Martin Balsam - Wikipedia

Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that November 4 is the anniversary of the birthday of WWII veteran and later American character actor Martin Henry Balsam who may well be "best known for a number of renowned film roles, including detective Milton Arbogast in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), Arnold Burns in A Thousand Clowns (1965) (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), Juror #1 in 12 Angry Men (1957), and Mr. Green in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), as well as for his role as Murray Klein in the television sitcom Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983)."
During World War II, he served with the United States Army as a combat engineer and later with the Army Air Corps where he served as a sergeant radio operator in a Consolidated B-24 Liberator in the China-Burma-India theater of operations.
Rest in peace Martin Balsam!

Martin Balsam Wins Supporting Actor: 1966 Oscars
"Martin Balsam wins the Oscar for Supporting Actor for A Thousand Clowns at the 38th Academy Awards. Presented by Lila Kedrova and hosted by Bob Hope."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx4BcEIqo-k

Images:
1. Army Air Corps Sergeant Martin Balsam military service in WWII.
2. Martin Balsam in Psycho.
3. Martin Balsam as himself
4. U.S. Army Air Corp Patch.

Biographies:
1. Together we served
2. IMDB

1. Background from airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApps?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=122672
Actor. Born to parents of Jewish descent, he experienced his first taste of acting as a villain in an amateur production of "Pot Boiler" in 1935 and after his graduation from DeWitt Clinton High School, he toiled at several occupations. He decided to pursue a career in acting and went onto appear in several off-Broadway productions during the early 1940s, prior to making his Broadway debut in the play "Ghost For Sale" (1941). During World War II, he served with the United States Army as a combat engineer and later with the Air Force. Upon his return home, he enrolled at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research, where he was tutored by the acclaimed German theatre diretor Erwin Piscator. He furthered his skills at the Actors Studio in New York. He continued his association with the Broadway stage and went onto appear in the plays "Macbeth" (1948), "The Rose Tattoo" (1951) and "Middle of the Night" (1956 to 1957). He began his career in television on live programs during the early 1950s and went onto appear in scores of popular series including two separate episodes of "The Twilight Zone" (1959 and 1963). He marked his motion picture debut with a non-credited role in "On the Waterfront" and followed this with a wide range of memorable performances. He made an impression on movie audiences as the jury foreman in the classic picture "Twelve Angry Men" (1957) and was the private investigator-later murder victim in "Psycho" (1960). In "Seven Days in May" he played the president's loyal aid and in "The Bedford Incident" (1965), he was a naval physician. He received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "A Thousand Clowns" (1965). Other memorable films include "Harlow" (1965), "Hombre" (1967), "Catch-22" (1970), "Tora Tora! Tora", "Little Big Man" (1970), "The Stone Killer" (1973), "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974), "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) and "All the President's Men" (1976). Balsam returned to the Broadway stage with his multi-role performance in "You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running" (1967 to 1969), for which he earned a Tony Award. He received an Emmy Award nomination for "Raid on Entebbe" (1977). Balsam may be best remembered by TV audiences for playing Murray Klein, business partner of Archie Bunker in the series "Archie Bunker's Place" (1979 to 1981). His marriage with actress Joyce Van Patten produced their daughter Talia who went onto become an actress. Balsam suffered a fatal stroke while vacationing in Rome.

Background from
"Martin Balsam
Biography
Overview (5)
Born November 4, 1919 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Died February 13, 1996 in Rome, Lazio, Italy (stroke)

Birth Name Martin Henry Balsam
Nickname The Bronx Barrymore
Height 5' 7" (1.7 m)
Mini Bio (1)
Martin Henry Balsam was born on November 4, 1919 in the Bronx, New York City, to Lillian (Weinstein) and Albert Balsam, a manufacturer of women's sportswear. He was the first-born child. His father was a Russian Jewish immigrant, and his mother was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents. Martin caught the acting bug in high school where he participated in the drama club. After high school, he continued his interest in acting by attending Manhattan's progressive New School. When World War II broke out, Martin was called to service in his early twenties. After the war, he was lucky to secure a position as an usher at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. By 1947, he was honing his craft at the Actors Studio, run at that time by Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg. His time at the Actors Studio in New York City allowed him training in the famous Stanislavsky method. Despite his excellent training, he had to prove himself, just like any up and coming young actor. He began on Broadway in the late 1940s. But, it was not until 1951 that he experienced real success. That play was Tennessee Williams' "The Rose Tattoo". After his Broadway success, he had a few minor television roles before his big break arrived when he joined the cast of On the Waterfront (1954). In the 1950s, Martin had many television roles. He had recurring roles on some of the most popular television series of that time, including The United States Steel Hour (1953), Repertory Theatre (1948), Goodyear Playhouse (1951) and Studio One in Hollywood (1948). In 1957, he was able to prove himself on the big-screen once again, with a prominent role in 12 Angry Men (1957), directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda. All of Martin's television work in the 1950s did not go to waste. While starring on an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), Hitchcock was so impressed by his work, that he offered him a key supporting role of Detective Milton Arbogast in Psycho (1960). His work with Hitchcock opened him up to a world of other acting opportunities. Many strong movie roles came his way in the 1960s, including parts in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Cape Fear (1962) and The Carpetbaggers (1964). One of the proudest moments in his life was when he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for A Thousand Clowns (1965). It was soon after that he began accepting roles in European movies. He soon developed a love for Italy, and lived there most of his remaining years. He acted in over a dozen Italian movies and spent his later life traveling between Hollywood and Europe for his many roles. After a career that spanned more than fifty years, Martin Balsam died of natural causes in his beloved Italy at age 76. He passed away of a stroke at a hotel in Rome called Residenza di Repetta. He was survived by his third wife Irene Miller and three children, Adam, Zoe and Talia.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Irishlass240 ( [login to see] )

