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40-471: It stars Van Heflin as Johnson, Lionel Barrymore as his nemesis Thaddeus Stevens , and Ruth Hussey as first lady Eliza McCardle Johnson . The film depicts the events surrounding the Johnson's impeachment , and "presents its title character as Lincoln’s worthy successor who runs afoul of vindictive Radical Republicans ." Like most U.S. historical films made during World War II, Tennessee Johnson has

80-572: A bachelor's degree in 1932, and was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He earned a master's degree in theater at Yale University . Prior to his acting career, Heflin was an accomplished seaman, and was in a US Army artillery unit during WWII. Heflin began his acting career on Broadway in the late 1920s. He appeared in Mr. Moneypenny (1928), The Bride of Torozko (1934), The Night Remembers (1934), Mid-West (1936), and End of Summer (1936). After this, Katharine Hepburn helped him secure

120-566: A choice character part in the Errol Flynn western Santa Fe Trail (1940) at Warners, playing a villainous gun seller. The movie was a big hit. Not being "swamped with offers" after Santa Fe Trail , Heflin contacted Billy Grady, an MGM talent scout, and arranged for a screen test, which Heflin did opposite Donna Reed . He received a stock deal from MGM, which initially cast Heflin in supporting roles in films such as The Feminine Touch (1941) and H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941). He had

160-525: A film contract with RKO Radio Pictures and he did a screen test in New York. Heflin made his film debut in A Woman Rebels (1936), opposite Katharine Hepburn, whom he played opposite in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story . He followed it with The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1937), billed third after Preston Foster and Jean Muir , and Flight from Glory (1937), a Chester Morris programmer where Heflin played an alcoholic pilot. Heflin

200-622: A musical, Seven Sweethearts (1942), then was given the star role in an "A" film, as the embattled President Andrew Johnson in Tennessee Johnson (1942), playing opposite (and at odds with) Lionel Barrymore who, in the role of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens , failed to have Johnson convicted in an impeachment trial by the slimmest of margins. The film was a box office flop. Heflin was Judy Garland 's love interest in Presenting Lily Mars (1943), then he enlisted in

240-561: A part as Robert Taylor's doomed best friend in Johnny Eager (1942), which won Heflin an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , and was a box office success. MGM began to groom Heflin as a leading man in B movies , giving him the star role in Kid Glove Killer (1942), directed by Fred Zinnemann , and Grand Central Murder (1942). Both were popular. Encouraged, MGM cast him as Kathryn Grayson 's love interest in

280-787: A particular part or in a certain genre, such that the actor becomes so strongly identified with a particular type of role that casting directors and theatrical agents steer the actor to similar roles. Some character actors are known as "chameleons", able to play roles that vary wildly, such as Gary Oldman and Christian Bale . Many character actors tend to play the same type of role throughout their careers, like Harvey Keitel as tough, determined characters; Christopher Lloyd as eccentrics; Claude Rains as sophisticated, sometimes morally ambiguous men; Abe Vigoda as aging criminals; Fairuza Balk as moody goth girls; Doug Jones as non-human creatures; and Forest Whitaker as composed characters with underlying volatility. Ed Lauter usually portrayed

320-460: A siege. Abraham Lincoln chooses him for his vice president in part because they share similar views on reconciling with the South after the war is won, unlike powerful, vengeful Congressman Thaddeus Stevens ( Lionel Barrymore ). When Lincoln is assassinated, Johnson succeeds to the presidency . After he refuses to accept a deal offered by Stevens, the latter starts impeachment proceedings against

360-453: A six-month marriage to actress Eleanor Shaw (née Eleanor Scherr) in the mid-thirties. In 1942, Heflin married RKO contract player Frances Neal. They had two daughters, actresses Vana O'Brien and Cathleen (Kate) Heflin, and a son, Tracy. The couple divorced in 1967. Heflin was the grandfather of actor Ben O'Brien and actress Eleanor O'Brien. Van Heflin's sister Frances Heflin , nickname "Fra", regularly appeared as Mona Kane, mother of Erica, in

