Trivia of John Garfield

Trivia of John Garfield (4 March 1913 - 21 May 1952)

*Little Jacob Julius (later John Garfield) was a leader of street gang Arrows, the name was inspired by Robin Hood, as the boys liked to steal from rich to give for the poor. Later he sent to a special school for problem children, where he was introduced to boxing and drama. He won a scholarship to Maria Ouspenskaya's drama school.He joined the Civic Repertory Theatre in 1932, changing his name to Jules Garfield and making his Broadway debut in a play called Lost Boy.

*Before into Hollywood, Garfield approached by Hollywood studios Paramount and Warner.He signed for Warner and changed his name to John Garfield.After many false starts, he was finally cast in a supporting, yet crucial role as a tragic young composer in a Michael Curtiz film titled Four Daughters. After the picture's release in 1938, he received wide critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The studio quickly revised Garfield's contract—designating him a star player rather than a featured one—for seven years without options.

*At the onset of World War II, Garfield immediately attempted to enlist in the armed forces, but was turned down because of his heart condition. Frustrated, he turned his energies to supporting the war effort. He and actress Bette Davis were the driving forces behind the opening of the Hollywood Canteen, a club offering food and entertainment for American servicemen. He traveled overseas to help entertain the troops, made several bond selling tours and starred in a string of popular, patriotic films like Air Force, Destination Tokyo and Pride of the Marines (all box office successes).

*Audience praised when John Garfield playing the violin for movie Humoresque (1946) because his technique seemed real. Normally when actors pretend to play the violin, their fakery is very obvious.John Garfield's violin performances are played by two professional violinists standing on either side of him, one to bow and one to finger. The actual music was performed by Isaac Stern.

*When John Garfield was young, he contracted scarlet fever. It was not diagnosed until he was an adult. One of the results of the undetected illness was that it weakened his heart. It was one of the reasons why he had a heart attack at such an early age, he died at the age of 39.His funeral was the largest in New York since Rudolph Valentino's, with over ten thousand people crowding the streets outside.

*A week before his fatal heart attack Garfield had separated from his wife and suspected about his Communist affiliations. Garfield was the fourth actor to die after being subjected to HUAC investigation. The others were Mady Christians (at 59), J. Edward Bromberg (at 47) and Canada Lee (at 45).

*The role of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront (1954) was originally written for Garfield, but he died before the film was made.Marlon Brando got Terry Malloy role.