Van Heflin
Known for Acting · 80 credits
- Born
- 1910-12-13
- Died
- 1971-07-23
- Place of birth
- Walters, Oklahoma, USA
- Also known as
- Emmett Evan Heflin Jr. · ون هفلین
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (7)
Movies (73)
3:10 to Yuma
1957
as Dan Evans
Airport
1970
as D. O. Guerrero
Tap Roots
1948
as Keith Alexander
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
as Bar Amand
Shane
1953
as Joe Starrett
The Three Musketeers
1948
as Athos
Till the Clouds Roll By
1946
as James I. Hessler
That's Entertainment!
1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Annapolis Salute
1937
as Clay V. Parker
Battle Cry
1955
as Major Sam Huxley
Stagecoach
1966
as Marshal Curly Wilcox
Under Ten Flags
1960
as Captain Bernhard Rogge
The Wastrel
1961
as Duncan Bell
Madame Bovary
1949
as Charles Bovary
The Raid
1954
as Maj. Neal Benton
The Secret Land
1948
as Narrator
Black Widow
1954
as Peter Denver
Once a Thief
1965
as Inspector Mike Vido
B.F.'s Daughter
1948
as Thomas W. 'Tom' Brett
Presenting Lily Mars
1943
as John Thornway
They Came to Cordura
1959
as Sgt. John Chawk
East Side, West Side
1949
as Mark Dwyer
Act of Violence
1949
as Frank R. Enley
Santa Fe Trail
1940
as Rader
Green Dolphin Street
1947
as Timothy Haslam
Breakpoint: A Counter History of Progress
2019
as Self (archive footage)
A Woman Rebels
1936
as Lord Gerald Waring Gaythorne
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
1946
as Sam Masterson
Gunman's Walk
1958
as Lee Hackett
A Case of Libel
1968
as Robert Sloane
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Certain Honorable Men
1968
as Champ Donohue
The Ruthless Four
1968
as Sam Cooper
Wings of the Hawk
1953
as Irish Gallager
Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire
1991
as Self (archive footage)
The Prowler
1951
as Webb Garwood
The Big Bounce
1969
as Sam Mirakian
Count Three and Pray
1955
as Luke Fargo
Tennessee Johnson
1942
as Andrew Johnson
Land and Live in the Desert
1945
as Narrator (voice)
Tomahawk
1951
as Bridger
Woman's World
1954
as Jerry Talbot
Possessed
1947
as David Sutton
Grand Central Murder
1942
as 'Rocky' Custer
Patterns
1956
as Fred Staples
The Last Child
1971
as Senator Quincy George
Five Branded Women
1960
as Velko
Johnny Eager
1941
as Jeff Hartnett
Kid Glove Killer
1942
as Gordon McKay
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
1941
as Bill King
A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954
as Self
Cry of Battle
1963
as Joe Trent
Tempest
1958
as Emelyan Pugachov
My Son John
1952
as Stedman
South of Algiers
1953
as Nicholas Chapman
The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli
1973
as Self (archive footage)
Seven Sweethearts
1942
as Henry Taggart
The Bold Men
1965
as Narrator
The Feminine Touch
1941
as Elliott Morgan
The Man Outside
1967
as Bill MacLean
Week-End with Father
1951
as Brad Stubbs
Saturday's Heroes
1937
as Val
Back Door to Heaven
1939
as John Shelley
The Dark Side of the Earth
1957
as Col. Sten
Flight from Glory
1937
as George Wilson
Tanganyika
1954
as John Gale
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
1937
as Rev. Samuel Woods
The Teen-Age Revolution
1965
as Narrator/Host
Ricochet
1961
as Sergeant Paul Maxon
Land and Live in the Jungle
1944
as 1st Lieutenant Lynn Harrison
University U.S.A.
1950
as Narrator
The Thin Blue Line
1966
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Pro Football: Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon
1965
About Van Heflin
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… With 80 credits spanning from 1936 to 2019, Van Heflin has appeared in 73 films and 7 TV shows.
Fans searching for Van Heflin movies, Van Heflin filmography, or the latest projects starring Van Heflin can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Van Heflin Movies
- 3:10 to Yuma (1957) — as Dan Evans
- Airport (1970) — as D. O. Guerrero
- Tap Roots (1948) — as Keith Alexander
- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) — as Bar Amand
- Shane (1953) — as Joe Starrett
Where to Watch Van Heflin Films
Most Van Heflin movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Van Heflin, check our movies catalogue and browse page.