Sam Levene, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Sam Levene
Acting

Sam Levene
Homepage
http://www.samlevene.com/
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1905-08-28,Šack, Belarus
Gender
Male
Biography
Sam Levene was a Broadway, film, radio and television actor who in a career spanning 5 decades created some of the most legendary comedic roles in American theatrical history. Levene appeared in a staggering list of 38 Broadway productions, 33 of which were the original Broadway productions, including Nathan Detroit, the craps-shooter extraordinaire, in the 1950 original Broadway production of "Guys and Dolls", Max Kane, the hapless agent, in the original 1932 Broadway production of "Dinner at Eight", Patsy, the comedic gambler, in the 1935 Broadway farce "Three Men on a Horse" , Gordon Miller, the shoestring producer, in the original 1937 Broadway production of "Room Service", Sidney Black, the theatrical producer, in " Light Up the Sky" , Horace Vandergelder, the crotchety merchant of Yonkers, in the 1954 premier UK production of Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker" and Al Lewis, the retired vaudevillian, in the original 1972 Broadway production of Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys". Levene was a consistent presence on Broadway for 5 decades; Levene's first Broadway play was in 1927, the last in 1980. Throughout his career Levene effortlessly segued between starring roles in over 100 productions on stage, radio, television and film, appearing in a variety of roles, including policemen, servicemen, gamblers, gangsters, newspaper reporter, theatrical producer, actor's agent, dress manufacturer and even a psychiatrist and was equally adept in segueing from comedy to farce and drama. 9 years after making his Broadway debut, Levene was lured to Hollywood where he made his motion picture debut as Patsy in the 1936 film version of "Three Men on a Horse" earning $1,000 a week. Known as a dependable character actor, Levene appeared in 50 films, including 14 at MGM, which included two appearances as Police Lieutenant Abrams in the "Thin Man" series. During his five-decade Hollywood career, Levene established himself as one the great film noir stalwarts. Levene's film noir credits include his riveting performance as Samuels, the murdered GI, in "Crossfire" (1947), considered by many as one of RKO’s if not perhaps of any studio’s best film noirs. Other film noir credits include: William Holden's taxi-driving brother-in-law "Siggie" in "Golden Boy" (1939), "Action in the North Atlantic" (1943), a Doolittle Flyer and Japanese POW in "The Purple Heart" (1944), a police lieutenant in "The Killers" (1946), "Brute Force" (1947), "Boomerang" (1947), "Killer McCoy" (1947), "Dial 1119" (1950), "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957), "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" (1957). In 1961 Levene was nominated for the 1961 Tony Award for Best Actor in a play for his performance as Dr. Aldo Meyer in Dore Schary's "The Devil's Advocate". Levene never received a Tony; by the time the Tony's were established in 1947, Levene had already created roles in 16 original Broadway shows, including legendary performances in the original Broadway productions of "Dinner at Eight"(1932), "Three Men on a Horse" (1935), "Room Service" (1937) and "Margin For Error" (1939). In 1984, Levene was posthumously inducted in the American Theatre Hall of Fame and in 1998, Sam Levene along with the original Broadway cast of the 1950 "Guys and Dolls" Decca cast album posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Sweet Smell of Success

7.6

Sweet Smell of Success
1957-07-04

Action in the North Atlantic

7

Action in the North Atlantic
1943-06-12

Follow the Boys

5.2

Follow the Boys
1944-05-05

5.8

God Told Me To
1976-10-22

Designing Woman

6.5

Designing Woman
1957-05-16

6.612

Crossfire
1947-08-15

7.284

Brute Force
1947-07-16

5.5

Dial 1119
1950-11-03

After the Thin Man

7.3

After the Thin Man
1936-12-25

Shadow of the Thin Man

7

Shadow of the Thin Man
1941-11-21

7.3

The Killers
1946-08-30

The Opposite Sex

5.2

The Opposite Sex
1956-11-15

The Purple Heart

6

The Purple Heart
1944-02-25

The Babe Ruth Story

5.8

The Babe Ruth Story
1948-09-16

Guilty Bystander

5.481

Guilty Bystander
1950-04-20

6.4

Golden Boy
1939-09-05

The Mad Miss Manton

6.5

The Mad Miss Manton
1938-10-21

5.4

Last Embrace
1979-05-04

...And Justice for All

7.1

...And Justice for All
1979-10-19

Grand Central Murder

5.9

Grand Central Murder
1942-05-01

5.3

Gung Ho!
1943-12-20

6.9

Boomerang!
1947-02-28

Whistling in Brooklyn

6.3

Whistling in Brooklyn
1943-12-01

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

5.4

Slaughter on 10th Avenue
1957-09-01

6

Killer McCoy
1947-12-01

5.8

The Big Street
1942-08-13

Three Men on a Horse

6.2

Three Men on a Horse
1936-11-21

4

I Dood It
1943-09-01

Destination Unknown

6

Destination Unknown
1942-10-09

5.9

Act One
1963-12-26

Three Sailors and a Girl

6

Three Sailors and a Girl
1953-11-23

10

Kathy O'
1958-09-24

Married Bachelor

5.8

Married Bachelor
1941-10-16

The Talk of Hollywood

5

The Talk of Hollywood
1929-12-10

0

Leather Gloves
1948-11-11

The Royal Family

8

The Royal Family
1977-11-09

The Shopworn Angel

7.1

The Shopworn Angel
1938-07-15

4.2

A Likely Story
1947-04-18

5

Sunday Punch
1942-05-08

With These Hands

5

With These Hands
1950-06-15

A Dream of Kings

5

A Dream of Kings
1969-12-15

5.4

The Money
1976-05-31

Such Good Friends

4.9

Such Good Friends
1971-12-16

Sing Your Worries Away

5.5

Sing Your Worries Away
1942-03-06

7

Shoe Shine Boy
1943-12-25

5.6

Yellow Jack
1938-05-19

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

6

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1988-11-22

6.1

The True Glory
1945-08-27

A Small Rebellion

0

A Small Rebellion
1966-02-09

The World of Sholom Aleichem

0

The World of Sholom Aleichem
1959-12-14

The Colgate Comedy Hour

7

The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950-09-10

6

Omnibus
1952-11-09

The Merv Griffin Show

5.3

The Merv Griffin Show
1962-10-01

4.4

Studio One
1948-11-07

5.5

The Aquanauts
1960-09-14

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

5.2

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963-10-04

4.4

Studio One
1948-11-07