Martin Balsam | |
|---|---|
 Balsam in the 1960s | |
| Born | Martin Henry Balsam (1919-11-04)November 4, 1919 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 13, 1996(1996-02-13) (aged 76) Rome, Italy |
| Resting place | Cedar Park Cemetery, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | The New School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1947–1995 |
| Notable work | See list |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingTalia |
| Awards | See list |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army (Army Air Forces) |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Battles / wars | |
Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996)[1] was an American actor. He had a prolific career incharacter roles in film, in theatre, and on television.[2][3] An early member of theActors Studio, he began his career on the New York stage, winning aTony Award for Best Actor in a Play forRobert Anderson'sYou Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running (1968). He won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance inA Thousand Clowns (1965).
His other notable film roles include Juror #1 in12 Angry Men (1957), private detective Milton Arbogast inPsycho (1960), Hollywood agent O.J. Berman inBreakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Bernard B. Norman inThe Carpetbaggers (1964), Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, the ship doctor, inThe Bedford Incident (1965),Colonel Cathcart inCatch-22 (1970), AdmiralHusband E. Kimmel inTora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Mr. Green inThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Signor Bianchi inMurder on the Orient Express (1974), andHoward Simons inAll the President's Men (1976). He had a recurring role as Dr. Milton Orloff on the television dramaDr. Kildare (1963–66), and Murray Klein on the sitcomArchie Bunker's Place (1979–83).
In addition to his Oscar and Tony Awards, Balsam was also aBAFTA Award,Golden Globe Award, andEmmy Award nominee. WithJoyce Van Patten, he was the father of actressTalia Balsam.
Martin Henry Balsam was born November 4, 1919, inthe Bronxborough of New York City, to Russian Jewish parents, Lillian (née Weinstein) and Alberto Balsam, who was a manufacturer of shampoo.[4][5] He attendedDeWitt Clinton High School, where he participated in the drama club.[4] He studied at theDramatic Workshop ofThe New School in New York with the German directorErwin Piscator and then served in theUnited States Army Air Forces from 1941 to 1945 during World War II, achieving the rank of Sergeant.[6] He served as a sergeant radio operator in aB-24 in theChina-Burma-India Theater of Operations.[4]
Balsam made his professional debut in August 1941 in a production ofThe Play's the Thing inLocust Valley.[7] After World War II, he resumed his acting career in New York.
In 1947–1949, Balsam was a resident member of the summer stock company Town Hall Players[8][9] inWest Newbury, Massachusetts, a community-sponsored summer theatre.[10] In early 1948, he was selected byElia Kazan to be a member in the recently formedActors Studio.[11] He appeared consistently in Broadway and off-Broadway plays, something he would continue to do well into his screen acting career. ColumnistEarl Wilson dubbed him "The Bronx Barrymore".[12]
In 1968, he won aTony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in the 1967Broadway production ofYou Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running.[citation needed]
Balsam performed in several episodes of the studio's dramatic televisionanthology series, broadcast between September 1948 and 1950. He appeared in many other television drama series, includingDecoy withBeverly Garland; theRoute 66 episode, "Somehow It Gets To Be Tomorrow";The Twilight Zone as a psychologist in the 1958 pilot episode "The Time Element", and appearing in the episodes "The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine" and "The New Exhibit";Five Fingers;Target: The Corruptors!;The Eleventh Hour;Breaking Point;Alfred Hitchcock Presents;The Fugitive; andMr. Broadway; as a retired U.N.C.L.E. agent inThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode, "The Odd Man Affair"; and in the two-partMurder, She Wrote episode, "Death Stalks the Big Top".
He played Dr. Rudy Wells when theMartin Caidin novelCyborg was adapted as a TV movie pilot forThe Six Million Dollar Man (1973), though he did not reprise the role for the subsequent series. In 1975, he appeared as James Arthur Cummins in theJoe Don Baker police dramaMitchell, a film that was eventually featured in an episode of the film parody seriesMystery Science Theater 3000 in 1993. He appeared as a spokesman/hostage in the TV movieRaid on Entebbe (1976) and as a detective in the TV movieContract on Cherry Street (1977), starringFrank Sinatra. He also appeared on an episode ofQuincy, M.E.. Balsam starred as Murray Klein on theAll in the Familyspin-offArchie Bunker's Place for two seasons (1979–81) and returned for a guest appearance in the show's fourth and final season.
