John Garfield's star arose during the Depression era movies.  There was an attractive roughness about his persona combined with a social conscience that matched those difficult times.  But after WWII, times changed and his ties to left-wing activities put him in front of the Senate Committee on Un-American Activities.  The political witch hunt finally lead to a much too early death caused by a heart attack. 

Born 1913 Jacob Julius Farfinkle in New York's Lower East Side, he went from reform school to the Civic Repertory Company in 1932.  He changed his name to Jules Garfield and later joined the Group Theatre Company.  After being embittered when he was passed over for the lead in "Golden Boy", he signed a contract with Warner Brothers, where his stage name was changed to John Garfield (though he was always known to his friends as Julie).

He gained fame (and an Oscar nomination) playing the outsider in "The Four Sisters"  and went on to several similar roles, such as in "They Made Me a Criminal" and "Dust Be My Destiny".    Through loan outs he gave some of his best performances in  " The Fallen Sparrow" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice".  In 1947, he was nominated for another Oscar for "Body and Soul", in which he played a boxer, who resists taking a dive. 

Although never a member of the Communist Party, he was called to testify in 1951 before HUAC and resisted efforts to have him testify against his friends, that put him under intense legal and political pressure.  His death in 1952 from a heart attack has been linked to these event, although he had heart problems from having scarlet fever as a child and smoking.  He was the first of the uniquely American anti-heroes in films and remains one of my favorite actors.

Follow this LINK to a Page of Photographs of Garfield