VAN HEFLIN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Van Heflin was born with the birth name, Emmett Evan 'van' Heflin Jr. on December 13th, 1910 in Walters, Oklahoma.  He was the son of Fanny Bleecker and Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin who was a dentist.  He had one sister, Frances Heflin who also became an actress. 
 
Heflin graduated from high school and then attended the University of Oklahoma and joined a fraternity.  After college he became interested in acting and began working on Broadway in the 1930's.  He was soon offered a contract with RKO Radio Pictures and made his film debut on, "A Woman Rebels" (1936).  Soon MGM offered him another contract and he worked with them on such films as, "Santa Fe Trail" (1940) also starring Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Raymond Massey, Olivia de Havilland, William Lundigan, Henry O'Neill and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams and "Johnny Eager" (1942) starring alongside Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Edward Arnold, Robert Sterling, Glenda Farrell, Henry O'Neill, Connie Gilchrist, Paul Stewart and Barry Nelson, in which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
 
He remained with MGM for quite some time as they were giving him some decent roles in 'B' rated films.  Most of his acting were character parts but as he entered into the 40's he received more prestigious movie roles and was cast as the leading man in such films as, "Tennessee Johnson" starring Lionel Barrymore, Ruth Hussey, Marjorie Main, Regis Toomey, Grant Withers, Noah Beery Jr. and Montague Love, "Seven Sweethearts" and "Grand Central Murder" also starring Connie Gilchrist, Patricia Dane, Cecilia Parker, Virginia Grey, Tom Conway, Millard Mitchell and Stephen McNally, all (1942).
 
He briefly took a break from his acting career to serve in World War II as a combat cameraman in Europe.  Upon his return to the film industry it was as though he had never left.  He continued to get lead roles and some of his more memorable films were, "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" (1946) co-starring with Kirk Douglas, Lizabeth Scott, Barbara Stanwyck, Darryl Hickman and Judith Anderson, "Shane" (1953) starring alongside Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Jack Palance, Elisha Cook Jr., and a young Brandon de Wilde and "3:10 to Yuma" (1957) co-starring Glenn Ford, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Emhardt, Ford Rainey and Felicia Farr. 
 
Heflin did not neglect his stage career performing in such plays as, "The Philadelphia Story", "A Memory of Two Mondays" and "A View From the Bridge".  He also worked in television on a radio detective drama that aired on NBC from June 17th, 1947 to September 14th, 1951 called, "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe".  His final film role was in "Airport" (1970) also starring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Barbara Hale, Lloyd Nolan, Helen Hayes, Maureen Stapleton, Barry Nelson, Dana Wynter and Gary Collins.
 
For his contribution to the Motion Picture Industry, Heflin was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He married twice in his lifetime first to, Eleanor Scherr but this marriage was short lived.  His second marriage was to a fellow actress, Frances Neal in 1942 and together the couple had two daughters, Vana and Cathleen and a son, Tracy.   

On July 6, 1971, Heflin suffered from a heart attack while swimming in his pool.  He died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital on July 23, 1971 at the age of 60.  His remains were cremated and scattered in the ocean.
 

Filmography

1971   The Last Child 
1970   Hallmark Hall of Fame
1970   Airport
1969   The Big Bounce
1968   Certain Honorable Men
1968   The Danny Thomas Hour 
1968   A Case of Libel
1968   The Ruthless Four
1967   The Man Outside
1966   Stagecoach 
1965   Once a Thief 
1965   The Greatest Story Ever Told 
1964   The Great Adventure 
1963   Cry of Battle 
1961   The Dick Powell Theatre 
1961   The Wastrel
1960   Under Ten Flags 
1960   5 Branded Women 
1957-1960  Playhouse 90
1959   They Came to Cordura
1958   Tempest 
1958   Gunman's Walk
1957   3:10 to Yuma 
1956   Patterns
1955   Count Three and Pray 
1955   Battle Cry 
1954   Black Widow
1954   I Woman's World
1954   The Raid 
1954   Tanganyika 
1953   Wings of the Hawk 
1953   Shane
1953   The Golden Mask 
1952   My Son John
1951   Week-End with Father 
1951   The Prowler 
1951   Tomahawk 
1950   Robert Montgomery Presents
1950   Nash Airflyte Theatre
1949   East Side, West Side 
1949   Madame Bovary
1948   Act of Violence
1948   The Three Musketeers 
1948   Tap Roots  
1948   B.F.'s Daughter 
1947   Green Dolphin Street 
1947   Possessed 
1946   Till the Clouds Roll By 
1946   The Strange Love of Martha Ivers 
1945   Land and Live in the Desert
1944   Land and Live in the Jungle
1943   Presenting Lily Mars 
1942   Tennessee Johnson
1942   Seven Sweethearts
1942   Grand Central Murder 
1942   Kid Glove Killer  
1941   Johnny Eager 
1941   H.M. Pulham, Esq. 
1941   The Feminine Touch 
1940   Santa Fe Trail 
1939   Back Door to Heaven  
1937   Saturday's Heroes
1937   Annapolis Salute 
1937   Flight from Glory 
1937   The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1936   A Woman Rebels