Balsam made his film debut with an uncredited role inOn the Waterfront (1954), directed by his Actors Studio colleague Elia Kazan. Balsam played an official of thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey investigating mob involvement in the city's waterfront unions. His breakthrough role came a few years later, when he played Juror #1 in12 Angry Men (1957). He would collaborate with the film's director,Sidney Lumet, twice more withThe Anderson Tapes (1971) andMurder on the Orient Express (1974).
In 1960, he appeared in one of his best-remembered roles as private investigator Arbogast inAlfred Hitchcock'sPsycho, culminating in a scene in whichMrs. Bates chases him down a flight of stairs to stab him to death. Along withGregory Peck andRobert Mitchum, Balsam appeared in both the originalCape Fear (1962), and the 1991Martin Scorseseremake. He won anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Arnold Burns inA Thousand Clowns (1965). Balsam also performed the original voice of theHAL 9000 computer in2001: A Space Odyssey. He told a journalist in August 1966, "I'm not actually seen in the picture at any time, but I sure create a lot of excitement projecting my voice through that machine. And I'm getting an Academy Award winner price for doing it, too."[13] After his lines were recorded, directorStanley Kubrick decided "Marty just sounded a little bit too colloquially American," and hiredDouglas Rain to perform the role for the released film.[14]
Balsam also appeared in such notable films asTime Limit withRichard Widmark,Breakfast at Tiffany's withAudrey Hepburn andGeorge Peppard,The Carpetbaggers withGeorge Peppard andAlan Ladd,Seven Days in May withBurt Lancaster andKirk Douglas,The Bedford Incident with Richard Widmark andSidney Poitier,The Man withJames Earl Jones,Hombre withPaul Newman andFredric March,Catch-22 withAlan Arkin andJon Voight,Tora! Tora! Tora! (as AdmiralHusband E. Kimmel),Little Big Man withDustin Hoffman,The Taking of Pelham One Two Three withWalter Matthau andRobert Shaw,All the President's Men with Dustin Hoffman andRobert Redford,The Delta Force withLee Marvin, andThe Goodbye People. One of his final acting appearances was in the 1994 horror parodyThe Silence of the Hams, which paid homage to his iconic role inPsycho.
Beyond Hollywood, Balsam was also a popular character actor in Italian films, beginning in 1960 when he starred in theLuigi Comencini filmEverybody Go Home. He would star in severalpoliziottesco films throughout the 1970s, directed by the likes ofFernando Di Leo andEnzo G. Castellari. Balsam's roles in these films would be re-dubbed into Italian, but he would loop his own lines in the English-language export versions. Balsam maintained close ties to Italy even after the end of thepoliziottesco trend, traveling there for both professional and personal reasons, and starring in the Italian-produced television seriesOcean andLa piovra.
