John Garfield, original name Jacob Julius Garfinkle, (born March 4, 1913, New York, New York, U.S.—died May 21, 1952, New York City), American film and stage actor who is best known for his intense portrayals of rebels and antiheroes. Garfield grew up in the poor Jewish section of New York City’s Lower East Side. Street-gang involvement and numerous fistfights landed him in a reform school during his teen years, where he soon blossomed in forensic and athletic activities. A scholarship he won in