400-594: A small profit for the studio. The Adventures of Philip Marlowe was a radio detective drama that aired from June 17, 1947, through September 15, 1951, first heard on NBC in the summer of 1947 starring Van Heflin (June 12, 1947 – September 9, 1947). He also acted on the Lux Radio Theatre , Suspense , Cavalcade of America and many more radio programs. Heflin began appearing on television on episodes of Nash Airflyte Theatre and Robert Montgomery Presents (an adaptation of Arrowsmith ). Heflin had

440-544: A strong underlying theme of national unity. The film depicts Johnson as a visionary who heals the rift between North and South despite the efforts of his shortsighted foes. In a climactic but fictional scene, he delivers an impassioned speech to the senators sitting in judgment of him, and warns them that failure to readmit the former Confederate states will leave America defenseless before its overseas foes. In fact, Johnson never appeared in person at his trial. Runaway tailor's apprentice Andrew Johnson ( Van Heflin ) wanders into

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480-470: A well-known name in show business, took part in protests against the movie. According to paleoconservative writer Bill Kauffman , Tennessee Johnson is notable for the campaign of repression waged against it. Vincent Price , Mostel and Ben Hecht , among others, petitioned the Office of War Information to destroy the film in the interest of national unity. Kauffman surmised that Manny Farber had written

520-453: Is counting on him, delays the final verdict until Huyler can be roused and brought in for the deciding vote. To his dismay, Huyler votes not guilty. The film ends with Johnson, his term as president over, triumphantly returning to the Senate. Critics complained that the film soft-pedaled Andrew Johnson's prejudice toward black people. Actor and comedian Zero Mostel , who was then just becoming

560-427: Is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. While all actors play "characters", the term character actor is often applied to an actor who frequently plays a distinctive and important supporting role. In another sense, a character actor may also be one who specializes in minor roles. A character actor may play a variety of characters in their career, often referred to as a "chameleon", or may be known for playing

600-555: The Texas Theatre in Dallas on November 22, 1963. His name and the film title appear on the marquee. It was that theatre where Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended in the aftermath of President Kennedy's assassination. Heflin had another Broadway hit in the title role of A Case of Libel (1963–64) which ran for 242 performances. Heflin appeared in a short but dramatic role as an eyewitness of Jesus' raising of Lazarus from death in

640-474: The 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. Heflin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). He also had memorable roles in the westerns Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958). He portrayed a mentally dusturbed airline passenger in the classic disaster film Airport (1970), his final screen appearance. Heflin

680-590: The 1965 Bible film, The Greatest Story Ever Told . After seeing the miracle he ran from Bethany to the walls of Jerusalem and proclaimed to the guards at the top of the wall that Jesus was the Messiah. Heflin returned to MGM for a support part in Once a Thief (1965). He was in the remake of Stagecoach (1966) and went to Europe to star in The Man Outside (1967) and Every Man for Himself (1968). In

720-606: The 2014 documentary That Guy Dick Miller ; with a prime example of a "that guy" actor being John Carroll Lynch . Over the course of an acting career, an actor can sometimes shift between leading roles and supporting roles. Some leading actors, as they get older, find that access to leading roles is limited by their age. Sometimes character actors have developed careers based on specific talents needed in genre films, such as dancing, horsemanship, acrobatics, swimming ability, or boxing. Many up-and-coming actors find themselves typecast in character roles due to an early success with

760-606: The Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays which ran for 149 performances under the direction of Martin Ritt . Heflin had an excellent part in 3:10 to Yuma (1957) with Glenn Ford . He made a Western with Tab Hunter , his old Battle Cry co star, Gunman's Walk (1958). That was made for Columbia, with whom Heflin signed a contract to make one film a year for five years. Heflin then went to Italy to star in Tempest (1959). He

