Dane Clark
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"That was the best break in my life, hooking up with Warners. They don't go much for the 'pretty boy' type there. An average guy like me has a chance to get someplace, to portray people the way they really are, without any frills." --Dane Clark in a 1946 interview
Biography
Bernard Zanville was a hard-working young man in New York City struggling to finance his law degree, when he turned to acting on the advice of friend John Garfield. After appearing on stage for several years, including a stint starring alongside Garfield in the original cast of Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" (1935), Zanville gave up his dreams of law school and relocated to Hollywood to pursue a movie career. Hooking up with Warner Bros., his name was changed to the more marquee friendly Dane Clark, allegedly by Humphrey Bogart who co-starred with the young actor in what was more or less his star-making performance as merchant marine Johnny Pulaski in 1943's "Action in the North Atlantic." That same year, Clark acted alongside Cary Grant and Garfield in "Destination Tokyo" and went on to convincingly play pugnacious soldiers in war-themed pictures for Warners like "God is My Co-Pilot" and "Pride of the Marines" (both 1945). Movies like "Her Kind of Man" (1946), "Deep Valley," "Embraceable You" and "That Way With Women" (all 1947) featured Clark's tough guy persona put to new use, now as the dangerous leading man, the misunderstood gangster type who gets involved with a nice girl and changes his ways.
Despite his undeniable talent and magnetism, Clark never took off as a star the way his friend John Garfield did, even after his scene-stealing turn in "Hollywood Canteen" (1944), a performance alongside such notables as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Jack Benny. His prolific acting career included starring turns in dozens of films in the 40s and 50s, including a memorable portrayal of Abe Saperstein in "Go, Man, Go!" (1954), the story of the creation of basketball's famous Harlem Globetrotters. Clark eventually left Hollywood to work on the stage and in features produced overseas. He worked for J Arthur Rank in London, appearing in 1950's "Highly Dangerous" and 1952's "The Gambler and the Lady." In 1968, he starred in the Denmark/US co-production "Dage i Min Fars Hus/Days in My Father's House."
Clark returned to the stage after achieving film success, starring in many Broadway productions (e.g., "A Thousand Clowns" in which he replaced Jason Robards). He was also a frequent presence on the small screen, first appearing in several of the theater anthology programs that were popular in the medium's early days. Clark made his series debut as legal aid lawyer Richard Adams in the NBC drama "Justice" (1954-56) and headlined the 1959 syndicated series "Bold Venture." Throughout much of the 60s, 70s and 80s, Clark was a familiar face as a guest performer on shows as varied as "The Twilight Zone," "I Spy," "The Mod Squad" and "Murder, She Wrote." He returned to series work as a police lieutenant in the CBS remake "The New Adventures of Perry Mason" (1973-74). Clark made his last film appearance in 1988's "Last Rites" starring Tom Berenger. The veteran actor died in 1998, battling cancer.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Short)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1934
Began acting on the Broadway stage
1935
Was in the original cast of Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty", alongside Garfield
1942
Went to Hollywood to start a film career; adopted stage name Dane Clark; appeared in "Sunday Punch", "The Pride of the Yankees", "Wake Island" and "The Glass Key"
1943
Appeared with Garfield and Cary Grant in "Destination Tokyo"
1943
Received critical acclaim for his performance as merchant marine Johnnie Pulaski in "Action in the North Atlantic"
1944
Appeared in the Oscar-winning short "I Won't Play"
1944
Starred in the romantic melodrama "The Very Thought of You" with Eleanor Parker and Dennis Morgan
1944
Garnered notice for his work in "Hollywood Canteen"
1945
Co-starred in the war dramas "God is My Co-Pilot" and "Pride of the Marines"
1946
Acted with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford in the feature "A Stolen Life"
1951
Featured in "Never Trust a Gambler" and "Fort Defiance"
1954
TV debut as regular playing Richard Adams, a legal aid attorney, in the NBC drama series "Justice"
1955
During a performance of "The Shrike" at Los Angeles' Carthay Circle Theatre, co-star Isabel Bonner died of a brian hemorrhage in his arms
1956
Starred in the crime drama "The Man Is Armed" and the Western "Massacre"
1959
Had leading role in the syndicated television series "Bold Venture"
1962
Starred in "Brecht on Brecht" at the Theatre De Lys in Greenwich Village
1968
Starred in the Denmark/USA co-production "Dage i Min Fars Hus/In My Father's House"
1971
Starred in the CBS TV-movie thriller "Face of Fear"
1972
Appeared in the telefilm "Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole", starring Susan Hayward
1975
Featured in the ABC disaster movie "Murder on Flight 502"
1976
Featured in the NBC miniseries "Once an Eagle" starring Sam Elliott
1979
Featured in the miniseries "The French Atlantic Affair" (ABC)
1980
Appeared in the syndicated thriller "Condominium"
1988
Final film appearance with Tom Berenger in "Last Rites"
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"That was the best break in my life, hooking up with Warners. They don't go much for the 'pretty boy' type there. An average guy like me has a chance to get someplace, to portray people the way they really are, without any frills." --Dane Clark in a 1946 interview