In 1951, Balsam married his first wife, actress Pearl Somner. They divorced three years later. His second wife was actressJoyce Van Patten. This marriage lasted for four years (from 1958 until 1962) with one daughter,Talia Balsam. He married his third wife, Irene Miller, in 1963. They had two children, Adam and Zoe Balsam, and divorced in 1987.[4]
On February 13, 1996, Balsam died of astroke in his hotel room while vacationing in Rome, Italy. He was 76 years old. He is interred atCedar Park Cemetery, inEmerson, New Jersey.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Suspense | Abramson | |
| 1949–1950 | Actors Studio | Soldier | 4 episodes |
| 1950 | Danger | 2 episodes | |
| 1951 | The Living Christ Series | Innkeeper | Miniseries |
| The Big Story | Bill Pinney | ||
| Frontiers of Faith | |||
| 1952 | The Living Bible | Nobleman | |
| 1953 | Man Against Crime | Tony / Jean Pinay | |
| Valiant Lady | Joey Gordon | ||
| 1954 | On the Waterfront | Gillette, Secondary Investigator for Crime Commission | Uncredited |
| The Greatest Gift | Harold Matthews #2 | ||
| Inner Sanctum Mystery | Wesley / Hanson / Larkin | 3 episodes | |
| 1954–1955 | The Philco Television Playhouse | Charlie Malick / Mike Galloway | 3 episodes |
| 1954–1956 | Goodyear Television Playhouse | Perkins / Walter Gregg | 3 episodes |
| 1955 | The United States Steel Hour | Petty Officer | |
| 1957 | 12 Angry Men | Juror #1 | |
| Time Limit | Sergeant Baker | ||
| 1957–1958 | Studio One | Francis Toohey / Ed Coyne | 3 episodes |
| 1958 | Kraft Television Theatre | Dino | |
| Marjorie Morningstar | Dr. David Harris | ||
| Father Knows Best | Teacher | ||
| Pursuit | Holden | ||
| Decoy | Nick Santos | ||
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Eldon Marsh | Season 3 Episode 19: "The Equalizer" | |
| 1958–1959 | Playhouse 90 | Sam Gordon / Captain Mantell | 3 episodes |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | Gambetta / Dr. Gillespie | 2 episodes | |
| 1958–1960 | Have Gun – Will Travel | Marshall Jim Brock / Charles Dawes | 2 episodes |
| 1959 | Rawhide | Father Fabian | |
| Al Capone | Mac Keeley | ||
| The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen | 2 episodes | ||
| Middle of the Night | Jack | ||
| Brenner | Arnold Joplin | ||
| The DuPont Show of the Month | Charlie Davis | ||
| Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Sam Butler | ||
| Winterset | Garth | ||
| The Twilight Zone | Danny Weiss | Episode: "The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine" | |
| 1959–1962 | Naked City | Captain Russell Barris / Joseph Creeley / Caldwell Wyatt / Arnold Fleischman | 4 episodes |
| 1960 | Five Fingers | Monteverdi | |
| Goodyear Theater | Joe Lane | ||
| The Robert Herridge Theater | |||
| Sacco-Vanzetti Story | Nicola Sacco | NBC Sunday Showcase (1960), nominated forPrimetime Emmy Awards as "program of the year" | |
| Psycho | Detective Milton Arbogast | ||
| Tutti a casa | Sergeant Quintino Fornaciari | ||
| 1961 | Way Out | Bill Clayton | |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Leonard Thompson | Season 6 Episode 36: "Final Arrangements" | |
| Ada | Steve Jackson | ||
| Breakfast at Tiffany's | O.J. Berman | ||
| The New Breed | Frank Eberhardt | ||
| The Untouchables | Barry Leimer | ||
| Route 66 | Corelli | ||
| 1961–1964 | The Defenders | District Attorney / Bernard Maxwell / Floyd Harker | 4 episodes |
| 1962 | Cain's Hundred | Jack Garsell | |
| The Untouchables | Arnold Justin | ||
| Cape Fear | Police Chief Mark Dutton | ||
| Target: The Corruptors | Jeffrey Marvin | ||
| La città prigioniera | Joseph Feinberg | ||
| 1962–1966 | Dr. Kildare | Dr. Milton Orliff / Benny Orloff / Ned Lacey | 7 episodes |
| 1963 | Route 66 | Mike | |
| The Eleventh Hour | Frank Dunlear | ||