800-477: The Tennessee town of Greeneville . He is persuaded to settle there. He barters his services to the librarian, Eliza McCardle ( Ruth Hussey ), in return for her teaching him to read and write, and eventually marries her. Stung by the injustice of the monopoly of power by the landowners and with the encouragement of his wife, Johnson starts organizing political meetings. One is broken up by the powers that be; in

840-730: The US he was in the TV movies A Case of Libel (1968), and Certain Honorable Men (1968) and he had a support part in The Big Bounce (1969). Heflin's last feature film was Airport (1970). He played "D. O. Guerrero", a failure who schemes to blow himself up on an airliner so that his wife (played by Maureen Stapleton ) can collect on a life insurance policy. It was an enormous success. His last TV movies were Neither Are We Enemies (1970) and The Last Child (1971). Heflin had

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880-501: The advice of his legal counsel. According to MGM records, the film made $ 570,000 in the U.S. and Canada, and $ 114,000 in other markets, resulting in a loss of $ 637,000. Van Heflin Emmett Evan " Van " Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during

920-797: The army. Heflin served during World War II in the United States Army Air Force as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe and with the First Motion Picture Unit . He appeared in a training film, Land and Live in the Jungle (1944). When Heflin returned to Hollywood, MGM lent him to Hal Wallis to star opposite Barbara Stanwyck in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). He

960-478: The daytime television drama series All My Children . She played the role from January 5, 1970, until her death in June 1994. He was also the uncle of Marta Heflin and Mady Kaplan, both actresses, and director Jonathan Kaplan . Heflin's brother, Martin, a public relations executive, was married to American theatre producer Julia Heflin . On June 6, 1971, Heflin suffered a heart attack in his swimming pool. He

1000-674: The honest farmer in Shane (1953) with Alan Ladd . However he followed it up with action films at Universal: Wings of the Hawk (1953), and Tanganyika (1954). He starred in an independent Western, The Raid (1954) and was one of many stars in 20th Century Fox 's Woman's World (1954). Heflin stayed at Fox to star in Black Widow (1954) and he was top billed in Warners' Battle Cry (1955) based on Leon Uris 's best seller which

1040-520: The lead role in a Western at Universal, Tomahawk (1951) and starred in a thriller directed by Joseph Losey , The Prowler (1951). At Universal he made a family comedy with Patricia Neal , Week-End with Father (1951), then he was an FBI man in Leo McCarey 's anti-Communist My Son John (1952). Heflin went to England to star in South of Algiers (1953). He appeared in a huge success as

1080-631: The most intelligent opinion on the matter The New Republic when he said: "Censorship is a disgrace, whether done by the Hays office and pressure groups, or by liberals and the OWI." The film was protested by the NAACP as well as the American Communist Party. Although the film portrays Johnson delivering a speech at his impeachment trial, in actuality, Johnson did not appear at the trial on

1120-428: The president, with himself as chief prosecutor. Johnson stays away from the trial on the advice of men who fear he would lose his temper. With his cabinet members denied the right to testify, however, Johnson appears at the very end and makes a stirring speech—an event which never actually occurred. The vote is close, with 35 judging him guilty and 18 not, but Senator Huyler is unconscious and unable to vote. Stevens, who

1160-600: The resulting fighting, one of Johnson's friends is killed. He dissuades the others from resorting to violence. Instead, he is talked into running for sheriff and is elected. By 1860, the eve of the American Civil War , he has risen to the United States Senate. When war breaks out, Johnson breaks with his state and stays loyal to the Union . As a general, he becomes a hero defending Nashville against

1200-415: The same actor. In contrast to leading actors , they are generally seen as less glamorous. While a leading actor often has the physical attractiveness considered necessary to play the love interest , a character actor typically does not. In fact, some character actors are known for their unusual looks. For example, Chicago character actor William Schutz's face was disfigured in a car accident when he

