'Loved Sterling Hayden - had the chance to meet and talk with him here in Maine a year or so before he died - he autographed his book "The Wanderer" for me.
AS a writer, he has been compared with Melville, Fitzgerald, etc - really a great writer.
AS a young man, he schooled here in Maine and started out on schooners - soon becoming a Master. During a hurricane that sank and beached many a vessel, Hayden sailed his schooner safely into port - and was photographed for the newspaper - looking like a Viking warrior - (blond, handsome, very tall) - Hollywood swooped in and picked him up...dubbing him "The Beautiful Blond Viking God "
He hated Hollywood and the whole industry. The only film he ever worked on that he liked was "Asphalt Jungle" for which he won critical acclaim. Otherwise, he looked upon acting only as a means to fund his real, as apposed to "reel" life.
He lived for years on a barge in Paris - when he ran out of money, he'd run back and do a film.
If you've never read "The Wanderer" - his story about setting sail in a two masted schooner across the pacific - defying a court order in taking his 4 children with him - he had (early 1960's) won custody of his children, almost unprecedented for a father then) but was ordered not to take them with him on his boat - no radio etc - across the ocean. So he filed a sailing plan for a sail to Catalina - but just kept on agoing until he hit Tahiti.
"The Wanderer" (name of his boat) is his story of that adventure. It is a great read - great writer.
When I met him, he was living on a boat in Sausalito - gave me address and invitation to visit - I didn't LOL - but I have a great photo of him that I took...complete with his ever present cigar.