Sam Levene

Acteur, Producteur

28 août 1905 — 28 décembre 1980 (75 ans)
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.

Films & Séries sur Plex

  • Les Démons de la Liberté
    Les Démons de la Liberté1947
  • Gung Ho
    Gung Ho1943
  • La Vraie Gloire
    La Vraie Gloire1945

Connue pour

  • Le Grand Chantage
    Le Grand Chantage1957
  • Justice pour tous
    Justice pour tous1979
  • Les Tueurs
    Les Tueurs1946
  • Feux croisés
    Feux croisés1947
  • Les Démons de la Liberté
    Les Démons de la Liberté1947
  • La Femme modèle
    La Femme modèle1957
  • L'ombre de l'introuvable
    L'ombre de l'introuvable1941
  • Meurtres sous contrôle
    Meurtres sous contrôle1976
  • Nick, Gentleman détective
    Nick, Gentleman détective1936
  • Miss Manton est folle
    Miss Manton est folle1938
  • Meurtres en cascade
    Meurtres en cascade1979
  • Boomerang !
    Boomerang !1947
  • Convoi vers la Russie
    Convoi vers la Russie1943
  • Les âmes nues
    Les âmes nues1950
  • L'Esclave aux mains d'or
    L'Esclave aux mains d'or1939
  • Gung Ho
    Gung Ho1943
  • La poupée brisée
    La poupée brisée1942
  • Le criminel mystérieux
    Le criminel mystérieux1950
  • L'homme le plus aimé
    L'homme le plus aimé1948
  • L'ange impur
    L'ange impur1938

Filmographie

2009
The Rules of Film Noir · as Police Lt. Sam Lubinsky (clip From The Killers (1946))
1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life - Hosted by Johnny Carson · as Police Lt. Abrams (clip From After The Thin Man (1936))
1982
Henry Fonda: The Man and His Movies · as Actor In 'the Mad Miss Manton'
1979
Us Two · as Cast
1979
1979
Last Embrace · as Sam Urdell
1979
The Champ · as Uncle Eddie
1976
God Told Me To · as Everett Lukas
1976
Atlantic City Jackpot · as Lou Maurice
1971
Such Good Friends · as Uncle Eddie
1969
A Dream of Kings · as Cicero
1963
Act One · as Richard Maxwell
1963
1960
The Witness · as Louis Buchalter
1960
The Aquanauts · as Lieutenant Maharis
1959
The Play of the Week · as Mendele
1959
The Untouchables · as Larry Fay
1958
Kathy O' · as Ben Melnick
1957
A Farewell to Arms · as Swiss Sergeant
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
1953
The United States Steel Hour · as Reporter Mcardle
1953
1952
1950
Dial 1119 · as John D. Faron
1950
With These Hands · as Alexander Brody
1950
Guilty Bystander · as Captain Tonetti
1948
Studio One · as Ben Weber
1948
Ford Theatre · as Sidney Black
1948
The Babe Ruth Story · as Phil Conrad
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show · as Actor - Dramatic Reading
1947
Killer McCoy · as Happy
1947
Crossfire · as Samuels
1947
Brute Force · as Louie Miller #7033Sur Plex
1947
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 CommentatorSur Plex
1944
Follow the Boys · as Sgt. Leo Andreof (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1944
The Purple Heart · as Lt. Wayne Greenbaum
1943
'Gung Ho!': The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders · as Leo 'transport' AndreofSur Plex
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
Married Bachelor · as Cookie Farrar
1941
Shadow of the Thin Man · as Lieutenant Abrams
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 Abrams
1936
1929
The Talk of Hollywood · as Film Buyer