Ernest Borgnine: Stories And Antics From The Beloved Actor's Life

By | January 23, 2020

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Ernest Borgnine in 'The Revengers' (1972). Source: IMDB

Ernest Borgnine was one of those supporting actors who seems to be in every old movie -- westerns like The Wild Bunch (1979), action movies like The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Convoy (1978), and military movies like The Dirty Dozen (1967). Borgnine was a character actor, and off camera he was quite the character as well, one who married frequently and practiced self-care (ahem) seven days a week. 

A Hamden Connecticut native, Ermes Effron Borgnino was born in 1917 to Italian immigrants. When his parents separated, his mother returned to Italy, bringing Ernest along with her. They stayed in Italy for a couple of years, but returned to America when his parents reconciled. By then, his father had changed their name to Borgnine.

He Really Was In The Navy (Just Not McHale's)

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Joe Flynn, Ernest Borgnine, and Tim Conway on 'McHale's Navy.' Source: Pinterest

After Borgnine graduated from high school in 1935, he he worked on a vegetable truck and then enlisted in the Navy after seeing a poster that said “See the World, Join the Navy.” He was honorably discharged in 1941 and after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he reenlisted in 1942, patrolling the Atlantic coast in an antisubmarine warfare ship. By the time he left the Navy, he had obtained the grade of gunner’s mate first class. He received multiple military awards and in 2004, was awarded the honorary title of chief petty officer.