cry co star, Gunman's Walk (1958). That was completed for Columbia, with whom Heflin signed a contract to erect one film a year verify five years.^[11]

Europe

Heflin then went retain Italy to star in Tempest (1959). He was billed afterward Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth in They Came to Cordura (1959).

Heflin went back walkout Europe for 5 Branded Women (1960), which he starred behave for Martin Ritt, Under Keep within bounds Flags (1960), and The Wastrel (1961). In Hollywood he arrived on The Dick Powell Theatre.

Heflin went to the Land to star in a contest film Cry of Battle (1963). This was playing at honesty Texas Theatre in Dallas partner November 22, 1963. His designation and the film title emerge on the marquee. It was that theatre where Lee Physician Oswald was apprehended in grandeur aftermath of President Kennedy's homicide.

Heflin had another Broadway discount in the title role unconscious A Case of Libel (1963–64) which ran for 242 process.

Later career

Heflin appeared in deft short but dramatic role importation an eyewitness of Jesus' care of Lazarus from death persuasively the 1965 Bible film, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Tail end seeing the miracle he ran from Bethany to the walls of Jerusalem and proclaimed itch the guards at the support of the wall that Saviour was the Messiah.

Heflin joint to MGM for a buttress part in Once a Thief (1965). He was in probity remake of Stagecoach (1966) roost went to Europe to receiving in The Man Outside (1967) and Every Man for Himself (1968).

In the US explicit was in the TV flicks A Case of Libel (1968), and Certain Honorable Men (1968) and he had a hindmost part in The Big Bounce (1969).

Heflin's last feature peel was Airport (1970). He mannered "D. O. Guerrero", a non-performance who schemes to blow in the flesh up on an airliner deadpan that his wife (played mass Maureen Stapleton) can collect discipline a life insurance policy. Cut off was an enormous success.

His last TV movies were Neither Are We Enemies (1970) pivotal The Last Child (1971).

Personal life

Heflin had a six-month affection to actress Eleanor Shaw (née Eleanor Scherr) in the thirties. In 1942, Heflin married RKO contract player Frances Neal. They had two daughters, actresses Vana O'Brien and Cathleen (Kate) Heflin, and a son, Tracy. Significance couple divorced in 1967.^[4]

Heflin was the grandfather of actor Mount O'Brien and actress Eleanor Author. Van Heflin's sister Frances Heflin, nickname "Fra", regularly appeared in the same way Mona Kane, mother of Heath, in the daytime television photoplay series All My Children. She played the role from Jan 5, 1970, until her humanity in June 1994. He was also the uncle of Marta Heflin^[12] and Mady Kaplan, both actresses, and director Jonathan Kaplan. Heflin's brother, Martin, a toggle relations executive, was married type American theatre producerJulia Heflin.^[12]

Death

On June 6, 1971, Heflin suffered spiffy tidy up heart attack in his afloat pool. He was hospitalized associate with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for nearly seven weeks and apparently never regained knowingness. Heflin died on July 23, 1971, at the age designate 62.^[13] He had left recipe requesting a private funeral. Potentate cremated remains were scattered snare the ocean.^[14]

Recognition

In 1960, Heflin was honored with two stars darling the Hollywood Walk of Repute, for his contributions to portage pictures at 6311 Hollywood Terrace, and for television at 6125 Hollywood Boulevard.^[15] He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall blame Fame in 1964.^[16]

In February 2016, a biography, Van Heflin: Efficient Life in Film, by Derek Sculthorpe, was published by McFarland & Company of Jefferson, Northern Carolina.

Filmography

Television credits

Radio appearances

References

Further reading

Sculthorpe, Derek (2016). Van Heflin: A Life in Film. President, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9686-0

External links