Van Heflin

Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908[1] – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. Heflin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). He also had memorable roles in Westerns such as Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958).

Van Heflin
Born
Emmett Evan Heflin Jr.

(1908-12-13)December 13, 1908
Walters, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJuly 23, 1971(1971-07-23) (aged 62)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1928–1971
Spouse(s)
Eleanor Scherr (a.k.a. Eleanor Shaw)
​
(
m. 1934; div. 1936)

Frances E. Neal
​
(
m. 1942; div. 1967)
Children3

Early life

Heflin was born in Walters, Oklahoma, the son of Fanny Bleecker (née Shippey) and Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin, a dentist.[2][3] He was of Irish and French ancestry.[4] Heflin's sister was Daytime Emmy-nominated actress Frances Heflin (who married composer Sol Kaplan). Heflin attended Classen High School in Oklahoma City. One source says Long Beach Polytechnic High School.[1] He also went to the University of Oklahoma, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1932[1] and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He earned a master's degree in theater at Yale University.[5]

Career

Broadway

Heflin began his acting career on Broadway in the late 1920s. He appeared in Mr. Moneypenny (1928), The Bride of Torozko (1934), The Night Remembers (1934), Mid-West (1936), and End of Summer (1936). The latter had a decent run and led to him being signed to a film contract by RKO Radio Pictures.

RKO

Heflin made his film debut in A Woman Rebels (1936), opposite Katharine Hepburn. He followed it with The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1937), billed third after Preston Foster and Jean Muir, and Flight from Glory (1937), a Chester Morris programmer where Heflin played an alcoholic pilot.

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

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

In Hollywood Heflin had a support role in Back Door to Heaven (1939). He returned to Broadway where he played Macaulay Connor opposite Katharine Hepburn, Joseph Cotten and Shirley Booth in The Philadelphia Story, which ran for 417 performances from 1939–1940. It led to Heflin being offered a choice character part in the Errol Flynn western Santa Fe Trail (1940) at Warners, playing a villainous gun seller. The movie was a big hit.[6] It also led to a contract offer from MGM.

MGM
Heflin in 1941

MGM initially cast Heflin in supporting roles in films such as The Feminine Touch (1941) and H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941).

He had an excellent part as Robert Taylor's doomed best friend in Johnny Eager (1942), which won Heflin an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and was a box office success.

Stardom

A delighted MGM began to groom Heflin as a leading man in B movies, giving him the star role in Kid Glove Killer (1942), directed by Fred Zinnemann, and Grand Central Murder (1942). Both were popular.

Encouraged, MGM cast him as Kathryn Grayson's love interest in a musical, Seven Sweethearts (1942), then was given the star role in an "A" film, as the embattled President Andrew Johnson in Tennessee Johnson (1942), playing opposite (and at odds with) Lionel Barrymore who, in the role of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, failed to have Johnson convicted in an impeachment trial by the slimmest of margins. The film was a box office flop.

Heflin was Judy Garland's love interest in Presenting Lily Mars (1943), then he enrolled in the army.

Heflin served during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe and with the First Motion Picture Unit. He appeared in a training film, Land and Live in the Jungle (1944).

When Helfin returned to Hollywood, MGM loaned him to Hal Wallis to appear opposite Barbara Stanwyck in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). He was in the all-star musical Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) then was loaned to Warner Bros to co star with Joan Crawford in Possessed (1947).

Back at MGM he co-starred with Lana Turner in Green Dolphin Street (1947), a big prestige film for the studio and their biggest hit of 1947. He was reunited with Stanwyck in B.F.'s Daughter (1948) and was loaned to Walter Wanger for Tap Roots (1948), where he was top billed; both lost money.

MGM cast him as Athos in The Three Musketeers (1948), a huge success. He was top billed in Zinnemann's Act of Violence (1949), and supported Jennifer Jones in Madame Bovary (1949). Both movies were acclaimed but lost money.

Heflin made a third film with Stanwyck, East Side, West Side (1950), although he was now billed beneath James Mason. It made only a small profit.

Radio

The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a radio detective drama that aired from June 17, 1947, through September 15, 1951, first heard on NBC in the summer of 1947 starring Van Heflin (June 12, 1947 – Sept 9, 1947). He also acted on the Lux Radio Theatre, Suspense, Cavalcade of America and many more radio programs.

Leaving MGM

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

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

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

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

However he followed it up with action films at Universal: Wings of the Hawk (1953), and Tanganyika (1954). He starred in an independent Western, The Raid (1954) and was one of many stars in 20th Century Fox's Woman's World (1954).

