Martin Balsam
Biography
Martin Balsam was an American character actor born in The Bronx, New York City, on November 4, 1919. He is known for his roles in films such as Psycho, A Thousand Clowns, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. He also appeared in the television sitcom Archie Bunker's Place. Balsam was a trained actor, having studied at the Dramatic Workshop. He had a long acting career, with over 160 known credits. Balsam passed away on February 13, 1996, at the age of 76. His performances in various films and television shows have been recognized, with notable roles in 12 Angry Men and as Juror #1.
Career overview
Martin Balsam was an American character actor known for his numerous film roles. He appeared in a number of notable films, including Psycho, A Thousand Clowns, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. In Psycho, Balsam played the role of detective Milton Arbogast. He also appeared in A Thousand Clowns as Arnold Burns, a performance that earned him recognition. In The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Balsam portrayed Mr. Green.
Balsam's film career spanned multiple decades, during which he appeared in a wide range of roles. His performances in various films showcased his versatility as an actor. In addition to his work in film, Balsam also appeared in television shows. One notable television role was in the sitcom Archie Bunker's Place, where he played the character Murray Klein. This role was part of his work in the television series, which aired from 1979 to 1983.
Throughout his acting career, Balsam accumulated a significant number of credits, with over 160 known roles. His extensive experience in film and television demonstrates his dedication to his craft. Balsam's performances in various roles have left a lasting impact on the film and television industry.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Martin Balsam.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- True Fear: The Making of Psycho (2015) as Self
- All About 'The Birds' (2000) as Self (archive footage)
- Legend of the Spirit Dog (1997) as Gramps
- O. Henry's Christmas (1996)
- Unknown Soldier (1995) as Priest
- The Silence of the Hams (1994) as Det. Martin Balsam
- La Classe américaine (1993) as Callaghan (archive footage)
- The Sands of Time (1992) as Father Sorendo
- Cape Fear (1991) as Judge
- Two Evil Eyes (1990) as Mr. Pym
- The Last Match (1990) as Lawyer
- Oceano (1989) as Don Matias Quintero
- Midnight Caller (1988) as Gil Solarski
- The Brother from Space (1988) as Frather Howard
- The Child Saver (1988) as Sidney Rosenberg
- Kids Like These (1987) as Grandpa
- P.I. Private Investigations (1987) as Cliff Dowling
- Brothers in Blood (1987)
- Once Again (1987) as Gerald
- The Delta Force (1986) as Ben Kaplan
- Second Serve (1986) as Dr. Beck
- Whatever it Takes (1986) as Hap Perchicksky
- The Twilight Zone (1985) as Rockne S. O'Bannon (segment "Personal Demons")
- The Twilight Zone (1985) as Prof. Donald Knowles (segment "Voices in the Earth")
- Death Wish 3 (1985) as Bennett Cross
- Space (1985) as Senator Glancey
- St. Elmo's Fire (1985) as Mr. Beamish
- Murder in Space (1985) as Alexander Rostov
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Edgar Carmody
- The Octopus (1984) as Frank Carrisi
- Innocent Prey (1984) as Sheriff Virgil Baker
- The Goodbye People (1984) as Max Silverman
- I Want to Live (1983) as Jack Brady
- Hotel (1982)
- Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady (1982)
- Night of 100 Stars (1982) as Self
- Little Gloria... Happy at Last (1982) as Nathan Burkan
- The Salamander (1981) as Captain Steffanelli
- People vs. Jean Harris (1981) as Joel Aurnou
- The Warning (1980) as Questore Martorana
- There Goes The Bride (1980) as Elmer Babcock
- The Love Tapes (1980) as David Franklin
- Archie Bunker's Place (1979) as Murray Klein
- Cuba (1979) as Gen. Bello
- Aunt Mary (1979) as Harry Strasberg
- Gardenia (1979) as Salluzzo
- The House on Garibaldi Street (1979) as Isser Harel
- The Horror Show (1979) as (archive footage)
- The Seeding of Sarah Burns (1979) as Dr. Samuel Melman
- All Star Tribute to Ingrid Bergman (1979) as Self
- Eyes Behind the Stars (1978) as Inspector Jim Grant
- Siege (1978) as Henry Fancher
- Rainbow (1978) as Louis B. Mayer
- Blood and Diamonds (1978) as Rizzo
- The Millionaire (1978) as Arthur Haines
- Silver Bears (1977) as Joe Fiore
- The Sentinel (1977) as Prof. Ruzinsky
- Contract on Cherry Street (1977) as Ernie Weinberg
- The Storyteller (1977) as Ira Davidoff
- Quincy, M.E. (1976) as Hyam Zgierski
- All the President's Men (1976) as Howard Simons
- Death Rage (1976) as Commissario
- Two-Minute Warning (1976) as Sam McKeever
- Raid on Entebbe (1976) as Daniel Cooper
- The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976) as Edward J. Reilly
- Meet Him and Die (1976) as Giulianelli
- Cry, Onion! (1975) as Petrus Lamb
- Death Among Friends (1975) as Ham Russell Buckner
- Miles To Go Before I Sleep (1975) as Ben Montgomery
- Smiling Maniacs (1975) as Carlo Goja
- Mitchell (1975) as James Arthur Cummings
