Lee Marvin

Lee Marvin, (February 19, 1924 - August 29, 1987) was an American film actor.

Popular actor

He quickly became a popular figure in supporting roles, initially always playing some kind of "heavy". His debut was in You're in the Navy Now (1951), but he also appeared in Don Siegel's Duel at Silver Creek (1952), being unpleasant to Gloria Grahame in The Big Heat (1953), as well as archetypal baddies in Hangman's Knot (1952), Eight Iron Men (1952), The Wild One (1953) opposite Marlon Brando, Seminole (1953), Gun Fury (1953), and Bad Day at Black Rock (1954) among others.

Related Topics:
Heavy - Don Siegel - Gloria Grahame - The Big Heat - The Wild One - Marlon Brando - Bad Day at Black Rock

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His roles improved (e.g. Attack! (1956), The Missouri Traveller (1958)) but it took over a hundred episodes as Chicago police lieutenant Frank Ballinger in the successful 1957-60 television series M Squad to give him enough clout to star. He had solid roles in The Comancheros (1961), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Donovan's Reef (1963). Aided by director Don Siegel he starred in the groundbreaking The Killers (1964) playing an organised, no-nonsense, efficient, businesslike professional assassin whose character was copied to a great degree by Samuel L. Jackson in the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction.

Related Topics:
M Squad - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - Donovan's Reef - Don Siegel - The Killers - Samuel L. Jackson - 1994 - Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction

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Lee Marvin won the 1965 Academy Award for Best Actor for his comedic performance in the offbeat western Cat Ballou. Following roles in The Professionals (1966) and The Dirty Dozen (1967) he reprised his role as a businesslike assassin in the influential John Boorman film Point Blank (1967). Another Boorman film, the commercial flop Hell in the Pacific came the following year, co-starring famed Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune. He had a hit song with "I Was Born Under a Wandering Star" from the western musical Paint Your Wagon (1969).

Related Topics:
1965 - Academy Award for Best Actor - Cat Ballou - The Dirty Dozen - John Boorman - Point Blank - Toshiro Mifune - Paint Your Wagon

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