Van Heflin

Biography

Van Heflin was an American actor whose career spanned theater, radio, and film. He was born in Walters, Oklahoma, and trained at Yale, where he earned a master's degree in theater before beginning his Broadway work in the late 1920s. Katharine Hepburn helped him secure an RKO contract, and he made his film debut opposite her in A Woman Rebels. His supporting role in Johnny Eager won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. MGM then developed him as a leading man, and he appeared in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), The Three Musketeers (1948), and Act of Violence (1948), among others. He became particularly associated with westerns, starring in Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958). On radio he played Philip Marlowe. His final feature was Airport (1970), in which he portrayed a troubled airline passenger. He died in 1971.

62years old at death

Born December 13, 1908Walters
Died July 23, 1971Hollywood
Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
Also credited as Emmett Evan Heflin Jr. and Emmett Evan Heflin

Movie Career

Films: 28
Career span: 30 years1940 to 1970

Genres

Drama64%, 18 films
Western32%, 9 films
Romance29%, 8 films
Thriller21%, 6 films
Crime14%, 4 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A first
Heflin was the first actor to play Philip Marlowe on the radio, starring in The Adventures of Philip Marlowe on NBC in the summer of 1947.

Van Heflin movies on Netflix

Airport1970IMDb rating 6.6as D.O. Guerrero
The Ruthless Four1968IMDb rating 6.4as Sam Cooper
Stagecoach1966IMDb rating 6.1as Marshal Curly Wilcox
Once a Thief1965IMDb rating 6.5as Inspector Mike Vido
The Greatest Story Ever Told1965IMDb rating 6.6as Bar Amand
They Came to Cordura1959IMDb rating 6.4as Sgt. John Chawk
Gunman's Walk1958IMDb rating 7.1as Lee Hackett
3:10 to Yuma1957IMDb rating 7.6as Dan Evans
Patterns1956IMDb rating 7.7as Fred Staples
Battle Cry1955IMDb rating 6.4as Major Sam Huxley
Black Widow1954IMDb rating 6.7as Peter Denver
The Raid1954IMDb rating 6.9as Maj. Neal Benton
Woman's World1954IMDb rating 6.9as Jerry Talbot
Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6as Joe Starrett
The Prowler1951IMDb rating 7.1as Webb Garwood
Tomahawk1951IMDb rating 6.4as Bridger
East Side, West Side1949IMDb rating 6.9as Mark Dwyer
Madame Bovary1949IMDb rating 7.0as Charles Bovary
Act of Violence1948IMDb rating 7.5as Frank R. Enley
The Three Musketeers1948IMDb rating 7.1as Athos
Green Dolphin Street1947IMDb rating 6.8as Timothy Haslam
Possessed1947IMDb rating 7.1as David Sutton
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946IMDb rating 7.4as Sam Masterson
Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4as James I. Hessler
Grand Central Murder1942IMDb rating 6.5as 'Rocky' Custer
Kid Glove Killer1942IMDb rating 6.8as Gordon McKay
Johnny Eager1941IMDb rating 7.1as Jeff Hartnett
Santa Fe Trail1940IMDb rating 6.2as Rader

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Shane1953 Drama, Westernas Joe Starrett
IMDb rating 7.648K votes
3:10 to Yuma1957 Drama, Thriller, Westernas Dan Evans
IMDb rating 7.624K votes
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946as Sam Masterson
IMDb rating 7.413K votes
Act of Violence1948as Frank R. Enley
IMDb rating 7.56.9K votes
The Prowler1951as Webb Garwood
IMDb rating 7.15.5K votes
Possessed1947as David Sutton
IMDb rating 7.16.4K votes
Patterns1956as Fred Staples
IMDb rating 7.74.3K votes
Black Widow1954as Peter Denver
IMDb rating 6.73.8K votes

Most often with

George Stevens directed two of these films, George Sidney two and Fred Zinnemann two. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Angela Lansbury

