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.
Known For

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self (archive footage)
1987

...And Justice for All
Arnie
1979

Last Embrace
Sam Urdell
1979

The Royal Family
Oscar Wolfe
1977

God Told Me To
Everett Lukas
1976

The Money
Lou Maurice
1976

Such Good Friends
Uncle Eddie
1971

A Dream of Kings
Cicero
1969
A Small Rebellion
Noel Greb
1966

Act One
Richard Maxwell
1963
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
(1 episode)
1963

The Merv Griffin Show
Self · (1 episode)
1962

The Aquanauts
Lieutenant Maharis · (1 episode)
1960

The World of Sholom Aleichem
Mendele
1959

Kathy O'
Ben Melnick
1958

Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Howard Rysdale
1957

Sweet Smell of Success
Frank D' Angelo
1957

Designing Woman
Ned Hammerstein
1957

The Opposite Sex
Mike Pearl
1956
The Matchmaker
Horace Vandergelder
1954

Three Sailors and a Girl
Joe Woods
1953

Omnibus
(1 episode)
1952

Dial 1119
John D. Faron
1950

The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (1 episode)
1950

With These Hands
Alexander Brody
1950

Guilty Bystander
Captain Tonetti
1950

Leather Gloves
Bernie
1948

Studio One
Ben Weber · (1 episode)
1948

Studio One
Ben Selig · (1 episode)
1948

The Babe Ruth Story
Phil Conrad
1948

Killer McCoy
Happy
1947

Crossfire
Samuels
1947

Brute Force
Louie Miller #7033
1947

A Likely Story
Louie
1947

Boomerang!
Morning Record's Reporter Dave Woods
1947

The Killers
Lt. Sam Lubinsky
1946

The True Glory
Commentator
1945

Follow the Boys
Sgt. Leo Andreof (archive footage) (uncredited)
1944

The Purple Heart
Lt. Wayne Greenbaum
1944
Shoe Shine Boy
Lucky
1943

Gung Ho!
Leo 'Transport' Andreof
1943

Whistling in Brooklyn
Creeper
1943

I Dood It
Ed Jackson
1943

Action in the North Atlantic
Abel 'Chips' Abrams
1943

Destination Unknown
Victor, Elena's Aide
1942

The Big Street
Horsethief
1942

Sunday Punch
Roscoe
1942

Grand Central Murder
Inspector Gunther
1942
Sing Your Worries Away
Smiley Clark
1942

Shadow of the Thin Man
Lieutenant Abrams
1941

Married Bachelor
Cookie Farrar
1941

Golden Boy
Siggie
1939

The Mad Miss Manton
Lieutenant Brent
1938

The Shopworn Angel
'Leer'
1938

Yellow Jack
Busch
1938

After the Thin Man
Lt. Abrams
1936

Three Men on a Horse
Patsy
1936

The Talk of Hollywood
Film Buyer
1929