Van Heflin was great in nearly everything he was in. I just finished watching him in The Feminine Touch and he was fabulous as the rake. I don't think I remember him in another movie where he played a big womanizer. He had to do some pretty silly stunts that came off well. I never think of him as a favorite actor but I look forward to seeing him in anything he's in.
shareSo you grab a piece of something
That you think is gonna last
He was wonderful in everything. If you can, catch Heflin in his Oscar-winning performance in "Johnny Eager." His
character is most probably gay, a pathetic, poetic drunken goon, in love with gangster Robert Taylor. He is also
terrific in the Judy Garland musical, "Presenting Lily Mars" and the 1949 crime drama "Act of Violence."
I thought Heflin was sexy and ruggedly handsome, but he never thought much of his looks. I paraphrase this, but
he once noted "With THIS mug, I MUST be a good actor - there's no other reason I'd be in pictures."
But you wouldn't know a diamond
If you held it in your hand
The things you think are precious
I can't understand
Ha ha! I like that quote. I think he was pretty good looking. He wasn't Cary Grant but he was handsome. I haven't seen any of the movies you mentioned. Hopefully TCM will have a Van Heflin tribute so I can catch some of those movies.
shareSame here. I'd have to check out his filmography to see. But I've always liked him in whatever role he plays.
shareI've only seen him in Shane and 3:10 to Yuma, but he's excellent in both.
share I haven't seen very many of his performances, but he was always a good solid actor.
I'm much more familiar with his sister Frances Heflin who portrayed the long suffering mother of vixen Erica Kane on All My Children.
As fas as looks, there used to be some comments years ago that it was hard to picture Miss Heflin as the mother of such a beauty. But she seemed to take it in stride.
The Heflins were a talented family even if they didn't look like Barbie and Ken dolls.
Hefflin was beloved by fellow actors. Many knew he'd make them 'look' better, others knew he'd make them 'act' better. Please see Johnny Eager for a wonder self-loathing mug whose loyalty (dunno if he was suppose to be gay as someone said) kept him likeable even as he was a henchman. He seems to walk through his roles; calmly in and out of a scene, like he'd stopped by for a brief hello. One helluva character actor that old film folks know and adore.
shareWow, I really need to see Johnny Eager. I'll put Van Heflin in the DVR list to record in case I'm not aware of it coming up. I'm very happy to see he has so many fans!
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