Neville Brand
Neville Brand | |
---|---|
Born | Lawrence Neville Brand August 13, 1920 Griswold, Iowa, U.S. |
Died | April 16, 1992 Sacramento, California, U.S. | (aged 71)
Resting place | East Lawn Memorial Park |
Education | American Theatre Wing |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1949–1985 |
Spouses |
|
Children | 3 |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | |
Years of service | 1939–41 (National Guard) 1941–45 (Army) |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit |
|
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Lawrence Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor.[1] He was known for playing villainous or antagonistic character roles in Westerns, crime dramas, and films noir, and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance in Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954).
During
Early years
Brand was raised in Kewanee, Illinois. After he graduated from high school, he joined the Army.[3]
War service
Brand entered the
Brand was awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest decoration for
Brand was sometimes cited in media reports as the 4th most-decorated American serviceman of the war, but this was incorrect and repeatedly denied by Brand himself.
Medals and ribbons
Silver Star |
Purple Heart |
Good Conduct Medal (United States) |
American Defense Service Medal |
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal |
Combat Infantryman Badge |
World War II Victory Medal
Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service
American Campaign Medal
Army Occupation Medal
Acting career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2023) |
Early roles
After his discharge, Brand worked on a 1946
Brand had an uncredited bit in Battleground (1949) and Port of New York (1949). His first credited part was in D.O.A. (1950) as a henchman named Chester. His hulking physique, rough-hewn, craggy-faced looks and gravelly voice led to his largely playing gangsters, Western outlaws and various screen "heavies", cops and other tough-guy roles throughout his career.
Brand was uncredited in
On television, he did a short, Benjy (1951), and episodes of The Unexpected and Your Favorite Story. He was in Kansas City Confidential (1952), The Turning Point (1952), and, notably, Stalag 17 (1953).[4]
Leading man
As a supporting actor, he appeared in
Brand had a supporting role in .
He had lead film roles in Bobby Ware Is Missing (1955) and Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) and supported in Raw Edge (1956), and Mohawk (1956). He had the distinction of being the first actor to portray outlaw Butch Cassidy, in the film The Three Outlaws opposite Alan Hale Jr. as the Sundance Kid. He followed it with Gun Brothers (1956).
Brand became well known as a villain when he killed the character played by Elvis Presley in his debut film Love Me Tender (1956). He was in The Way to the Gold (1957), The Lonely Man (1957), The Tin Star (1957), Cry Terror! (1958), and Badman's Country (1958).[6][7]
He often had better roles on television, including such shows as
Brand was a guest star on
Al Capone & Other TV Roles
Brand twice portrayed Al Capone on the television series The Untouchables, in the pilot and opening scene of the premiere "The Empty Chair" (although uncredited) and then in the double episode "The Big Train"; as well as often glimpses in flashback throughout the series.
Brand was in Five Gates to Hell (1959), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960), The Last Sunset (1961), and The George Raft Story (1961), reprising his role as Al Capone in the latter.[9]
He guest-starred on .
He also portrayed a prison guard of Birdman of Alcatraz, was second billed in Hero's Island (1962) and had a key role in That Darn Cat! (1965).
Brand co-starred with
Brand was given the star role in a TV series, Laredo (1965–67) which ran for 56 episodes.[12]
Brand was in The Desperados (1969) and played U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kaminsky, ignored as he tried to warn his commander of the opening skirmish in Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).
1970s
In the 1970s, Brand could be seen in
He appeared in .
Brand was top billed in
1980s
In 1980, Brand appeared as Major Marvin Groper in
His final roles included Fantasy Island, Without Warning (1980), Harper Valley P.T.A., and The Return (1982). He was top billed in his last film, Evils of the Night (1985).
Personal life
Brand and his wife, Rae, had three daughters.
