Lee Marvin Biography

Fast Facts

• Interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to recognize his service in the Marine Corps
• After arriving home from World War II, he served as a plumber to a local community theater in New York where he would eventually be asked to step in for an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals
• Quote: "Ah, stardom! They put your name on a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard and you walk down and find a pile of dog manure on it․ That tells the whole story, baby․"
• Quote: "I know my career is going badly because I'm being quoted correctly․"
• Remembered for fighting a well-known community property case in 1971 in which his live-in girlfriend sued the actor for palimony from the $3․6 million dollars he earned while the two were in a five year relationship
• Following several Oscar nominations, he was able to begin choosing his roles more carefully and would eventually start making upwards of $1 million per film in the late 1960s
• Moved to Hollywood in 1950 and starting landing small supporting roles in feature films including "The Big Heat", "The Wild One" and "The Caine Mutiny", among others
• An avid fisherman and hunter, he would often travel the United States as well as Australia to pursue his hobbies
• Awarded a Purple Heart after his company was attacked in August 1942 while serving in Saipan with the Marine Corps
• Named after his first cousin, four times removed, Confederate General Robert E․ Lee