Martin Balsam Overview:

Character actor, Martin Balsam, was born Martin Henry Balsam on Nov 4, 1919 in The Bronx, NY. Balsam appeared in over 170 film and television roles. His best known films include A Thousand Clowns, 12 Angry Men, Psycho, Breakfast at Tiffanys, Cape Fear (1962 and 1991), and Tora Tora Tora. Balsam died at the age of 76 on Feb 13, 1996 in Rome, Italy and was laid to rest in Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, Bergen County, NJ.

MINI BIO:

The versatile Martin Balsam was originally of The Method school. Although vividly remembered as the doomed detective in Psycho and in brilliant form opposite Joanne Woodward in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams, this native New Yorker, switched easily from character roles to leads and back, but never quite realized his full potential in the cinema. But he did win an Oscar in 1965 for A Thousand Clowns.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Martin Balsam was nominated for one Academy Award, winning for Best Supporting Actor for A Thousand Clowns (as Arnold Burns) in 1965.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1965Best Supporting ActorA Thousand Clowns (1965)Arnold BurnsWon
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Martin Balsam BlogHub Articles:

FAVORITE ANGRY MAN #6: Juror 1 (Martin Balsam)

By Carol Martinheira on Jul 30, 2020 From The Old Hollywood Garden

FAVORITE ANGRY MAN #6: Juror 1 (Martin Balsam) On July 30, 2020 By CarolIn Uncategorized As the foreman, Juror 1 (Martin Balsam) tries his best to keep the peace and remain unbiased. He is also the only one who doesn’t ever explain his reasoning for voting guilty... Read full article


Day 27: Martin Balsam

By Jill Blake on Aug 27, 2013 From Sittin' on a Backyard Fence

Thanks to everyone who participated in yesterday’s tribute to Jeanne Crain. Please make sure to check out all the wonderful contributions.? For the next 24 hours, we honor one of the all-time greats: ?Martin Balsam. He is way more than “the guy who falls backwards down the stairs in Psyc... Read full article


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Martin Balsam Quotes:

Police Chief Mark Dutton: [Bowden has told Dutton that he's worried about Max Cady] You have a dog don't you, Sam?
Sam Bowden: She couldn't bite through a doughnut; but she's a good barker.
Police Chief Mark Dutton: Well, that's good enough. I'll call you when they pick him up.


Arnold Burns: Murray, you've got a rotten reputation. Even these guys weren't easy to grab. Why do you have to build your own personal blacklist? Why can't you just get blacklisted as a Communist like everybody else?


Everett Redman: The time has come for us to start making sex films for the family.


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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1965





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Martin Balsam Facts
Father of actress Talia Balsam, from his marriage to Joyce Van Patten.

Made his film debut in the Actors Studio-dominated film On the Waterfront (1954).

He made guest appearances on both "Twilight Zone" (1959) and "The Twilight Zone" (1985).

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