Who Are Those Guys? - Ernest Borgnine

Ermes Effron Borgnino was born in Hamden, Connecticut on January 24m 1917. The Academy Award winning actor began his acting career after his 10 year service as a Gunner's Mate 1st Class aboard the USS Lamberton during World War II. Ernest Borgnine's first stage performance was in 1947 in the production of "State of the Union", leading to his next role in "The Glass Menagerie" and finally on Broadway in 1949 in "Harvey". Ernie's big film break came in 1953 in "From Here to Eternity" where he commanded much admiration and further roles in films that lasted 60 years. In 1955 Ernie won the Academy Award for "Marty" winning against Frank Sinatra, Spencer Tracy and James Cagney. On television Ernest made his debut on ‘Captain Video and His Video Rangers’ series. He appeared in over 100 television programs over the years and gained much success on TV’s ‘McHale's Navy’ which ran from 1962-1966. Receiving an EMMY nomination for his role, “Airwolf” (1984) and he was nominated several more times throughout the years with his last nomination in 2009 for the finale of ‘ER’.

Some of Borgnine’s best remembered films were “Johnny Guitar” and “192.Demetrius and the Gladiators”, “Vera Cruz” (all 1954), “The Badlanders” and “Torpedo Run” (both 1958), “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), “Ice Station Zebra” (1968) “The Wild Bunch” (1969), “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972), “Escape from New York” (1981).

When his career started to stagger in the late-1960s he went to Italy and appeared in Euro-westerns including memorable performances in “A Bullet For Sandoval” (1969) and “Hannie Caulder” (1970).

Borgnine continued to work the rest of his life making TV appearances and films until his death from kidney failure on July 28, 2012 at the age of 95.

BORGNINE, Ernest (Ermes Effron Borgnino) [1/24/1917, Hamden, Connecticut, U.S.A. – 7/8/2012, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (kidney failure)] - producer, TV actor, married to Rhoda Kemins (1949-1958), father of producer Nancee Borgnine [1952-    ], married to actress Katy Jurado [1924-2002] (1959-1963), married to singer, actress Ethel Merman [1908-1984] (1964-1965), Donna Rancourt [1933-    ] (1965-1972), father of Sharon Borgnine [1965-    ], Christopher Borgnine [1969-    ], Diana Borgnine [1970-    ], married to Tova Traesnaes [1941-    ] (1973-2012), awarded Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award [2011].

A Bullet for Sandoval - 1969 (Don Pedro Sandoval)

Guns of the Revolution - 1969 (‘The General’)

Hannie Caulder - 1970 (Emmett Clemens)

Manhunt – 1984 (Ben Robeson)

Renegade – 2002 (Rolling Star)