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

After a Western, Count Three and Pray (1955), Heflin starred in Patterns (1956) based on a TV play by Rod Serling. He also did a Playhouse 90 written by Serling, "The Dark Side of the Earth", and "The Rank and File"; he also did "The Cruel Day" by Reginald Rose.

Heflin returned to Broadway to appear in a double bill of Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays which ran for 149 performances under the direction of Martin Ritt.

Heflin had an excellent part in 3:10 to Yuma (1957) with Glenn Ford. He made a Western with Tab Hunter, his old Battle Cry co star, Gunman's Walk (1958). That was made for Columbia, with whom Heflin signed a contract to make one film a year for five years.<refHopper, Hedda (July 8, 1958). ">Margaret Leighton in 'Sound and Fury'". Los Angeles Times. p. B6.</ref>

Europe

Heflin then went to Italy to star in Tempest (1959). He was billed after Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth in They Came to Cordura (1959); Hunter was also in this one.

Heflin went back to Europe for 5 Branded Women (1960), which he starred in for Martin Ritt, Under Ten Flags (1960), and The Wastrel (1961). In Hollywood he appeared on The Dick Powell Theatre.

Heflin went to the Philippines to star in a war film Cry of Battle (1963). This was playing at the Texas Theatre in Dallas on November 22, 1963. His name and the film title appear on the marquee. It was that theatre where Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended in the aftermath of President Kennedy's assassination.

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

Later career

Heflin appeared in a short but dramatic role as an eyewitness of Jesus' raising of Lazarus from death in the 1965 Bible film, The Greatest Story Ever Told. After seeing the miracle he ran from Bethany to the walls of Jerusalem and proclaimed to the guards at the top of the wall that Jesus was the Messiah.

Heflin returned to MGM for a support part in Once a Thief (1965). He was in the remake of Stagecoach (1966) and went to Europe to star in The Man Outside (1967) and Every Man for Himself (1968).

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

Heflin's last feature film was Airport (1970). He played "D. O. Guerrero", a failure who schemes to blow himself up on an airliner so that his wife (played by Maureen Stapleton) can collect on a life insurance policy. It was an enormous success.

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

Personal life

Heflin had a six-month marriage to actress Eleanor Shaw (née Eleanor Scherr, died 2004) in the mid-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. The couple divorced in 1967.[5]

Heflin was the grandfather of actor Ben O'Brien and actress Eleanor O'Brien. Van Heflin's sister, Fran, nickname 'Fra', regularly appeared as Mona Kane, mother of Erica [Susan Lucci] in the daytime television drama series All My Children. She played the role from 5 January 1970 until her death in June 1994. He was also the uncle of Marta Heflin[7] and Mady Kaplan, both actresses, and director Jonathan Kaplan. Heflin's brother, Martin, a public relations executive, was married to American theatre producer Julia Heflin.[7]

Death

On June 6, 1971, Heflin had a heart attack while swimming in a pool. Medics took him to a hospital, and though he lived for nearly seven weeks, he apparently never regained consciousness. Van Heflin died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles on July 23, 1971 at 6:43 am, aged 62.[8] He had left instructions forbidding a public funeral. Instead, his cremated remains were scattered in the ocean.

Recognition

In 1960, Heflin was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contributions to motion pictures at 6311 Hollywood Boulevard, and for television at 6125 Hollywood Boulevard.[9] He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1964.[10]

