Childhood & Early Life
Van Heflin was born Emmett Evan Heflin Jr., on December 13, 1908, in Walters, Oklahoma, US, to dentist Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin and Fanny Bleecker (née Shippey). He was of Irish and French ancestry.
Van Heflin went to the ‘Polytechnic High School' in Long Beach, California. After passing out from school, he attended the ‘University of Oklahoma’ and earned his bachelor's degree in 1932. There, he became a member of the ‘Phi Delta Theta’ fraternity. Thereafter, he enrolled at ‘Yale University’ and obtained a master's degree in theater.
His sister, Mary Frances Heflin, was also an actor.
Continue Reading Below
Career
Heflin made his acting debut in the late 1920s, with’ Broadway.’ The initial stage projects of the actor include ‘Moneypenny’ (1928), ‘The Night Remembers’ (1934), ‘The Bride of Torozko’ (1934), ‘Mid-West’ (1936), and ‘End of Summer’ (1936). Soon, Heflin landed up signing a film contract with ‘RKO Radio Pictures.’
He made his film debut with the 1936 American historical drama ‘A Woman Rebels,’ starring Katharine Hepburn. He landed up with his first lead role after a few films, playing a star quarterback, ‘Val Webster,’ in the 1937 American drama ‘Saturday's Heroes.’ He then appeared in the ‘Broadway’ productions of ‘Western Waters’ (1937–1938) and ‘Casey Jones’ (1938).
His portrayal of ‘Macaulay Connor’ in the Philip Barry comic play ‘The Philadelphia Story,’ which ran for 417 performances, from 1939 to 1940, starring Katharine Hepburn, led Heflin to earn the role of the villainous gun seller ‘Carl Rader’ in the 1940 American Western ‘Santa Fe Trail.’ The latter was a sensational hit and paved Heflin’s way to a contract from ‘MGM.’
Heflin essayed supporting roles in many ‘MGM’ films, such as ‘H.M. Pulham, Esq.’ (1941) and ‘The Feminine Touch’ (1941). His remarkable performance as ‘Jeff Hartnett,’ ‘Johnny Eager’s (played by Robert Taylor) doomed best friend in the blockbuster hit 1941 film noir ‘Johnny Eager’ won him the ‘Academy Award’ for the ‘Best Supporting Actor.’ The following year, Heflin appeared in the lead role in two hit ‘MGM’ films, ‘Kid Glove Killer’ and ‘Grand Central Murder.’
At the time of the Second World War, Heflin served the ‘United States Army Air Corps’ as a combat cameraman in the ‘Ninth Air Force’ in Europe. He was also associated with the ‘First Motion Picture Unit.’
After Helfin made his comeback to Hollywood, he was loaned to Hal Wallis by ‘MGM.’ This saw him starring with Barbara Stanwyck in the 1946 American film noir ‘The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.’ ‘MGM’ later loaned him to ‘Warner Bros.,’ leading him to star with Joan Crawford in the film noir psychological drama ‘Possessed’ (1947).
He starred as ‘Timothy Haslam’ in the 1947 historical drama ‘Green Dolphin Street,’ which emerged as the biggest hit of ‘MGM’ that year. He starred as ‘Athos’ in the blockbuster hit ‘MGM’ film ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1948).
In the ensuing years, Heflin starred in many other notable films, such as ‘Tomahawk’ (1951), ‘South of Algiers’ (1953), ‘Shane’ (1953), ’ Battle Cry’ (1955), and ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (1957). The critically and commercially successful flick ‘Airport’ (1970), starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin, marked the last feature film appearance of Heflin.
He featured in the title role in the ‘Broadway’ hit ‘A Case of Libel’ (1963–1964), which ran for 242 performances. Two of his other ‘Broadway’ projects were ‘A Memory of Two Mondays’ and ‘A View from the Bridge.’
He starred in the ‘NBC’ radio detective drama ‘The Adventures of Philip Marlowe’ (1947). He also appeared in other radio shows, such as ‘Lux Radio Theatre’ (1949), ‘Theater of Stars’ (1953), and ‘Suspense’ (1953).
He also appeared in various TV productions. These include programs such as ‘Nash Airflyte Theatre’ (1950), ‘Playhouse 90’ (1957–1960), and ‘The Great Adventure’ (1963–1964). He was part of films such as ‘A Case of Libel’ (1968), which fetched him a ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ nomination for the ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.’ He also appeared in the movies ‘Certain Honorable Men’ (1968) and ‘The Last Child’ (1971).
He earned two “stars” on the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ in 1960, one for his contribution to motion pictures, at ‘6311 Hollywood Boulevard,’ and the other for his work on TV, at ‘6125 Hollywood Boulevard.’ In 1964, Heflin was inducted into the ‘Oklahoma Hall of Fame.’
Family & Personal Life
He was married to actor Eleanor Shaw from July 20, 1934, to October 8, 1936. He married ‘RKO’ contract player Frances Neal on May 16, 1942. The marriage ended in a divorce in 1967. They had three children: a son, Tracy, and two daughters, Vana O'Brien and Cathleen (Kate) Heflin. Both of their daughters later grew up to be actors.
The other relatives of Heflin who are associated with acting are his grandson, Ben O'Brien, and his granddaughter, Eleanor O'Brien. His nieces, Marta Heflin and Mady Kaplan, are also actors. His nephew, Jonathan Kaplan, is a film producer and director. His brother, Martin, was a public relations executive who married Julia Dorn Heflin, an American journalist, theater producer, and teacher.
Heflin suffered a heart attack on June 6, 1971, while swimming in a pool. He remained unconscious for the next 6 weeks and finally died at the ‘Cedars of Lebanon Hospital’ on July 23, 1971. As Heflin had directed earlier, a public funeral was not observed upon his death. He was cremated, and his remains were dispersed in the ocean.