Brand was an insatiable reader who amassed a collection of 30,000 books over the years, one of the largest private libraries in Los Angeles. Most of his collection was destroyed in a 1978 fire at his Malibu home.[16]
His wartime service caused him post-traumatic stress disorder that led to bouts of alcoholism. In 1975, he said in an interview that his addiction had cost him most of his fortune.[17]
Death
Brand died from
Selected filmography
Film
- Port of New York (1949) as Ike – Stasser's Henchman (uncredited)
- My Foolish Heart (1949) as Football Game Spectator (uncredited)
- D.O.A. (1950) as Chester
- Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) as Steve, Scalise Hood (uncredited)
- Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) as Carleton (uncredited)
- Halls of Montezuma (1951) as Sgt. Zelenko
- Only the Valiant (1951) as Sgt. Ben Murdock
- The Mob (1951) as Gunner
- Red Mountain (1951) as Lt. Dixon
- Flame of Araby (1951) as Kral
- Kansas City Confidential (1952) as Boyd Kane
- The Turning Point (1952) as Red
- Stalag 17 (1953) as Duke
- The Charge at Feather River (1953) as Pvt. Morgan
- The Man from the Alamo (1953) as Dawes
- Gun Fury (1953) as Brazos
- Man Crazy (1953) as Paul Wocynski
- Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) as James V. Dunn
- Prince Valiant (1954) as Viking Warrior Chief (uncredited)
- The Lone Gun (1954) as Tray Moran
- Return from the Sea (1954) as CPO Chuck 'Soup Bowl' MacLish
- The Prodigal (1955) as Rhakim
- The Return of Jack Slade (1955) as Harry Sutton
- Bobby Ware Is Missing (1955) as Police Lt. Andy Flynn
- Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) as Dirk Hogan
- Raw Edge (1956) as Tarp Penny
- Mohawk (1956) as Rokhawah
- The Three Outlaws (1956) as Butch Cassidy
- Gun Brothers (1956) as Jubal Santee
- Love Me Tender (1956) as Mike Gavin
- The Way to the Gold (1957) as Little Brother Williams
- The Lonely Man (1957) as King Fisher
- The Tin Star (1957) as Bart Bogardus
- Cry Terror! (1958) as Steve
- Badman's Country (1958) as Butch Cassidy
- Five Gates to Hell (1959) as Chen Pamok
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960) as Pap Finn
- The Last Sunset (1961) as Frank Hobbs
- The George Raft Story (1961) as Al Capone
- Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) as Bull Ransom
- Hero's Island (1962) as Kingstree
- That Darn Cat!(1965) as Dan
- Three Guns for Texas(1968) as Texas Ranger Reese Bennett
- Backtrack (1969) as Texas Ranger Reese Bennett (archive footage)
- The Desperados (1969) as Marshal Kilpatrick
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) as Lieutenant Kaminsky
- The Mad Bomber(1973) as George Fromley
- This Is a Hijack (1973) as Dominic
- Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) as Lightfoot
- Scalawag (1973) as Brimstone / Mudhook
- The Deadly Trackers (1973) as Choo Choo
- Killdozer! (1974) (TV) as Chub Foster
- Psychic Killer (1975) as Lemonowski
- Death Stalk (1975) (TV) as Cal Shepherd
- Eaten Alive (1976) as Judd
- Fire! (1977) (TV) as Larry Durant
- The Mouse and His Child (1977) as Iggy (voice)
- Hi-Riders (1978) as Red
- The Seekers(1979) (TV) as Capt. Isaac Drew
- Five Days from Home (1979) as Inspector Markley
- Angels' Brigade(1979) as Miller
- The Ninth Configuration (1980) as Maj. Marvin Groper
- Without Warning (1980) as Leo
- The Return (1980) as Walt
- Evils of the Night (1985) as Kurt (filmed in 1983; final film role)
Television
- Stage 7 – episode – "Armed" (1955) as Maj. Stevens
- The Scarface Mob – television movie (1959) as Al Capone
- The Untouchables – episode – Pilot (1959–1961) as Al Capone
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse – episodes – "The Untouchables: Parts 1 & 2" (1959) as Al Capone
- Bonanza(1960–1971, three episodes) as Gunnar Borgstrom / Pepper Shannon / Doyle
- Rawhide – episode – "Incident of the Devil and His Due" (1960) as Gaff
- Straightaway – episode – "The Tin Caesar" (1961) as Sheriff Bardeen
- Death Valley Days – episode – "Preacher with a Past" (1962) as John Wesley Hardin
- Ben Casey – episode – "Will Everyone Who Believes in Terry Dunne Please Applaud" (1963) as Terry Dunne
