US film actor. He was a star in the late 1940s and 1950s. He played a wide variety of leading roles in such films as Sunset Boulevard (1950), Stalag 17 (1953), Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The Wild Bunch (1969), and Network (1976).
The number of stripes changed frequently until around 1800. Red, white, and blue became the colours of liberty and an inspiration for other revolutionary flags around the world. Effective date: 19 February 1937.