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Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New York stage, winning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Robert Anderson's '' You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running'' (1968). He won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...
for his performance in '' A Thousand Clowns'' (1965). His other notable film roles include Juror #1 in '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957), private detective Milton Arbogast in '' Psycho'' (1960), Hollywood agent O.J. Berman in '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961), Bernard B. Norman in '' The Carpetbaggers'' (1964), Lieutenant Commander Chester Potter, the ship doctor, in '' The Bedford Incident'' (1965), Colonel Cathcart in '' Catch-22'' (1970), Admiral Husband E. Kimmel in '' Tora! Tora! Tora!'' (1970), Mr. Green in '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974), Signor Bianchi in '' Murder on the Orient Express'' (1974), and Howard Simons in '' All the President's Men'' (1976). He had a recurring role as Dr. Milton Orloff on the television drama '' Dr. Kildare'' (1963–66), and Murray Klein on the sitcom '' Archie Bunker's Place'' (1979–83). In addition to his Oscar and Tony Awards, Balsam was also a
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
,
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, and
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
nominee. With Joyce Van Patten, he was the father of actress
Talia Balsam Talia Balsam (born 1959) is an American television and film actress. Early life Talia Balsam was born in New York City in 1959, to actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten. Her ancestry is Russian Jewish (father) and Italian, Dutch, and Engl ...
.


Early life and education

Martin Henry Balsam was born November 4, 1919, in
the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
of New York City, to Russian Jewish parents, Lillian (''née'' Weinstein) and Albert Balsam, who was a manufacturer of women's sportswear. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School, where he participated in the drama club. He studied at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York with the German director Erwin Piscator and then served in the
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
from 1941 to 1945 during World War II, achieving the rank of Sergeant. He served as a sergeant radio operator in a B-24 in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations.


Career


Theatre

Balsam made his professional debut in August 1941 in a production of '' The Play's the Thing'' in Locust Valley. 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 in West Newbury, Massachusetts, a community-sponsored summer theatre. In early 1948, he was selected by
Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...
to be a member in the recently formed Actors Studio. He appeared consistently in Broadway and off-Broadway plays, something he would continue to do well into his screen acting career. Columnist Earl Wilson dubbed him "The Bronx Barrymore". In 1968, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in the 1967 Broadway production of '' You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running''.


Television

Balsam performed in several episodes of the studio's dramatic television
anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...
, broadcast between September 1948 and 1950. He appeared in many other television drama series, including '' Decoy'' with Beverly Garland, '' The Twilight Zone'' (episodes " The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine" and " The New Exhibit"), as a psychologist in the pilot episode, '' Five Fingers'', '' Target: The Corruptors!'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', '' Breaking Point'', ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...
'', '' The Fugitive'', and '' Mr. Broadway'', as a retired U.N.C.L.E. agent in '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' episode, "The Odd Man Affair", and guest-starred in the two-part ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' episode, "Death Stalks the Big Top". He also appeared in the ''Route 66'' episode, "Somehow It Gets To Be Tomorrow". He played Dr. Rudy Wells when the Martin Caidin novel ''
Cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.The 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 the Joe Don Baker police drama '' Mitchell'', a film that was eventually featured in a highly popular episode of the comedy film-riffing series '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' in 1993. He appeared as a spokesman/hostage in the TV movie '' Raid on Entebbe'' (1976) and as a detective in the TVM '' Contract on Cherry Street'' (1977), starring
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
. He also appeared on an episode of '' Quincy, M.E.''. Balsam starred as Murray Klein on the ''
All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...
'' spin-off '' Archie Bunker's Place'' for two seasons (1979–81) and returned for a guest appearance in the show's fourth and final season.


Film

Balsam made his film debut with an uncredited role in ''
On the Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning and Eva Marie Saint in her film de ...
'' (1954), directed by his Actors Studio colleague Elia Kazan. Balsam played an official of the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...
investigating mob involvement in the city's waterfront unions. His breakthrough role came a few years later, when he played Juror #1 in '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957). He would collaborate with the film's director,
Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...
, twice more with '' The Anderson Tapes'' (1971) and '' Murder on the Orient Express'' (1974). In 1960, he appeared in one of his best-remembered roles as private investigator Arbogast in
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
's '' Psycho'', culminating in a scene in which Mrs. Bates chases him down a flight of stairs to stab him to death. Along with
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...
and Robert Mitchum, Balsam appeared in both the original '' Cape Fear'' (1962), and the 1991
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
. He won an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...
for his role as Arnold Burns in '' A Thousand Clowns'' (1965). Balsam also performed the original voice of the HAL 9000 computer in '' 2001: 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." After his lines were recorded, director
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
decided "Marty just sounded a little bit too colloquially American," and hired Douglas Rain to perform the role for the released film. Balsam also appeared in such notable films as ''
Time Limit A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or a particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished. Once that time has passed, the item may be considered overdue (e.g., for work projects or school assignments). In ...
'' with Richard Widmark, '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' with
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...
and George Peppard, '' The Carpetbaggers'' with George Peppard and Alan Ladd, '' Seven Days in May'' with
Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...
and
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...
, '' The Bedford Incident'' with Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, '' The Man'' with James Earl Jones, '' Hombre'' with
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
and Fredric March, '' Catch-22'' with Alan Arkin and Jon Voight, '' Tora! Tora! Tora!'' (as Admiral Husband E. Kimmel), '' Little Big Man'' with
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
, '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, '' All the President's Men'' with Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, '' The Delta Force'' with Lee Marvin, and '' The Goodbye People''. One of his final acting appearances was in the 1994 horror parody '' The Silence of the Hams'', which paid homage to his iconic role in ''Psycho''. Beyond Hollywood, Balsam was also a popular character actor in Italian films, beginning in 1960 when he starred in the
Luigi Comencini Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the "commedia all'italiana" genre. His daughters Cristina Comencin ...
film '' Everybody Go Home''. He would star in several ''poliziottesco'' films throughout the 1970s, directed by the likes of Fernando Di Leo and Enzo 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 the ''poliziottesco'' trend, traveling there for both professional and personal reasons, and starring in the Italian-produced television series ''
Ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...
'' and '' La piovra''.


Personal life

In 1951, Balsam married his first wife, actress Pearl Somner. They divorced three years later. His second wife was actress Joyce Van Patten. This marriage lasted for four years (from 1958 until 1962) with one daughter,
Talia Balsam Talia Balsam (born 1959) is an American television and film actress. Early life Talia Balsam was born in New York City in 1959, to actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten. Her ancestry is Russian Jewish (father) and Italian, Dutch, and Engl ...
. He married his third wife, Irene Miller, in 1963. They had two children, Adam and Zoe Balsam, and divorced in 1987.


Death

On February 13, 1996, Balsam died of a
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
in his hotel room while vacationing in Rome, Italy. He was 76 years old. He is interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, in Emerson, New Jersey.


Filmography


Awards and nominations

;


Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...


Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
s


BAFTA Awards


Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...


Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s


National Board of Review Awards


Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
s


Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...


Outer Critics Circle Awards


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Balsam, Martin 1919 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male actors American expatriates in Italy American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Burials at Cedar Park Cemetery (Emerson, New Jersey) DeWitt Clinton High School alumni Jewish American male actors Jewish American military personnel Jews from New York (state) Male actors from the Bronx Military personnel from New York (state) Military personnel from New York City The New School alumni Tony Award winners United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces soldiers Van Patten family