Actor, film editor and the only son of screen legend John Garfield, he was named David Patton Garfield at birth, after his maternal grandfather and General George S. Patton. His early years were spent in Hollywood, however, his father's death in 1952 provoked a permanent return to New York for the family. In the mid-1960s, after work on the stage, David began getting small but interesting film roles, billing himself usually as John Garfield, Jr. Despite some real talent, his acting career never really took off and he drifted into behind-the-camera work. He worked alongside John Cassavetes on projects and established himself as a reliable film editor. Like his father, who died at 39, David died of heart failure at a 51. He is not to be confused with the younger American actor J.D. Garfield or the British actor David Garfield.
