Van Heflin
Acting
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. 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.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
as Sam Masterson
Age 35 (now 60)
Breakpoint: A Counter History of Progress
as Self (archive footage)
Age 108 (now 60)
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
as Self (archive footage)
Age 86 (now 60)
Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire
as Self (archive footage)
Age 80 (now 60)
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Age 63 (now 60)
The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli
as Self (archive footage)
Age 62 (now 60)
Pro Football: Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
as Sam Masterson
Age 35 (now 60)
Land and Live in the Desert
as Narrator (voice)
Age 34 (now 60)
Land and Live in the Jungle
as 1st Lieutenant Lynn Harrison
Age 33 (now 60)
Robert Montgomery Presents
as Dr. Martin Arrowsmith
Age 39 (now 60)
Gathering insights...
Also Known As
Emmett Evan Heflin Jr., ون هفلین
IMDB
nm0001336