Sam Levene
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.
Known For
Credits
- 1988 · James Stewart: A Wonderful Life as Self (archive footage)
- 1979 · ...And Justice for All as Arnie
- 1979 · Last Embrace as Sam Urdell
- 1977 · The Royal Family as Oscar Wolfe
- 1976 · God Told Me To as Everett Lukas
- 1976 · The Money as Lou Maurice
- 1971 · Such Good Friends as Uncle Eddie
- 1969 · A Dream of Kings as Cicero
- 1966 · A Small Rebellion as Noel Greb
- 1963 · Act One as Richard Maxwell
- 1963 · Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1960 · The Aquanauts as Lieutenant Maharis
- 1959 · The World of Sholom Aleichem as Mendele
- 1958 · Kathy O' as Ben Melnick
- 1957 · Slaughter on 10th Avenue as Howard Rysdale
- 1957 · Sweet Smell of Success as Frank D' Angelo
- 1957 · Designing Woman as Ned Hammerstein
- 1956 · The Opposite Sex as Mike Pearl
- 1953 · Three Sailors and a Girl as Joe Woods
- 1952 · Omnibus as
- 1950 · Dial 1119 as John D. Faron
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · With These Hands as Alexander Brody
- 1950 · Guilty Bystander as Captain Tonetti
- 1948 · Leather Gloves as Bernie
- 1948 · Studio One as Ben Weber
- 1948 · Studio One as Ben Selig
- 1948 · The Babe Ruth Story as Phil Conrad
- 1947 · Killer McCoy as Happy
- 1947 · Crossfire as Samuels
- 1947 · Brute Force as Louie Miller #7033
- 1947 · A Likely Story as Louie
- 1947 · Boomerang! as Morning Record's Reporter Dave Woods
- 1946 · The Killers as Lt. Sam Lubinsky
- 1945 · The True Glory as Commentator
- 1944 · Follow the Boys as Sgt. Leo Andreof (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1944 · The Purple Heart as Lt. Wayne Greenbaum
- 1943 · Shoe Shine Boy as Lucky
- 1943 · Gung Ho! as Leo 'Transport' Andreof
- 1943 · Whistling in Brooklyn as Creeper
- 1943 · I Dood It as Ed Jackson
- 1943 · Action in the North Atlantic as Abel 'Chips' Abrams
- 1942 · Destination Unknown as Victor, Elena's Aide
- 1942 · The Big Street as Horsethief
- 1942 · Sunday Punch as Roscoe
- 1942 · Grand Central Murder as Inspector Gunther
- 1942 · Sing Your Worries Away as Smiley Clark
- 1941 · Shadow of the Thin Man as Lieutenant Abrams
- 1941 · Married Bachelor as Cookie Farrar
- 1939 · Golden Boy as Siggie
- 1938 · The Mad Miss Manton as Lieutenant Brent
- 1938 · The Shopworn Angel as 'Leer'
- 1938 · Yellow Jack as Busch
- 1936 · After the Thin Man as Lt. Abrams
- 1936 · Three Men on a Horse as Patsy
- 1929 · The Talk of Hollywood as Film Buyer