| The Twilight Zone | Martin Lombard Senescu | Episode: "The New Exhibit" | |
| Breaking Point | Rabbi Eli Oringer | ||
| Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? | Sanford Kaufman | ||
| 1964 | Arrest and Trial | Leo Valera | |
| Espionage | Richard Carey | ||
| Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Dave Breslaw | ||
| Seven Days in May | Presidential aide Paul Girard | ||
| Wagon Train | Marcey Jones | ||
| Suspense | Detective Jack Gross | ||
| The Carpetbaggers | Bernard B. Norman | ||
| Youngblood Hawke | Cameo Appearance | Uncredited | |
| Mr. Broadway | Nate Bannerman | ||
| 1965 | ITV Play of the Week | Doc Delaney | |
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E | Albert Sully | Episode: "The Odd Man Affair" | |
| Harlow | Everett Redman | ||
| The Bedford Incident | Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, USNR, MD | ||
| A Thousand Clowns | Arnold | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| 12 O'Clock High | Army Doctor | Uncredited | |
| 1966 | Caccia alla volpe | Harry Granoff | |
| "Anyone Around My Base Is It" | Narrator | Short Documentary | |
| 1967 | The Fugitive | Andrew Newmark | |
| Hombre | Mendez | ||
| Among the Paths to Eden | Ivor Belli | ||
| 1968 | The Name of the Game | Angie | |
| Around the World of Mike Todd | Michael Todd | TV movie / Documentary; Voice | |
| 1969 | Me, Natalie | Harold Miller | |
| The Good Guys and the Bad Guys | Mayor Wilker | ||
| Trilogy | Ivor Belli | (segment: "Among the Paths to Eden") | |
| 1970 | CBS Playhouse | Jesse | |
| Hunters Are for Killing | Wade Hamilton | TV movie | |
| Catch-22 | Colonel Cathcart | Group Commander, 256th Bomb Group | |
| Tora! Tora! Tora! | AdmiralHusband E. Kimmel | ||
| The Old Man Who Cried Wolf | Stanley Pulska | ||
| The Name of the Game | Herb Witmer | ||
| Little Big Man | Mr. Merriweather | ||
| 1971 | Confessions of a Police Captain | Inspector Bonavia | |
| The Anderson Tapes | Tommy Haskins | ||
| 1972 | Chronicle of a Homicide | Judge Aldo Sola | |
| The Hassled Hooker | District Attorney Turrisi | ||
| The Man | Jim Talley | ||
| Night of Terror | Captain Caleb Sark | TV movie | |
| The Infamous Column | |||
| 1973 | A Brand New Life | Jim Douglas | TV movie |
| The Six Million Dollar Man | Dr. Rudy Wells | TV movie: "The Moon and the Desert" | |
| The Stone Killer | Al Vescari | ||
| Counselor at Crime | Don Antonio Macaluso | ||
| Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams | Harry Walden | ||
| Money to Burn | TV movie | ||
| Police Story | Detective Al Koster | ||
| 1974 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Harold "Green" Longman | |
| Trapped Beneath the Sea | T.C. Hollister | TV movie | |
| Kojak | Ray Kaufman | ||
| Murder on the Orient Express | Bianchi | ||
| 1975 | Miles to Go Before I Sleep | Ben Montgomery | TV movie |
| Smiling Maniacs | Carlo Goja | ||
| Death Among Friends | Ham Russell Buckner | TV movie | |
| Cry, Onion! | Petrus Lamb | ||
| Mitchell | James Arthur Cummings | ||
| Season for Assassins | Commissioner Katroni | ||
| 1976 | The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case | Edward J. Reilly | TV movie |
| All the President's Men | Howard Simons | ||
| Maude | Chester | ||
| Meet Him and Die | Giulianelli | ||
| Death Rage | Commissario | ||
| Two-Minute Warning | Sam McKeever | ||
| Raid on Entebbe | Daniel Cooper | TV movie | |
| 1977 | The Sentinel | Professor Ruzinsky | |
| Silver Bears | Joe Fiore | ||
| Contract on Cherry Street | Captain Ernie Weinberg | ||
| The Storyteller | Ira Davidoff | TV movie | |
| Blood and Diamonds | Rizzo | ||
| 1978 | Eyes Behind the Stars | Inspector Jim Grant | |
| Siege | Henry Fancher | TV movie | |
| Rainbow | Louis B. Mayer | TV movie | |
| The Millionaire | Arthur Haines | TV movie | |
| The Joe Franklin Show | Himself | Television interview | |