1240-479: The same type of roles. Character actor roles are more substantial than bit parts or non-speaking extras . The term is used primarily to describe television and film actors, as opposed to theater actors. An early use of the term was in the 1883 edition of The Stage , which defined a character actor as "one who portrays individualities and eccentricities". Actors with a long career history of playing character roles may be difficult for audiences to recognize as being

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1280-511: Was a major hit at the box office. After a Western, Count Three and Pray (1955), Heflin starred in Patterns (1956) based on a TV play by Rod Serling . He also did a Playhouse 90 written by Serling, "The Dark Side of the Earth", and "The Rank and File"; he also did "The Cruel Day" by Reginald Rose . Heflin returned to Broadway to appear in a double bill of Arthur Miller's A View From

1320-515: Was billed after Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth in They Came to Cordura (1959). Heflin went back to Europe for 5 Branded Women (1960), which he starred in for Martin Ritt , Under Ten Flags (1960), and The Wastrel (1961). In Hollywood he appeared on The Dick Powell Theatre . Heflin went to the Philippines to star in a war film Cry of Battle (1963). This was playing at

1360-607: Was born in Walters, Oklahoma , the son of Fanny Bleecker (née Shippey) and Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin, a dentist. He was of Irish and French ancestry. Heflin's sister was Daytime Emmy -nominated actress Frances Heflin (who married composer Sol Kaplan ). Heflin attended Classen High School in Oklahoma City . One source says Long Beach Polytechnic High School . He also went to the University of Oklahoma , where he earned

1400-508: Was five years old, but his appearance after reconstructive surgery helped him to be distinctive to theater audiences. Generally, the names of character actors are not featured prominently in movie and television advertising on the marquee , since a character actor's name is not expected to attract film audiences. Some character actors have been described as instantly recognizable despite their names being little known. They are colloquially referred to as "that guy", or "that guy" actors, as in

1440-612: Was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for nearly seven weeks and apparently never regained consciousness. Heflin died on July 23, 1971, at the age of 62. He had left instructions requesting a private funeral. His cremated remains were scattered in the ocean. In 1960, Heflin was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , for his contributions to motion pictures at 6311 Hollywood Boulevard, and for television at 6125 Hollywood Boulevard. He

1480-902: Was in Annapolis Salute (1937), then was given his first lead role in Saturday's Heroes (1937), playing a star quarterback. Heflin returned to Broadway for Western Waters (1937–38) and Casey Jones (1938), the latter for the Group Theatre and directed by Elia Kazan . In Hollywood Heflin had a support role in Back Door to Heaven (1939). He returned to Broadway where he played Macaulay Connor opposite Katharine Hepburn , Joseph Cotten and Shirley Booth in The Philadelphia Story , which ran for 417 performances from 1939 to 1940. It led to Heflin being offered

1520-617: Was in the all-star musical Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) then was loaned to Warner Bros to co star with Joan Crawford in Possessed (1947). Back at MGM he co-starred with Lana Turner in Green Dolphin Street (1947), a big prestige film for the studio and their biggest hit of 1947. He was reunited with Stanwyck in B.F.'s Daughter (1948) and was loaned to Walter Wanger for Tap Roots (1948), where he

1560-644: Was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1964. In February 2016, a biography, Van Heflin: A Life in Film , by Derek Sculthorpe, was published by McFarland & Company of Jefferson, North Carolina. Sculthorpe, Derek (2016). Van Heflin: A Life in Film. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-9686-0 Character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric or interesting characters in supporting roles , rather than leading ones. The term

1600-638: Was top billed; both lost money. MGM cast him as Athos in The Three Musketeers (1948), a huge success. He was top-billed in Zinnemann's Act of Violence (1949), and supported Jennifer Jones in Madame Bovary (1949). Both movies were acclaimed but lost money. He then made a third film with Stanwyck, East Side, West Side (1950), but he was now billed beneath James Mason . While that production did not lose money, it only netted

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