“I think it's a disgrace to make actors become pitchmen. You see it on 'The Beverly Hillbillies,' you see it on 'Bonanza.'”

American theatre, radio, and film actor

Van Heflin was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. Born in 1908 and active mainly in the mid-20th century, he is best known for character roles and for a run of leading parts in the 1940s. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Johnny Eager (1942). Heflin later had starring roles in westerns such as Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958). He also appeared in Airport (1970) as a mentally disturbed airline passenger, a part that added to his reputation for playing uneasy, complex characters.