| A Salute to American Imagination | Himself | TV movie / Documentary | |
| 1979 | The Seeding of Sarah Burns | Dr. Samuel Melman | TV movie |
| Gardenia | Salluzzo | ||
| The House on Garibaldi Street | Isser Harel | TV movie | |
| Aunt Mary | Harry Strasburg | TV movie | |
| Cuba | General Bello | ||
| 1979–1983 | Archie Bunker's Place | Murray Klein | series regular / guest star; 46 episodes |
| 1980 | The Love Tapes | David Franklin | |
| There Goes the Bride | Elmer Babcock | ||
| The Warning | Questore Martorana | ||
| 1981 | The Salamander | Captain Steffanelli | |
| The People vs. Jean Harris | Joel Aurnou | TV movie | |
| 1982 | Quincy, M.E. | Hyam Sigerski | |
| Little Gloria... Happy at Last | Nathan Burkan | TV movie | |
| Night of 100 Stars | Himself | TV special | |
| 1983 | I Want to Live! | Jack Brady | TV movie |
| Cold Storage | Parmigian | TV movie | |
| 1984 | The Goodbye People | Max Silverman | |
| Innocent Prey | Sheriff Virgil Baker | ||
| 1985 | Space | Senator Glancey | Miniseries |
| St. Elmo's Fire | Mr. Beamish | ||
| Murder in Space | Alexander Rostov | TV movie | |
| Death Wish 3 | Bennett | ||
| Great Performances | Jack | ||
| Glitter | Bo | ||
| 1986 | La piovra,season 2 [it] | Frank Carrisi | Miniseries; 5 episodes |
| The Delta Force | Ben Kaplan | ||
| Whatever It Takes | Hap Perchicksky | ||
| Second Serve | Dr. Beck | TV movie | |
| Murder, She Wrote | Edgar Carmody | Episodes: "Death Stalks The Big Top" Parts 1 & 2 | |
| The Twilight Zone | Rockne O'Bannon | Segment: "Personal Demons" | |
| 1987 | Hotel | Dr. Gilbert Holt | |
| Queenie | Marty | TV miniseries | |
| P.I. Private Investigations | Cliff Dowling | ||
| The Twilight Zone | Professor Donald Knowles | Segment: "Voices in the Earth" | |
| Brothers in Blood | Major Briggs | ||
| Kids Like These | Grandpa | TV movie | |
| Once Again | TV movie | ||
| 1988 | The Child Saver | Sidney Rosenberg | TV movie |
| The Brother from Space | Father Howard | ||
| 1989 | Ocean | Don Matias Quintero | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | Two Evil Eyes | Mr. Pym | (segment "The Black Cat") |
| Midnight Caller | Gil Solarski | ||
| La piovra,season 5 [it] | Don Calogero Barretta | ||
| 1991 | Ľultima meta | Lawyer | |
| Cape Fear | Judge | ||
| 1992 | The Sands of Time | TV movie | |
| 1993 | "The Black Cat" | Movie Short | |
| 1994 | The Silence of the Hams | Detective Martin Balsam | |
| 1995 | Soldato ignoto | English meaning:Unknown Soldier | |
| 1996 | O. Henry's Christmas | Wash | TV movie segment:The Gift of the Magi |
| 1997 | Legend of the Spirit Dog | Gramps | Released posthumously on August 19, 1997, 9 months after his death (final film role) |
Award | Wins | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |
| 1 | 1 | |
| 0 | 2 | |
| 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 1 |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Best Supporting Actor | A Thousand Clowns | Won |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Actor in a Play | You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running | Won |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Nominated |
| 1977 | All the President's Men | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | Raid on Entebbe | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Best Supporting Actor | The Carpetbaggers | Won |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Cold Storage | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Distinguished Performance by an Actor | Cold Storage | Won |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Cold Storage | Won |
| 1978 | The Shock of Recognition | Won |
Others usually considered founding members in Kazan's group were added in the early months of 1948. They include Martin Balsam,Kim Hunter, andVivian Nathan.
