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Van Heflin
Actor

Van Heflin

13 Dec 1910Born
23 Jul 1971Died
60Age at death
70Credits

Biography

Emmett Evan “Van” Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor whose steady craftsmanship and versatility made him a respected character player and occasional leading man across four decades. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Johnny Eager (1942) and is remembered for strong turns in Westerns and noirs such as Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman’s Walk (1958). Born in Walters, Oklahoma, Heflin studied at the University of Oklahoma and later earned a master’s degree in theater from Yale, launching his career on Broadway in the late 1920s and 1930s before moving into films.

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His early stage work and connections (including support from Katharine Hepburn) helped him secure a Hollywood contract and steady screen work beginning in the mid‑1930s. Heflin’s screen persona combined reliability, emotional range, and a rugged everyman quality, which allowed him to move fluidly between supporting character roles and leading parts during the 1940s. After his Oscar win for Johnny Eager, he continued to take memorable roles in both studio pictures and independent productions, earning praise for performances in The Glass Key (1942), The Blue Dahlia (1946), and Battle Cry (1955). In the 1950s and 1960s Heflin expanded into television and later film projects, appearing in anthology series and features; one of his last notable screen appearances was as a disturbed passenger in the disaster film Airport (1970). His career is notable for its longevity and for the way he adapted to changing studio systems while maintaining a reputation for solid, scene‑stealing work. Van Heflin died of a heart attack (myocardial infarction) on July 23, 1971, in Hollywood at age 62. He left behind a body of work that spans stage, radio, film, and television and that continues to be cited by historians as exemplary of mid‑20th‑century American character acting.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1974That's Entertainment!Film: (archive footage) (uncredited)
  2. 1971The Last ChildFilm: Senator Quincy George
  3. 1970AirportFilm: D. O. Guerrero
  4. 1969The Big BounceFilm: Sam Mirakian
  5. 1968Certain Honorable MenFilm: Champ Donohue
  6. 1968A Case of LibelFilm: Robert Sloane
  7. 1968The Ruthless FourFilm: Sam Cooper
  8. 1967The Man OutsideFilm: Bill MacLean
  9. 1966StagecoachFilm: Marshal Curly Wilcox
  10. 1965Pro Football: Mayhem on a Sunday AfternoonFilm
  11. 1965The Teen-Age RevolutionFilm: Narrator/Host
  12. 1965Once a ThiefFilm: Inspector Mike Vido
  13. 1965The Greatest Story Ever ToldFilm: Bar Amand
  14. 1965The Bold MenFilm: Narrator
  15. 1963Cry of BattleFilm: Joe Trent
  16. 1961RicochetFilm: Sergeant Paul Maxon
  17. 1961The WastrelFilm: Duncan Bell
  18. 1960Under Ten FlagsFilm: Captain Bernhard Rogge
  19. 1960Five Branded WomenFilm: Velko
  20. 1959They Came to CorduraFilm: Sgt. John Chawk
  21. 1958TempestFilm: Emelyan Pugachov
  22. 1958Gunman's WalkFilm: Lee Hackett
  23. 1957The Dark Side of the EarthFilm: Col. Sten
  24. 19573:10 to YumaFilm: Dan Evans
  25. 1956Playhouse 90Series: Bill Kilcoyne, Captain (1 episode)
  26. 1956PatternsFilm: Fred Staples
  27. 1955Count Three and PrayFilm: Luke Fargo
  28. 1955Battle CryFilm: Major Sam Huxley
  29. 1954Black WidowFilm: Peter Denver
  30. 1954Woman's WorldFilm: Jerry Talbot
  31. 1954The RaidFilm: Maj. Neal Benton
  32. 1954TanganyikaFilm: John Gale
  33. 1953Wings of the HawkFilm: Irish Gallager
  34. 1953ShaneFilm: Joe Starrett
  35. 1953South of AlgiersFilm: Nicholas Chapman
  36. 1952My Son JohnFilm: Stedman
  37. 1951Hallmark Hall of FameSeries: Joseph (1 episode)
  38. 1951Week-End with FatherFilm: Brad Stubbs
  39. 1951The ProwlerFilm: Webb Garwood
  40. 1951TomahawkFilm: Bridger
  41. 1950Robert Montgomery PresentsSeries: Dr. Martin Arrowsmith (1 episode)
  42. 1950University U.S.A.Film: Narrator
  43. 1949East Side, West SideFilm: Mark Dwyer
  44. 1949Madame BovaryFilm: Charles Bovary
  45. 1949Act of ViolenceFilm: Frank R. Enley
  46. 1948The Secret LandFilm: Narrator
  47. 1948The Three MusketeersFilm: Athos
  48. 1948Tap RootsFilm: Keith Alexander
  49. 1948B.F.'s DaughterFilm: Thomas W. 'Tom' Brett
  50. 1947PossessedFilm: David Sutton
  51. 1947Green Dolphin StreetFilm: Timothy Haslam
  52. 1946Till the Clouds Roll ByFilm: James I. Hessler
  53. 1946The Strange Love of Martha IversFilm: Sam Masterson
  54. 1945Land and Live in the DesertFilm: Narrator (voice)
  55. 1944Land and Live in the JungleFilm: 1st Lieutenant Lynn Harrison
  56. 1943Presenting Lily MarsFilm: John Thornway
  57. 1942Tennessee JohnsonFilm: Andrew Johnson
  58. 1942Seven SweetheartsFilm: Henry Taggart
  59. 1942Grand Central MurderFilm: 'Rocky' Custer
  60. 1942Kid Glove KillerFilm: Gordon McKay
  61. 1941Johnny EagerFilm: Jeff Hartnett
  62. 1941H.M. Pulham, Esq.Film: Bill King
  63. 1941The Feminine TouchFilm: Elliott Morgan
  64. 1940Santa Fe TrailFilm: Rader
  65. 1939Back Door to HeavenFilm: John Shelley
  66. 1937Saturday's HeroesFilm: Val
  67. 1937Annapolis SaluteFilm: Clay V. Parker
  68. 1937Flight from GloryFilm: George Wilson
  69. 1937The Outcasts of Poker FlatFilm: Rev. Samuel Woods
  70. 1936A Woman RebelsFilm: Lord Gerald Waring Gaythorne

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.