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.
1988
as Self (archive footage)
1979
as Arnie
1979
as Sam Urdell
1977
as Oscar Wolfe
1976
as Everett Lukas
1976
as Lou Maurice
1971
as Uncle Eddie
1969
as Cicero
1966
as Noel Greb
1963
as Richard Maxwell
1960
as Lieutenant Maharis
1959
as Mendele
1958
as Ben Melnick
1957
as Howard Rysdale
1957
as Frank D' Angelo
1957
as Ned Hammerstein
1956
as Mike Pearl
1953
as Joe Woods
1950
as John D. Faron
1950
as Self
1950
as Alexander Brody
1950
as Captain Tonetti
1948
as Bernie
1948
as Ben Weber
1948
as Ben Selig
1948
as Phil Conrad
1947
as Happy
1947
as Samuels
1947
as Louie Miller #7033
1947
as Louie
1947
as Morning Record's Reporter Dave Woods
1946
as Lt. Sam Lubinsky
1945
as Commentator
1944
as Sgt. Leo Andreof (archive footage) (uncredited)
1944
as Lt. Wayne Greenbaum
1943
as Lucky
1943
as Leo 'Transport' Andreof
1943
as Creeper
1943
as Ed Jackson
1943
as Abel 'Chips' Abrams
1942
as Victor, Elena's Aide
1942
as Horsethief
1942
as Roscoe
1942
as Inspector Gunther
1942
as Smiley Clark
1941
as Lieutenant Abrams
1941
as Cookie Farrar
1939
as Siggie
1938
as Lieutenant Brent
1938
as 'Leer'
1938
as Busch
1936
as Lt. Abrams
1936
as Patsy
1929
as Film Buyer