- Season for Assassins (1975) as Commissioner Katroni
- Murder on the Orient Express (1974) as Signor Bianchi
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) as Green
- Trapped Beneath the Sea (1974) as T.C. Hollister
- Kojak (1973) as Ray Kaufman
- Police Story (1973)
- The Stone Killer (1973) as Al Vescari
- Counselor at Crime (1973) as Don Antonio Macaluso
- The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War (1973) as Dr. Rudy Wells (uncredited) (archive footage)
- A Brand New Life (1973) as Jim Douglas
- Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973) as Harry Walden
- The Six Million Dollar Man (1973) as Dr. Rudy Wells
- La colonna infame (1973)
- The Man (1972) as Jim Talley
- Night of Terror (1972) as Capt. Caleb Sark
- The Hassled Hooker (1972) as District Attorney Turrisi
- Chronicle of a Homicide (1972) as Giudice Aldo Sola
- Great Performances (1971) as Jack
- The Anderson Tapes (1971) as Haskins
- Confessions of a Police Captain (1971) as Commissario Bonavia
- Catch-22 (1970) as Col. Cathcart
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) as Admiral Husband E. Kimmel
- Little Big Man (1970) as Mr. Merriweather
- The Enemy Before Us (1970) as Angie
- Hunters Are for Killing (1970) as Wade Hamilton
- The Old Man Who Cried Wolf (1970) as Stanley Pulska
- Me, Natalie (1969) as Uncle Harold
- The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) as Mayor Wilker
- Trilogy (1969) as Ivor Belli
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Herb Witmer
- Around the World of Mike Todd (1968) as Michael Todd (voice)
- Hombre (1967) as Henry Mendez
- CBS Playhouse (1966) as Jesse Rothenberg
- After the Fox (1966) as Harry
- The Bedford Incident (1965) as Lieut Cmdr. Chester Potter, M.D., U.S.N.
- A Thousand Clowns (1965) as Arnold
- Harlow (1965) as Everett Redman
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Albert Sully
- 12 O'Clock High (1964) as Army Doctor (uncredited)
- The Carpetbaggers (1964) as Bernard B. Norman
- Seven Days in May (1964) as Paul Girard
- The Fugitive (1963) as Andrew Newmark
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Dave Breslaw
- Arrest and Trial (1963) as Leo Valera
- Espionage (1963) as Richard Carey
- Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) as Sanford Kaufman
- The Eleventh Hour (1962)
- Conquered City (1962) as Joseph Feinberg
- Cape Fear (1962) as Police Chief Mark Dutton
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Ned Lacey
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Benny Orloff
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Dr. Milton Orloff
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Dr. Carl Noyes
- The Defenders (1961) as Floyd Harker
- The Defenders (1961) as Bernard Maxwell
- The Defenders (1961) as District Attorney
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) as O.J. Berman
- Cain's Hundred (1961) as Jack Garsell
- The New Breed (1961) as Frank Eberhardt
- Target: The Corruptors! (1961)
- Ada (1961) as Steve Jackson
- Route 66 (1960)
- Psycho (1960) as Milton Arbogast
- Everybody Go Home! (1960) as Sergente Quintino Fornaciari
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Danny Weiss
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Martin Lombard Senescu
- Rawhide (1959) as Father Fabian
- The Untouchables (1959) as Arnold Justin
- Middle of the Night (1959) as Jack Englander
- Al Capone (1959) as Mac Keeley, reporter
- Winterset (1959) as Garth
- Naked City (1958) as Arnold Fleischman
- Naked City (1958) as Caldwell Wyatt
- Naked City (1958) as Captain Russel Barris
- Naked City (1958) as Joseph Creeley
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
- Marjorie Morningstar (1958) as Dr. David Harris
- Bomber's Moon (1958) as Captain Joe Reardon
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957) as Marshal Jim Brock
- 12 Angry Men (1957) as Juror 1
- Decoy (1957) as Nick Santos
- The Defender (Studio One) (1957) as Francis Toohey
- Time Limit (1957) as Sgt. Baker
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Winner
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Sam Butler
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Eldon Marsh
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Leonard Thompson
- A Man Is Ten Feet Tall (1955) as Charlie Malick
- Inner Sanctum (1954)
- On the Waterfront (1954) as Gillette (uncredited)
- The Greatest Gift (1954)
- Valiant Lady (1953)
- The Living Bible (1952) as Townsman
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Garth
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Strasberg
- The Living Christ (1951) as Townsman
- Concerning a Woman of Sin (1949)
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948)
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Mike Galloway
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Charlie Malick
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Studio One (1948) as Ed Coyne
- Studio One (1948) as Francis Toohey
- Actors Studio (1948) as soldier
- Winged Victory (1944) as Bit Part (uncredited)
- The Time Element as Dr. Arnold Gillespie