1905-08-28 ( 119 years old ) in Šack, Belarus
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.
Movies
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1988-11-22
...And Justice for All
1979-10-19
Last Embrace
1979-05-04
The Royal Family
1977-11-09
God Told Me To
1976-10-22
The Money
1976-05-31
Such Good Friends
1971-12-16
A Dream of Kings
1969-12-15
A Small Rebellion
1966-02-09
Act One
1963-12-26
The World of Sholom Aleichem
1959-12-14
Kathy O'
1958-09-24
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
1957-09-01
Sweet Smell of Success
1957-07-04
Designing Woman
1957-05-16
The Opposite Sex
1956-11-15
Three Sailors and a Girl
1953-11-23
Dial 1119
1950-11-03
With These Hands
1950-06-15
Guilty Bystander
1950-04-20
Leather Gloves
1948-11-11
The Babe Ruth Story
1948-09-16
Killer McCoy
1947-12-01
Crossfire
1947-08-15
Brute Force
1947-07-16
A Likely Story
1947-04-18
Boomerang!
1947-02-28
The Killers
1946-08-30
The True Glory
1945-08-27
Follow the Boys
1944-05-05
The Purple Heart
1944-02-25
Shoe Shine Boy
1943-12-25
Gung Ho!
1943-12-20
Whistling in Brooklyn
1943-12-01
I Dood It
1943-09-01
Action in the North Atlantic
1943-06-12
Destination Unknown
1942-10-09
The Big Street
1942-08-13
Sunday Punch
1942-05-08
Grand Central Murder
1942-05-01
Sing Your Worries Away
1942-03-06
Shadow of the Thin Man
1941-11-21
Married Bachelor
1941-10-16
Golden Boy
1939-09-05
The Mad Miss Manton
1938-10-21
The Shopworn Angel
1938-07-15
Yellow Jack
1938-05-19
After the Thin Man
1936-12-25
Three Men on a Horse
1936-11-21
The Talk of Hollywood
1929-12-10
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