Actor
Martin Balsam
Born 4 November 1919 · The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA — died 13 February 1996
Martin Balsam (1919–1996) was an American character actor from the Bronx, admired for his warm, credible everyman presence. He is best remembered as detective Arbogast in Psycho and Juror #1 in 12 Angry Men. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for A Thousand Clowns.
Key films
On the Waterfront (1954)
An early screen role in Elia Kazan's celebrated drama, which began his long run of film work.
12 Angry Men (1957)On Cinespective
He played the first juror in Sidney Lumet's landmark courtroom drama, a defining ensemble performance.
Psycho (1960)On Cinespective
His private detective Arbogast is one of the most memorable supporting roles in Hitchcock's thriller.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Part of the star-studded cast of Sidney Lumet's Agatha Christie adaptation.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
He played Mr. Green, one of the hijackers, in this classic 1970s New York thriller.
Key awards
- 1966 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (A Thousand Clowns)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 115
- 1944Winged Victory · as Bit Part (uncredited)Actor
- 1949Concerning a Woman of SinActor
- 1952The Living Bible · as TownsmanActor
- 1954On the Waterfront · as Gillette (uncredited)Actor
- 1955A Man Is Ten Feet Tall · as Charlie MalickActor
- 195712 Angry Men · as Juror 1Actor
- 1957Time Limit · as Sgt. BakerActor
- 1957The Defender (Studio One) · as Francis TooheyActor
- 1958Marjorie Morningstar · as Dr. David HarrisActor
- 1958Bomber's Moon · as Captain Joe ReardonActor
- 1959Al Capone · as Mac Keeley, reporterActor
- 1959Middle of the Night · as Jack EnglanderActor
- 1959Winterset · as GarthActor
- 1960Psycho · as Milton ArbogastActor
- 1960Everybody Go Home! · as Sergente Quintino FornaciariActor
- 1961Breakfast at Tiffany's · as O.J. BermanActor
- 1961Ada · as Steve JacksonActor
- 1961Tippi Hedren's Screen Test for The Birds · as SelfActor
- 1962Cape Fear · as Police Chief Mark DuttonActor
- 1962Conquered City · as Joseph FeinbergActor
- 1963Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? · as Sanford KaufmanActor
- 1964Seven Days in May · as Paul GirardActor
- 1964The Carpetbaggers · as Bernard B. NormanActor
- 1965The Bedford Incident · as Lieut Cmdr. Chester Potter, M.D., U.S.N.Actor
- 1965A Thousand Clowns · as ArnoldActor
- 1965Harlow · as Everett RedmanActor
- 1966After the Fox · as HarryActor
- 1967Hombre · as Henry MendezActor
- 1968Around the World of Mike Todd · as Michael Todd (voice)Actor
- 1969The Good Guys and the Bad Guys · as Mayor WilkerActor
- 1969Me, Natalie · as Uncle HaroldActor
- 1969Trilogy · as Ivor BelliActor
- 1970Little Big Man · as Mr. MerriweatherActor
- 1970Tora! Tora! Tora! · as Admiral Husband E. KimmelActor
- 1970Catch-22 · as Col. CathcartActor
- 1970The Old Man Who Cried Wolf · as Stanley PulskaActor
- 1970Hunters Are for Killing · as Wade HamiltonActor
- 1970The Enemy Before Us · as AngieActor
- 1971The Anderson Tapes · as HaskinsActor
- 1971Confessions of a Police Captain · as Commissario BonaviaActor
- 1972Chronicle of a Homicide · as Giudice Aldo SolaActor
- 1972Night of Terror · as Capt. Caleb SarkActor
- 1972The Hassled Hooker · as District Attorney TurrisiActor
- 1972The Man · as Jim TalleyActor
- 1973The Stone Killer · as Al VescariActor
- 1973The Six Million Dollar Man · as Dr. Rudy WellsActor
