Sam Gilman

Today he's probably more known for a series of movies he made with legendary actor and personal friend Marlon Brando, but, prior to his acting career, Sam Gilman was a celebrated comic book artist for Funnies, Inc., one of the leading comic book packagers of the 1930s and 1940s. Some of the more notable comics Gilman illustrated included "Vapo-Man," "Iron Skull," and "Masked Marvel," one of the lesser known comics in the Marvel Comics universe. By the early '50s, however, Gilman grew tired of the comic book racket and decided to try his hand at acting. His first on-screen role, albeit uncredited, was in 1950's "The Men," a film about a paralyzed war veteran trying to readjust to society. While shooting the movie, Gilman developed a close bond with Brando, the film's star, and would go on to play supporting roles in several of Brando's films throughout the next two decades, including the 1953 motorcycle drama "The Wild One," the 1961 Brando-directed Western "One-Eyed Jacks," and the offbeat 1976 Western "The Missouri Breaks."