About
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...
Known for
Robert Montgomery PresentsSeries • 1950
Playhouse 90Series • 1956
ShaneMovie • 1953
The Three MusketeersMovie • 1948
The Greatest Story Ever ToldMovie • 1965
AirportMovie • 1970
3:10 to YumaMovie • 1957
Gunman's WalkMovie • 1958
Till the Clouds Roll ByMovie • 1946
StagecoachMovie • 1966
Battle CryMovie • 1955
Madame BovaryMovie • 1949
Santa Fe TrailMovie • 1940
The Strange Love of Martha IversMovie • 1946
They Came to CorduraMovie • 1959
That's Entertainment!Movie • 1974
Once a ThiefMovie • 1965
Act of ViolenceMovie • 1949
PatternsMovie • 1956
Black WidowMovie • 1954
The ProwlerMovie • 1951
Woman's WorldMovie • 1954
Johnny EagerMovie • 1941
Green Dolphin StreetMovie • 1947