March 28, 2024

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Sterling Hayden: Hollywood's Radical Rebel

3 min read



Sterling Hayden was a man who lived life on his own terms. During the golden age of Hollywood he was more concerned with ships and sailing than being an actor. He was a reluctant star, a war hero, a communist and a self described “rat”.

I spent a lot of time with Sterling Hayden while making this video and this is by no means a definitive look at his career or life but I think it’s a nice overview. The films I chose to focus on are the ones that resonated deeply with me.

Just to clarify because I seem to have overlooked putting in this detail – Sterling Hayden and Madeleine Carroll were married in the winter of 1942 in New Hampshire.

It did occur to me that I did not really describe the social context for the House Un-American Activities hearings so if you’re unfamiliar with the Hollywood, HUAC, the red scare and the blacklist of the 1950s here’s an overview video to watch.

Also, I did have a segment on his 1976 novel Voyage, but for some reason there were audio issues so I had to cut it out. The novel, coming in at just under 800 pages, was a best seller and it is his only published work of fiction.

You can watch the full interviews with Sterling Hayden here:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ZsyLjHHIcLeHdcR1BPwbJQRnf-LeoUj

You can watch some of Sterling Hayden’s movies for free here:

Journey Into Light (1951)

Battle Taxi (1955)

Manhandled (1949)

El Paso (1947)

Suddenly (1954) I didn’t use this one in the video but I really like this film. It stars Sterling Haydne along with Frank Sinatra and the plot is pretty wild. Hayden plays a sheriff of a small California town whose tranquility is shattered when the train of the president of the United States is scheduled to make a stop in the town, and a hired assassin and his henchmen take over a home that provides a perfect vantage point from which to assassinate the president.

The Killing (1956) if you’re curious about that suitcase. . . .

Finally, if you want to brave it, here’s the link to Sterling Hayden’s very first film 1940’s VIRGINIA.
youtu.be/Pzze-gkQWjo

If you’re interested in the films and books mentioned in this video I’ve listed where you can find them in the links below. If you buy something through my links I may get a small share of the sale. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I can not recommend Sterling Hayden’s 1963 autobiography “Wanderer” enough. If you have any interest in the man then you need to read this book.
amzn.to/3PLLhXe

His novel “Voyage” is out of print but you can find used copies on both Amazon and Ebay.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950) Absolutely essential viewing. This is the criterion edition which has some fantastic special features including the excellent Hayden documentary PHARAOHS OF CHAOS which I used some clips of in this video.
amzn.to/3BrqKmf

The Star (1952) This is one of the few films where Sterling Hayden gets show his tender side. He and Bette Davis have great chemistry and in an article in Modern Screen magazine he says that Davis inspired him to have confidence and he felt himself able to give back to her on screen what she was giving to him.
amzn.to/3SmxQ1I

Johnny Guitar (1954) If you haven’t seen it, watch it. It’s unlike anything else.
amzn.to/3OE9T2I

Naked Alibi (1954): I bought this one earlier this year and I have already watched it 5 times and listened to the great commentary track as well. It’s a noir scorcher!
amzn.to/3zEvSSW

Crime of Passion (1957) This is 100% Barbara Stanwyck’s movie. Sterling Hayden provides some nice support as the oblivious cop/husband but she’s the star.
amzn.to/3QmoQb9

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