In February, 2016, a biography, Van Heflin A Life in Film, by Derek Sculthorpe, was published by McFarland & Co., Inc., of Jefferson, N.C.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1936 A Woman Rebels Lord Gerald Waring Gaythorne
1937 The Outcasts of Poker Flat Reverend Samuel 'Sam' Woods
1937 Flight From Glory George Wilson
1937 Annapolis Salute Clay V. Parker
1937 Saturday's Heroes Val Webster
1939 Back Door to Heaven John Shelley
1940 Santa Fe Trail Carl Rader
1941 The Feminine Touch Elliott Morgan
1941 H.M. Pulham, Esq. Bill King
1941 Johnny Eager Jeff Hartnett Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1942 Kid Glove Killer Gordon McKay
1942 Grand Central Murder 'Rocky' Custer
1942 Seven Sweethearts Henry Taggart
1942 Tennessee Johnson Andrew Johnson
1943 Presenting Lily Mars John Thornway
1943 Screen Snapshots: Hollywood in Uniform Himself Short subject
1944 Land and Live in the Jungle 1st Lieutenant Lynn Harrison Uncredited / Documentary
1945 Land and Live in the Desert Narrator Uncredited / Short subject
1946 The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Sam Masterson
1946 Till the Clouds Roll By James I. Hessler
1947 Possessed David Sutton
1947 Green Dolphin Street Timothy Haslam
1948 B.F.'s Daughter Thomas W. Brett
1948 Tap Roots Keith Alexander
1948 The Secret Land Narrator Documentary
1948 The Three Musketeers Athos
1949 Act of Violence Frank R. Enley
1949 Madame Bovary Charles Bovary
1949 East Side, West Side Mark Dwyer
1951 Tomahawk Jim Bridger
1951 The Prowler Webb Garwood
1951 Week-End with Father Brad Stubbs
1952 My Son John Stedman
1953 South of Algiers Nicholas Chapman
1953 Shane Joe Starrett
1953 Wings of the Hawk Irish Gallager
1954 Tanganyika John Gale
1954 The Raid Maj. Neal Benton / Neal Swayze
1954 Woman's World Jerry Talbot
1954 Black Widow Peter Denver
1955 Battle Cry Maj. Sam Huxley – CO, 2nd Bn., 6th Marine Regt.
1955 Count Three and Pray Luke Fargo
1956 Patterns Fred Staples
1957 3:10 to Yuma Dan Evans
1958 Gunman's Walk Lee Hackett
1958 Tempest Emelyan Pugachov
1959 They Came to Cordura Sgt. John Chawk
1960 5 Branded Women Velko
1960 Under Ten Flags Captain Bernhard Rogge
1961 The Wastrel Duncan Bell
1963 Cry of Battle Joe Trent
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Bar Amand
1965 Once a Thief Inspector Mike Vido SFPD
1966 Stagecoach Marshal Curly Wilcox
1967 The Man Outside Bill MacLean
1968 The Ruthless Four Sam Cooper
1969 The Big Bounce Sam Mirakian
1970 Airport D.O. Guerrero

Television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1950 The Nash Airflyte Theater Llano Kid Episode: "A Double-Dyed Deceiver"
1950 Robert Montgomery Presents Dr. Martin Arrowsmith Episode: "Arrowsmith"
1951 The Ken Murray Show Himself Episode: "Van Heflin"
1957–1960 Playhouse 90 Captain / Bill Kilcoyne / Col. Sten 3 episodes
1961 The Dick Powell Show Sergeant Paul Maxon Episode: "Ricochet"
1963–1964 The Great Adventure Himself – Narrator / Himself – Announcer 13 episodes
1965 The Teenage Revolution Narrator Documentary
1968 A Case of Libel Robert Sloane Television film
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
1968 The Danny Thomas Hour Kreutzer Episode: "Fear Is the Chain"
1968 Certain Honorable Men Champ Donohue Television film
1970 Neither Are We Enemies Joseph of Arimathea Television film
1971 The Last Child Senator Quincy George Television film, (final film role)

Radio appearances
YearProgramEpisode/source
1947The New Adventures of Philip Marlowe, NBCRed Wind
1949Lux Radio TheatreGreen Dolphin Street[11]
1953Theater of StarsThe Apple Tree[12]
1953SuspenseThe Case of the Marie [sic] Celeste[13]
1953SuspenseThe Shot[14]
gollark: Or non-suspicious ones, even, because humans are uncool and mortal.
gollark: Um, "you seem like someone who would like cuties" I guess.
gollark: Amazing.
gollark: also <#471334670483849216> probably, the slightly more accepted place for politics things.
gollark: That's irrelevant, and probably only is true if you define the terms very oddly anyway.

References
  1. Everett, Dianna. "Heflin, Emmett Evan (1908–1971)". Oklahoma History Center. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  2. "Van Heflin." Oklahoma History site. Retrieved: October 23, 2012.
  3. Parker, John. Who's Who in the Theatre: Volume 17, Part 1. Pitman, 1952, p. 762.
  4. "Van Heflin biodata." Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine classicimages.com, April 1996. Retrieved: October 23, 2012.
  5. "Van Heflin dead at 60". Montreal Gazette. July 24, 1971. p. 36. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  6. "News of the Screen: Van Heflin Signed for Villain in 'Santa Fe Trail' – 'Fugitive From Justice,' 'Wagons Westward' Today Of Local Origin". The New York Times. July 6, 1940. p. 9.
  7. Vitello, Paul (September 25, 2013). "Marta Heflin, Actor, Dies at 68; Waif Seen in Altman Films". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  8. Van Heflin dies of heart attack
  9. "Van Heflin". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  10. "Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin" (PDF). Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  11. "Radio's Golden Age". Nostalgia Digest. 39 (2): 40–41. Spring 2013.
  12. Kirby, Walter (May 17, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Kirby, Walter (June 7, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 50. Retrieved July 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Kirby, Walter (October 11, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 50. Retrieved July 6, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

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

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.