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Sam Levene

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.

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James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

1988

as Self (archive footage)

...And Justice for All

...And Justice for All

1979

as Arnie

Last Embrace

Last Embrace

1979

as Sam Urdell

The Royal Family

The Royal Family

1977

as Oscar Wolfe

God Told Me To

God Told Me To

1976

as Everett Lukas

The Money

The Money

1976

as Lou Maurice

Such Good Friends

Such Good Friends

1971

as Uncle Eddie

A Dream of Kings

A Dream of Kings

1969

as Cicero

A Small Rebellion

A Small Rebellion

1966

as Noel Greb

Act One

Act One

1963

as Richard Maxwell

The Aquanauts

The Aquanauts

1960

as Lieutenant Maharis

The World of Sholom Aleichem

The World of Sholom Aleichem

1959

as Mendele

Kathy O'

Kathy O'

1958

as Ben Melnick

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

1957

as Howard Rysdale

Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success

1957

as Frank D' Angelo

Designing Woman

Designing Woman

1957

as Ned Hammerstein

The Opposite Sex

The Opposite Sex

1956

as Mike Pearl

Three Sailors and a Girl

Three Sailors and a Girl

1953

as Joe Woods

Dial 1119

Dial 1119

1950

as John D. Faron

The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour

1950

as Self

With These Hands

With These Hands

1950

as Alexander Brody

Guilty Bystander

Guilty Bystander

1950

as Captain Tonetti

Leather Gloves

Leather Gloves

1948

as Bernie

Studio One

Studio One

1948

as Ben Weber

Studio One

Studio One

1948

as Ben Selig

The Babe Ruth Story

The Babe Ruth Story

1948

as Phil Conrad

Killer McCoy

Killer McCoy

1947

as Happy

Crossfire

Crossfire

1947

as Samuels

Brute Force

Brute Force

1947

as Louie Miller #7033

A Likely Story

A Likely Story

1947

as Louie

Boomerang!

Boomerang!

1947

as Morning Record's Reporter Dave Woods

The Killers

The Killers

1946

as Lt. Sam Lubinsky

The True Glory

The True Glory

1945

as Commentator

Follow the Boys

Follow the Boys

1944

as Sgt. Leo Andreof (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Purple Heart

The Purple Heart

1944

as Lt. Wayne Greenbaum

Shoe Shine Boy

Shoe Shine Boy

1943

as Lucky

Gung Ho!

Gung Ho!

1943

as Leo 'Transport' Andreof

Whistling in Brooklyn

Whistling in Brooklyn

1943

as Creeper

I Dood It

I Dood It

1943

as Ed Jackson

Action in the North Atlantic

Action in the North Atlantic

1943

as Abel 'Chips' Abrams

Destination Unknown

Destination Unknown

1942

as Victor, Elena's Aide

The Big Street

The Big Street

1942

as Horsethief

Sunday Punch

Sunday Punch

1942

as Roscoe

Grand Central Murder

Grand Central Murder

1942

as Inspector Gunther

Sing Your Worries Away

Sing Your Worries Away

1942

as Smiley Clark

Shadow of the Thin Man

Shadow of the Thin Man

1941

as Lieutenant Abrams

Married Bachelor

Married Bachelor

1941

as Cookie Farrar

Golden Boy

Golden Boy

1939

as Siggie

The Mad Miss Manton

The Mad Miss Manton

1938

as Lieutenant Brent

The Shopworn Angel

The Shopworn Angel

1938

as 'Leer'

Yellow Jack

Yellow Jack

1938

as Busch

After the Thin Man

After the Thin Man

1936

as Lt. Abrams

Three Men on a Horse

Three Men on a Horse

1936

as Patsy

The Talk of Hollywood

The Talk of Hollywood

1929

as Film Buyer