Martin Henry Balsam was born on November 4, 1919 in the Bronx, New York. His father manufactured women’s sports wear. Martin attended DeWitt Clinton High School and was a member of the drama club. He then studied at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York under German director Erwin Piscator. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corp. during World War II. Before the war he made his stage debut in 1941's “The Play’s the Thing”. After the war he was selected by Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg to be a member of the Actors Studio television program. He appeared in many ‘50s TV programs such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Breaking Point” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. He also began making appearances in films such as “On the Waterfront”, “12 Angry Men”, “Psycho”, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Seven Days in May”, “Hombre”, “Catch-22", “Tora-Tora-Tora”, “The Delta Force” and “All the President’s Men”. Balsam was married at one time to actresses Pearl Sommer [1923- ] from 1952-1954 and Joyce Van Patten [1934- ] from 1959-1962. There daughter is actress Talia Balsam [1959- ]. He is also the father of screenwriter Adam Balsam. Balsam made one Euro-western “Spaghetti Western” (1976) as Petrus Lamb with Franco Nero.. Martin died in Rome of a heart attack on February 13, 1996.
BALSAM, Martin (Martin Henry Balsam) [11/4/1919, Bronx, New York, U.S.A. - 2/13/1996, Rome, Lazio, Italy (heart attack)] - TV actor, married to actresses Pearl Somner [1923- ] (1952-1954), Joyce Van Patten [1934- ] (1959-1962), father of actress Talia Balsam [1959- ], screenwriter Adam Balsam.
Spaghetti Western - 1976 (Petrus Lamb)
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