Sam Levene

Born

August 28, 1905

Died

December 28, 1980 (75 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Šack, Belarus

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.

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

Self (archive footage)

6.0

1987

...And Justice for All

...And Justice for All

Arnie

7.1

1979

Last Embrace

Last Embrace

Sam Urdell

5.4

1979

The Royal Family

The Royal Family

Oscar Wolfe

8.0

1977

God Told Me To

God Told Me To

Everett Lukas

5.9

1976

The Money

The Money

Lou Maurice

5.4

1976

Such Good Friends

Such Good Friends

Uncle Eddie

4.9

1971

A Dream of Kings

A Dream of Kings

Cicero

5.0

1969

A Small Rebellion

Noel Greb

0.0

1966

Act One

Act One

Richard Maxwell

5.9

1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

(1 episode)

5.7

1963

The Merv Griffin Show

The Merv Griffin Show

Self · (1 episode)

6.2

1962

The Aquanauts

The Aquanauts

Lieutenant Maharis · (1 episode)

5.5

1960

The World of Sholom Aleichem

The World of Sholom Aleichem

Mendele

0.0

1959

Kathy O'

Kathy O'

Ben Melnick

10.0

1958

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Howard Rysdale

5.4

1957

Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success

Frank D' Angelo

7.6

1957

Designing Woman

Designing Woman

Ned Hammerstein

6.6

1957

The Opposite Sex

The Opposite Sex

Mike Pearl

5.2

1956

The Matchmaker

Horace Vandergelder

0.0

1954

Three Sailors and a Girl

Three Sailors and a Girl

Joe Woods

6.0

1953

Omnibus

Omnibus

(1 episode)

6.0

1952

Dial 1119

Dial 1119

John D. Faron

5.6

1950

The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour

Self · (1 episode)

6.8

1950

With These Hands

With These Hands

Alexander Brody

5.0

1950

Guilty Bystander

Guilty Bystander

Captain Tonetti

5.5

1950

Leather Gloves

Leather Gloves

Bernie

0.0

1948

Studio One

Studio One

Ben Weber · (1 episode)

5.0

1948

Studio One

Studio One

Ben Selig · (1 episode)

5.0

1948

The Babe Ruth Story

The Babe Ruth Story

Phil Conrad

5.8

1948

Killer McCoy

Killer McCoy

Happy

6.0

1947

Crossfire

Crossfire

Samuels

6.6

1947

Brute Force

Brute Force

Louie Miller #7033

7.3

1947

A Likely Story

A Likely Story

Louie

4.2

1947

Boomerang!

Boomerang!

Morning Record's Reporter Dave Woods

7.0

1947

The Killers

The Killers

Lt. Sam Lubinsky

7.4

1946

The True Glory

The True Glory

Commentator

6.3

1945

Follow the Boys

Follow the Boys

Sgt. Leo Andreof (archive footage) (uncredited)

5.3

1944

The Purple Heart

The Purple Heart

Lt. Wayne Greenbaum

6.0

1944

Shoe Shine Boy

Lucky

7.0

1943

Gung Ho!

Gung Ho!

Leo 'Transport' Andreof

5.2

1943

Whistling in Brooklyn

Whistling in Brooklyn

Creeper

6.3

1943

I Dood It

I Dood It

Ed Jackson

3.5

1943

Action in the North Atlantic

Action in the North Atlantic

Abel 'Chips' Abrams

7.1

1943

Destination Unknown

Destination Unknown

Victor, Elena's Aide

6.0

1942

The Big Street

The Big Street

Horsethief

5.8

1942

Sunday Punch

Sunday Punch

Roscoe

5.0

1942

Grand Central Murder

Grand Central Murder

Inspector Gunther

5.9

1942

Sing Your Worries Away

Smiley Clark

5.5

1942

Shadow of the Thin Man

Shadow of the Thin Man

Lieutenant Abrams

7.0

1941

Married Bachelor

Married Bachelor

Cookie Farrar

5.8

1941

Golden Boy

Golden Boy

Siggie

6.5

1939

The Mad Miss Manton

The Mad Miss Manton

Lieutenant Brent

6.4

1938

The Shopworn Angel

The Shopworn Angel

'Leer'

7.1

1938

Yellow Jack

Yellow Jack

Busch

5.6

1938

After the Thin Man

After the Thin Man

Lt. Abrams

7.3

1936

Three Men on a Horse

Three Men on a Horse

Patsy

6.2

1936

The Talk of Hollywood

The Talk of Hollywood

Film Buyer

5.0

1929