Will Wright

Raymond Massey

Connie Gilchrist

Lana Turner

Paul Bradley

George StevensDirector, 2 films

George SidneyDirector, 2 films

Fred ZinnemannDirector, 2 films

Films together

Angela Lansbury3 films together, 1946 to 1965
Angela Lansbury's page
- The Greatest Story Ever Told1965IMDb rating 6.6Heflin as Bar AmandLansbury as Claudia
- The Three Musketeers1948IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as AthosLansbury as Queen Ann
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Heflin as James I. HesslerLansbury as London Specialty
Will Wright3 films together, 1948 to 1958
Will Wright's page
- Gunman's Walk1958IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as Lee HackettWright as Judge
- The Raid1954IMDb rating 6.9Heflin as Maj. Neal BentonWright as Josiah Anderson
- Act of Violence1948IMDb rating 7.5Heflin as Frank R. EnleyWright as Pop
Raymond Massey3 films together, 1940 to 1955
Raymond Massey's page
- Battle Cry1955IMDb rating 6.4Heflin as Major Sam HuxleyMassey as Major General Snipes
- Possessed1947IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as David SuttonMassey as Dean Graham
- Santa Fe Trail1940IMDb rating 6.2Heflin as RaderMassey as John Brown
Connie Gilchrist3 films together, 1941 to 1948
Connie Gilchrist's page
- Act of Violence1948IMDb rating 7.5Heflin as Frank R. EnleyGilchrist as Martha
- Grand Central Murder1942IMDb rating 6.5Heflin as 'Rocky' CusterGilchrist as Pearl Delroy
- Johnny Eager1941IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as Jeff HartnettGilchrist as Peg
Lana Turner3 films together, 1941 to 1948
Lana Turner's page
- The Three Musketeers1948IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as AthosTurner as Lady De Winter
- Green Dolphin Street1947IMDb rating 6.8Heflin as Timothy HaslamTurner as Marianne Patourel
- Johnny Eager1941IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as Jeff HartnettTurner as Lisbeth Bard
Paul Bradley3 films together, 1954 to 1958
Paul Bradley's page
- Gunman's Walk1958IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as Lee HackettBradley as Townsman
- Black Widow1954IMDb rating 6.7Heflin as Peter DenverBradley as Party Guest
- Woman's World1954IMDb rating 6.9Heflin as Jerry TalbotBradley as Waiter
George StevensDirector, 2 films, 1953 to 1965
All films by George Stevens
- The Greatest Story Ever Told1965IMDb rating 6.6Heflin as Bar Amand
- Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6Heflin as Joe Starrett
George SidneyDirector, 2 films, 1946 to 1948
All films by George Sidney
- The Three Musketeers1948IMDb rating 7.1Heflin as Athos
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Heflin as James I. Hessler
Fred ZinnemannDirector, 2 films, 1942 to 1948
All films by Fred Zinnemann
- Act of Violence1948IMDb rating 7.5Heflin as Frank R. Enley
- Kid Glove Killer1942IMDb rating 6.8Heflin as Gordon McKay
Also three films together2 more actors
- Tab HunterThey Came to Cordura (1959), Gunman's Walk (1958) and Battle Cry (1955)
- June AllysonWoman's World (1954), The Three Musketeers (1948) and Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Van Heflin's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$164 million

11 of the 28 films have a worldwide figure.

11Worldwide figure
1US gross only
16Figure not found

Top grosser

Airport1970D.O. Guerrero$100 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 98% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Airport1970as D.O. Guerrero
$100M61.3% of the total
2
Shane1953as Joe Starrett
$20M12.2% of the total
3
The Greatest Story Ever Told1965as Bar Amand
$16M9.5% of the total
4
The Three Musketeers1948as Athos
$8.4M5.1% of the total
5
Till the Clouds Roll By1946as James I. Hessler
$6.7M4.1% of the total
6
Stagecoach1966as Marshal Curly Wilcox
$4.0M2.4% of the total
7
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946as Sam Masterson
$3.2M2.0% of the total
8
Madame Bovary1949as Charles Bovary
$2.0M1.2% of the total