- 1973The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War · as Dr. Rudy Wells (uncredited) (archive footage)Actor
- 1973The Counsellor · as Don Antonio MacalusoActor
- 1973Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams · as Harry WaldenActor
- 1973La colonna infameActor
- 1973A Brand New Life · as Jim DouglasActor
- 1974Murder on the Orient Express · as Signor BianchiActor
- 1974The Taking of Pelham One Two Three · as GreenActor
- 1974Trapped Beneath the Sea · as T.C. HollisterActor
- 1975Mitchell · as James Arthur CummingsActor
- 1975Cry, Onion! · as Petrus LambActor
- 1975Season for Assassins · as Commissioner KatroniActor
- 1975Death Among Friends · as Ham Russell BucknerActor
- 1975Miles To Go Before I Sleep · as Ben MontgomeryActor
- 1975Smiling Maniacs · as Carlo GojaActor
- 1976All the President's Men · as Howard SimonsActor
- 1976Two-Minute Warning · as Sam McKeeverActor
- 1976Raid on Entebbe · as Daniel CooperActor
- 1976Death Rage · as CommissarioActor
- 1976The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case · as Edward J. ReillyActor
- 1976Meet Him and Die · as GiulianelliActor
- 1977The Sentinel · as Prof. RuzinskyActor
- 1977Silver Bears · as Joe FioreActor
- 1977Contract on Cherry Street · as Ernie WeinbergActor
- 1977The Storyteller · as Ira DavidoffActor
- 1978Blood and Diamonds · as RizzoActor
- 1978Eyes Behind the Stars · as Inspector Jim GrantActor
- 1978Siege · as Henry FancherActor
- 1978Rainbow · as Louis B. MayerActor
- 1978The Millionaire · as Arthur HainesActor
- 1979Cuba · as Gen. BelloActor
- 1979The Horror Show · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1979Gardenia · as SalluzzoActor
- 1979The House on Garibaldi Street · as Isser HarelActor
- 1979Aunt Mary · as Harry StrasbergActor
- 1979The Seeding of Sarah Burns · as Dr. Samuel MelmanActor
- 1979All Star Tribute to Ingrid Bergman · as SelfActor
- 1980The Warning · as Questore MartoranaActor
- 1980The Love Tapes · as David FranklinActor
- 1980There Goes The Bride · as Elmer BabcockActor
- 1981The Salamander · as Captain SteffanelliActor
- 1981People vs. Jean Harris · as Joel AurnouActor
- 1982Night of 100 Stars · as SelfActor
- 1982Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady · as SelfActor
- 1983I Want to Live · as Jack BradyActor
- 1984Innocent Prey · as Sheriff Virgil BakerActor
- 1984The Goodbye People · as Max SilvermanActor
- 1985St. Elmo's Fire · as Mr. BeamishActor
- 1985Death Wish 3 · as Bennett CrossActor
- 1985Murder in Space · as Alexander RostovActor
- 1986The Delta Force · as Ben KaplanActor
- 1986Second Serve · as Dr. BeckActor
- 1986Whatever it Takes · as Hap PerchickskyActor
- 1987P.I. Private Investigations · as Cliff DowlingActor
- 1987Kids Like These · as GrandpaActor
- 1987Brothers in BloodActor
- 1987Once Again · as GeraldActor
- 1988The Brother from Space · as Frather HowardActor
- 1988The Child Saver · as Sidney RosenbergActor
- 1990Two Evil Eyes · as Mr. PymActor
- 1990The Last Match · as LawyerActor
- 1991Cape Fear · as JudgeActor
- 1992The Sands of Time · as Father SorendoActor
- 1993La Classe américaine · as Callaghan (archive footage)Actor
- 1994The Silence of the Hams · as Det. Martin BalsamActor
- 1995Unknown Soldier · as PriestActor
- 1996O. Henry's ChristmasActor
- 1997Legend of the Spirit Dog · as GrampsActor
- 2000All About 'The Birds' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2015True Fear: The Making of Psycho · as SelfActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.