- The Lieutenant – episode – "The Two Star Giant" (1963) as General Stone
- Rawhide – episode – "Incident of the Red Wind" (1963) as Lou Bowdark
- Wagon Train (1964) as Zebedee Titus / Sheriff Frank Lewis aka Jed Whitmore
- Destry – episode – "The Solid Gold Girl" (1964) as Johnny Washburn
- The Encounter" (1964) as Fenton
- Combat! – episode – "Fly Away Home" (1964) as Sergeant Keeley
- Gunsmoke – episode – "Kioga" (1965) as Jayce McCaw
- The Virginian (1965–1970) as Sheriff Wintle / Reese Bennett
- Laredo (1965–1967) as Reese Bennett
- Daniel Boone – episode – "Tanner" (1967) as Tanner
- Tarzan – episode – "Alex the Great" (1968) as Alex Spence
- Alias Smith and Jones (1971–1972) as Chuck Gorman / Sam Bacon
- Marcus Welby, M.D. – episode – "Don't Talk About Darkness" (1972) as Kenny Carpenter
- Longstreet – episode – "Survival Times Two" (1972) as La Brien
- McCloud (1972–1975) as Burl Connors / Det. Lt. Roy Mackie / Fred Schultke
- The Magician– episode – "Lighting on a Dry Day" (1973) as Sheriff Platt
- Kojak – episode – "Sweeter Than Life" (1975) as Sonny South
- Police Story – episode – "War Games" (1975) as Norman Schoeler
- Police Woman – episode – "The Loner" (1975) as Briscoe
- Swiss Family Robinson – episode – "Jean LaFitte: Part 1" (1976) as Gambi
- Captains and the Kings (1976) as O'Herlihy
- Captains Courageous (1977) as Little Penn
- The Eddie Capra Mysteries – episode – "Murder Plays a Dead Hand" (1979) as Frankie Dallas
- Quincy, M.E. – episode – "Dark Angel" (1979) as Police Officer Tommy Bates
- Fantasy Island – episode – "Nona/One Million B.C." (1980) as Lucus
Footnotes
- ^ Twilight Zone Encyclopedia
- ^ a b "Neville Brand - Recipient -". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ^ a b "Neville Brand; Tough-Guy Actor, Decorated War Hero". Los Angeles Times. April 18, 1992. p. A 22. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Neville Brand Signed for 'Kansas City 117' Los Angeles Times June 8, 1952: p. E3.
- ^ "Sperling Aims Yordan Tale at Brando; Neville Brand Again Will Star", Los Angeles Times September 15, 1953: p. B7.
- ^ MOVIELAND EVENTS: Neville Brand to Star With Montgomery Los Angeles Times October 15, 1957: p. A9.
- ^ Drama: "James Arness Will Star in Rome; Neville Brand to Menace Jack Palance", Los Angeles Times March 20, 1956: p. A7.
- ^ 'BODY AND SOUL' ADEQUATE PUNCH Page, Don. Los Angeles Times September 29, 1959: p. A9.
- ^ Gordon Kay Slates Huffaker 'Posse': Los Angeles Times May 12, 1960: C9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-3886-0.
- ^ a b Courtney, Steve (October 8, 1992). "Treasures of the Twilight Zone". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ^ "Niche for Neville? Try and Find One," Los Angeles Times November 30, 1965: p. C-20.
- ^ Lambert, Bruce (April 19, 1992). "Neville Brand, 71, Craggy Actor Known for Many Roles as Villains". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, p. 34, Ideal Publishers.
- ^ An Interview with Neville Brand, Skip E. Lowe, 1990
- ^ "John Carradine, Neville Brand Rescued in 2 Southland Blazes", Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1978: p. A36.
- ^ Stingley, Jim. "Neville Brand's 5-Year Lost Weekend: New Spring in His Step", Los Angeles Times March 9, 1975: p. S26.
- ^ "Death takes tough-guy actor Neville Brand, 71". The Bulletin. April 19, 1992. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ "Private Service Planned for Neville Brand". The Los Angeles Times. April 19, 1992. p. 13.
- ^ "Capital's Elite Address Residents Treasure "Fabulous Forties"". The Sacramento Bee. August 8, 1993. p. B1.
References
- Hannsberry, Karen Burroughs. Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2003.
- Horner, William R. Bad at the Bijou. Jefferson NC: McFarland, 1982.
- Wise, James E. Jr. and Paul W. Wilderson III. Stars in Khaki. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2000.
External links
- Neville Brand at IMDb
- Neville Brand at the Internet Broadway Database
- Neville Brand at the TCM Movie Database
- Neville Brand at AllMovie
- Neville Brand: Setting the Record Straight by Robert E. Witter