Spouse (3)
Irene Miller (1963 - 13 February 1996) ( his death) ( 2 children)
Joyce Van Patten (18 August 1957 - 14 August 1962) ( divorced) ( 1 child)
Pearl Somner (1952 - 1954) ( divorced)

Trivia (25)
1. Father of actress Talia Balsam, from his marriage to Joyce Van Patten.
2. Graduated DeWitt Clinton High School in New York. [1938]
3. He was the first to record the voice of the computer HAL-9000 in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), but was passed over in favor of Douglas Rain because Kubrick thought that Balsam's voice sounded "too colloquially American" for HAL.
4. Studied Monkey Kung Fu as a hobby.
5. Won Broadway's 1968 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running."
6. He is the former brother-in-law of Dick Van Patten, Pat Van Patten and Timothy Van Patten.
7. He is the former uncle by marriage of Vincent Van Patten, Nels Van Patten and James Van Patten as he was married to their aunt Joyce Van Patten.
8. A veteran of the famous Actors Studio in New York.
9. He would express frustration when fans asking for autographs would only seem to remember him falling backwards down the stairway in Psycho (1960). He felt there were so many other challenging roles he would rather be remembered for. Always charming, he simply smiled and provided the signature, just the same.
10. Former father-in-law of George Clooney.
11. Played Carroll O'Connor's Jewish business partner for a couple of seasons on Archie Bunker's Place (1979). Previously they had performed together in the The Sacco-Vanzetti Story on Sunday Showcase (1959).
12. Continued to return to the Actors Studio periodically in later years.
13. Appears to have died of natural causes. A maid found him lying on the floor near his bed in the upscale Residenza Di Ripetta while he was vacationing in Italy.
14. Broadway columnist Earl Wilson dubbed him "The Bronx Barrymore".
15. Made his film debut in the Actors Studio-dominated film On the Waterfront (1954).
16. Worked as a waiter and as an usher at Radio City Music Hall in New York during his early years of struggle.
17. Part of the drama club at DeWitt Clinton High School, he studied dramatics at The New School in New York City and then served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
18. Born in The Bronx in New York City, to Jewish parents Albert Balsam, a manufacturer of ladies sportswear, and Lillian (née Weinstein). He was the eldest of three children.
19. Played a psychiatrist in Rod Sterling's Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse: The Time Element (1958), which dealt with a patient who kept dreaming that he was back in the time just prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), he played Admiral Kimmel the naval commander of Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack.
20. Father of a son, Adam Balsam and a daughter, Zoe Balsam, from his marriage to Irene Miller.
21. He made guest appearances on both The Twilight Zone (1959) and The Twilight Zone (1985).
22. He appeared in two productions which concerned the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941: Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse: The Time Element (1958) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). He played Dr. Gillespie in the former and Admiral Husband Kimmel in the latter.
23. He appeared in three films directed by Sidney Lumet: 12 Angry Men (1957), The Anderson Tapes (1971) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).
24. He played the husband of his real life ex-wife Joyce Van Patten in St. Elmo's Fire (1985).
25. Appeared in four Oscar Best Picture nominees: On the Waterfront (1954), 12 Angry Men (1957), A Thousand Clowns (1965) and All the President's Men (1976), with the first of these the only winner.
Personal Quotes (4)
1. I'll tell you, I still don't feel whatever change you're supposed to feel when your name goes up above the title. I think that's because this star thing has never been the first consideration with me. Never. The work has always come first.
2. I think the average guy has always identified with me.
3. The supporting role is always potentially the most interesting in a film.
4. [on playing Mr. Green in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)] I have always wanted to get away from playing Mr. Nice Guy. I loathe nice guys because I am one, but let's face it, there's a lot of nastiness in me.

Salary (1)
Psycho (1960) $6,000"

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I remember him in Psycho.

I definitely remember this actor. Thanks for sharing this.