Neville Brand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Neville Brand
Brand in 1966
Born	Lawrence Neville Brand (1920-08-13)August 13, 1920 Griswold, Iowa, U.S.
Died	April 16, 1992(1992-04-16) (aged 71) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Resting place	East Lawn Memorial Park
Education	American Theatre Wing
Occupation	Soldier actor
Years active	1949–1985
Spouse(s)	Jean Enfield (m. 19??; div. 1955) Laura Rae Araujo (m. 1957; div. 1969) Mae Brand (m. 19??; d. 1992)
Children	3
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	Illinois Army National Guard  United States Army
Years of service	1939–41 (National Guard) 1941–45 (Army)
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	129th Infantry Regiment 83rd Infantry Division 331st Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	World War II European Theater of Operations Battle of the Bulge Siegfried Line campaign Central European campaign

Lawrence Neville Brand (born August 13, 1920 – died April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor. He was famous for playing tough or bad guys in movies. These roles were often in Westerns, crime stories, and film noir. He was even nominated for a BAFTA Award for his acting in the movie Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954).

During World War II, Brand served in the U.S. Army. He was part of the 331st Infantry Regiment in the 83rd Infantry Division. He fought in Europe and received several awards for being brave. These included the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

Early Life and Army Start

Neville Brand grew up in Kewanee, Illinois. After finishing high school, he decided to join the Army.

He first joined the Illinois Army National Guard on October 23, 1939. He was a private in Company F, 129th Infantry Regiment. Later, on March 5, 1941, he joined the United States Army as a corporal.

Neville Brand's War Service

Brand trained at Fort Carson before going to fight in World War II. He served with the 83rd Infantry Division, also known as the "Thunderbolt Division." He saw action in important battles like the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central European campaigns.

Brand was a sergeant and a leader for his group of soldiers. On April 7, 1945, he was hurt during a fight near the Weser River. He was shot in his upper right arm.

Awards for Bravery

Neville Brand received the Silver Star for his courage in battle. This is the third-highest award for bravery in the U.S. military. He also earned the Purple Heart because he was wounded. Other awards included the Good Conduct Medal and the American Defense Service Medal. He also received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Battle Stars.

In an interview from 1966, Brand talked about earning the Silver Star. He said that German machine guns were firing heavily from a hunting lodge. This kept his unit stuck. He explained, "I must have flipped my lid." He decided to go into the lodge by himself. He left the Army in October 1945.

Some news reports incorrectly said Brand was the fourth most-decorated American soldier of the war. However, Brand himself always said this was not true.

Images for kids

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  Silver Star

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  Purple Heart

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  Good Conduct Medal (United States)

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  American Defense Service Medal

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  European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

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  Combat Infantryman Badge

Acting Career Begins

After leaving the Army, Brand worked on a film for the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1946. Charlton Heston was also in this film. Brand then moved to Greenwich Village in New York City. He studied acting at the American Theatre Wing. He also acted in plays, including The Victors by Jean-Paul Sartre. He later attended the Geller Drama School in Los Angeles.

Brand had small, uncredited parts in movies like Battleground (1949) and Port of New York (1949). His first credited role was as a henchman named Chester in D.O.A. (1950). Because of his strong build, rugged face, and deep voice, he often played tough characters. These included gangsters, Western outlaws, police officers, and other "tough guy" roles.

His roles slowly became bigger. He appeared in Halls of Montezuma (1951), Only the Valiant (1951), and The Mob (1951). On television, he was in Kansas City Confidential (1952) and Stalag 17 (1953).

Becoming a Leading Actor

Brand started getting lead roles in films like Man Crazy (1953). Then came Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954). In this movie, he played the leader of a prison uprising. This role earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Actor. He also had a lead role in Return from the Sea (1954).

He continued to appear in many TV shows. These included Appointment with Adventure, Studio One in Hollywood, and General Electric Theater. He also had lead film roles in Bobby Ware Is Missing (1955) and Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956).

Brand became well known for playing villains. He played the first actor to portray the famous outlaw Butch Cassidy in the movie The Three Outlaws. He also played the character who killed Elvis Presley's character in Presley's first movie, Love Me Tender (1956).

On television, he often had even better roles. He starred in an adaptation of All the King's Men for Kraft Theatre in 1958. He played Willie Stark and won an award for his performance.

Famous TV Roles

Brand played the famous gangster Al Capone twice on the TV series The Untouchables. He also played Capone again in the movie The George Raft Story (1961).

He guest-starred on many popular TV shows. These included Death Valley Days, Naked City, Ben Casey, Rawhide, Combat!, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza.

Brand also had a key role in That Darn Cat! (1965). He co-starred with George Takei in "The Encounter," an episode of The Twilight Zone in 1964. He played a World War II veteran.

From 1965 to 1967, Brand had a starring role in the TV series Laredo. The show ran for 56 episodes. He also played U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kaminsky in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

Later Career

In the 1970s, Brand continued to appear in many TV shows. He played Hoss Cartwright's Swedish uncle Gunnar Borgstrom on Bonanza. He also appeared in Marcus Welby, M.D., Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973), Kojak, and Police Story.

Brand was the main actor in Eaten Alive (1976), directed by Tobe Hooper. He also had a key part in Five Days from Home (1978).

In the 1980s, Brand appeared as Major Marvin Groper in The Ninth Configuration (1980). His last roles included Fantasy Island and Evils of the Night (1985), which was his final film.

Personal Life

Neville Brand and his wife, Rae, had three daughters. He was a Republican and supported Dwight Eisenhower in the 1952 election. Brand also said he was a Presbyterian his whole life.

He loved to read and collected many books. Over the years, he gathered about 30,000 books. This was one of the biggest private libraries in Los Angeles. Sadly, most of his collection was destroyed in a fire at his Malibu home in 1978.

His experiences during the war caused him to have lasting emotional effects.

Death

Neville Brand passed away from emphysema on April 16, 1992. He was 71 years old. He died at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, California. After a private funeral, he was cremated. His remains were placed in a special spot at East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Films

Television Shows