Craggy-faced, dependable star character actor Van Heflin never quite made the Hollywood "A" list, but made up for what he lacked in appearance with hard work, charisma and solid acting performances. He was born Emmett Evan Heflin in Oklahoma in December 1910, the son of Fanny Bleecker (Shippey) and Emmett Evan Heflin, a dental surgeon. When his ...
December 13, 1910, Walters, Oklahoma, United States
Died
July 23, 1971, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place Of Birth
Walters, Oklahoma, USA
Height
5' 11¼" (1.81 m)
Profession
Actor, Soundtrack
Education
University of Oklahoma
Nationality
American
Spouse
Frances E. Neal (m. 1942–1967), Eleanor Scherr
Children
Kate Heflin, Vana O'Brien, Tracy Heflin
Parents
Fanny Bleecker Shippey, Emmett Evan Heflin
Siblings
Frances Heflin
Awards
Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominations
BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role
Movies
Shane, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, The Prowler, 3:10 to Yuma, Act of Violence, Gunman's Walk, Johnny Eager, Presenting Lily Mars, East Side, West Side, The Ruthless Four, Till the Clouds Roll By, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Battle Cry, The Three Musketeers, Santa Fe Trail, They Came to Cordu...
TV Shows
The Great Adventure
Star Sign
Sagittarius
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Quote
1
My father was a drunk, although he was a fabulous character, and he and my mother always loved each other, even when they were separated.
2
Louis B. Mayer once looked at me and said, "You will never get the girl at the end". So I worked on my acting.
3
I just didn't have the looks and if I didn't do a good acting job I looked terrible.
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Fact
1
He was the first actor to win an Academy Award for a role in a gangster movie.
2
His grandfather Alexander A. Heflin (1849-1940) joined Roddey's Escort, Alabama Cavalry at age 14 or 15 and served in the Confederate army during the American Civil War, along with his brothers James, William C., Hugh, John and Thomas.
3
He was director Michael Anderson's choice to play Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in a Columbia Pictures epic, "16th of December: The Battle of the Bulge," which had the blessing of Eisenhower and the Defense Department, but the project was abandoned after Warner Brothers used the title "The Battle of the Bulge" on a generic war film with Henry Fonda.
4
Attended UCLA film school after achieving fame as an actor, with the intention of learning filmmaking techniques so as to improve his work as an actor. He wrote about the experience in the October, 1950, issue of "Theatre Arts" magazine.
5
His first marriage lasted six months. His wife's identity is unknown, as it happened before he became famous.
6
His father was a dentist.
7
He had English, Irish, German, Dutch, and French ancestry.
8
His favorite pastimes were sailing, fishing, and swimming.
9
During WWII, he served as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe.
10
The heart attack that killed him happened while he was swimming. He managed to get to the pool's ladder, where he held on until found hours later, unconscious but still alive. He died 17 days later, never having regained consciousness. At his request no funeral was held and his ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
$1.4 Million
