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Sam Levene‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1905-08-28

Popularity

star1.2

Sam Levene

Šack, Belarus

Sam Levene

Šack, Belarus

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1905-08-28

Popularity

star1.2

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.

Movie Credits

Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success‌
star7.6
calendar 1957

Action in the North Atlantic

Action in the North Atlantic‌
star7.0
calendar 1943

Follow the Boys

Follow the Boys‌
star5.2
calendar 1944

God Told Me To

God Told Me To‌
star5.8
calendar 1976

Designing Woman

Designing Woman‌
star6.5
calendar 1957

Crossfire

Crossfire‌
star6.6
calendar 1947

Brute Force

Brute Force‌
star7.3
calendar 1947

Dial 1119

Dial 1119‌
star5.5
calendar 1950

After the Thin Man

After the Thin Man‌
star7.3
calendar 1936

Shadow of the Thin Man

Shadow of the Thin Man‌
star7.0
calendar 1941

The Killers

The Killers‌
star7.3
calendar 1946

The Opposite Sex

The Opposite Sex‌
star5.2
calendar 1956

The Purple Heart

The Purple Heart‌
star6.0
calendar 1944

The Babe Ruth Story

The Babe Ruth Story‌
star5.8
calendar 1948

Guilty Bystander

Guilty Bystander‌
star5.5
calendar 1950

Golden Boy

Golden Boy‌
star6.4
calendar 1939

The Mad Miss Manton

The Mad Miss Manton‌
star6.5
calendar 1938

Last Embrace

Last Embrace‌
star5.4
calendar 1979

...And Justice for All

...And Justice for All‌
star7.1
calendar 1979

Grand Central Murder

Grand Central Murder‌
star5.9
calendar 1942

Gung Ho!

Gung Ho!‌
star5.3
calendar 1943

Boomerang!

Boomerang!‌
star6.9
calendar 1947

Whistling in Brooklyn

Whistling in Brooklyn‌
star6.3
calendar 1943

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Slaughter on 10th Avenue‌
star5.4
calendar 1957

Killer McCoy

Killer McCoy‌
star6.0
calendar 1947

The Big Street

The Big Street‌
star5.8
calendar 1942

Three Men on a Horse

Three Men on a Horse‌
star6.2
calendar 1936

I Dood It

I Dood It‌
star4.0
calendar 1943

Destination Unknown

Destination Unknown‌
star6.0
calendar 1942

Act One

Act One‌
star5.9
calendar 1963

Three Sailors and a Girl

Three Sailors and a Girl‌
star6.0
calendar 1953

Kathy O'

Kathy O'‌
star10.0
calendar 1958

Married Bachelor

Married Bachelor‌
star5.8
calendar 1941

The Talk of Hollywood

The Talk of Hollywood‌
star5.0
calendar 1929

Leather Gloves

Leather Gloves‌
star0.0
calendar 1948

The Royal Family

The Royal Family‌
star8.0
calendar 1977

The Shopworn Angel

The Shopworn Angel‌
star7.1
calendar 1938

A Likely Story

A Likely Story‌
star4.2
calendar 1947

Sunday Punch

Sunday Punch‌
star5.0
calendar 1942

With These Hands

With These Hands‌
star5.0
calendar 1950

A Dream of Kings

A Dream of Kings‌
star5.0
calendar 1969

The Money

The Money‌
star5.4
calendar 1976

Such Good Friends

Such Good Friends‌
star4.9
calendar 1971

Sing Your Worries Away

Sing Your Worries Away‌
star5.5
calendar 1942

Shoe Shine Boy

Shoe Shine Boy‌
star7.0
calendar 1943

Yellow Jack

Yellow Jack‌
star5.6
calendar 1938

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life‌
star6.0
calendar 1988

The True Glory

The True Glory‌
star6.2
calendar 1945

A Small Rebellion

A Small Rebellion‌
star0.0
calendar 1966

The World of Sholom Aleichem

The World of Sholom Aleichem‌
star0.0
calendar 1959

Tv Credits

The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour‌
star7.0
calendar 1950

Omnibus

Omnibus‌
star6.0
calendar 1952

The Merv Griffin Show

The Merv Griffin Show‌
star5.6
calendar 1962

Studio One

Studio One‌
star4.7
calendar 1948

The Aquanauts

The Aquanauts‌
star5.5
calendar 1960

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre‌
star5.5
calendar 1963

Studio One

Studio One‌
star4.7
calendar 1948