Lee Marvin died at 63 of heart attack in Tucson
Lee Marvin, 63, died of a heart attack at Tucson Medical Center on Saturday, Aug. 29, 1987.
Marvin apparently died around noon, with his wife, Pamela, by his side. Obituaries in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and those of the Associated Press and United Press International all cited hospital spokesman Tom Reavis for the details. (UPI spelled the name “Revis.”) Reavis said Marvin had been in the hospital since Aug. 13, or 16 days, battling what the New York Times said was a “run-down condition related to the flu.”
The New York Times obituary, apparently citing an account of the time, said Marvin had undergone intestinal surgery the previous December and doctors had found an “inflammation of the colon” but not “malignancy.”
In the late ’60s and early ’70s, Marvin was one of the world’s biggest movie stars and among the most highly paid. That career rapidly downshifted in the mid- to late ’70s, not unlike that of Steve McQueen. A fellow Hollywood tough guy around the same age, Charles Bronson, only got bigger after making “Death Wish” in his early 50s.
Marvin’s obituaries make almost as big of a deal about the palimony lawsuit filed against him by Michele Triola as his film career. Marvin had lived with Triola for about six years, according to the New York Times, and though not actually married, she sued for a share of his income during their relationship. The Times said Triola lost the suit in April 1979 “after a sensational 11-week trial” that is probably not remembered by many today. The Times said “a number of Hollywood celebrities testified in support of Mr. Marvin.”
Those celebrities were not heard from at the time of Marvin’s obituary. Given that Marvin died around noon in Arizona, Hollywood colleagues would’ve had ample time to issue statements. But the AP and New York Times obituaries included none, and the Los Angeles Times quoted only Jane Fonda with a statement Saturday. Fonda was Marvin’s co-star in “Cat Ballou” and, according to the Times, said Marvin “taught me a very important thing, which is that when you’re a movie star, you have the responsibility to think of the crew ... For all his seeming hard-living and gruffness, he had a big heart.”
Marvin in his prime famously gave interviews to Roger Ebert, with colorful language, indicating a nonchalance toward Hollywood and his own celebrity. The L.A. Times obituary said he moved to Tucson after marrying Pamela Feeley, apparently his second wife. As with many Hollywood celebrities, a lot of information about Marvin is found around the internet without a whole lot of sourcing. Marvin’s Wikipedia page calls him “a heavy smoker and drinker.” That is quite possibly true, but the L.A. Times obituary asserts, “He drank only rarely,” apparently basing that on a quote a few years earlier from Marvin, “The pleasure just isn’t worth the pain.”
Marvin, a veteran, is associated with war films and westerns, genres that declined after the early ’70s and while Marvin was in his 50s. He was not in many films in the 1980s, and the New York Times and Chicago Tribune both put his obituary on farther-back pages, only a text refer and no photo on Page 1. A few big veteran stars (Burt Reynolds comes to mind) fade away only to enjoy a late-career revival. It seems unlikely, had Marvin remained healthy, that his career ever would’ve reapproached the heights of the late ’60s.
He had artistic cred as a Best Actor Oscar winner — going 1-for-1 with a nomination and win for “Cat Ballou.” The other nominees were Laurence Olivier (Othello), Rod Steiger (The Pawnbroker), Richard Burton (The Spy Who Came In from the Cold) and Oskar Werner (Ship of Fools). At the Oscars, Marvin received a rousing ovation.
Though he died in August, Marvin was not buried until October. According to the Associated Press, Marvin was buried at Arlington National Cenetery on Oct. 7, 1987, after a private service.
(October 2026)
