Brian donlevy actor biography sites

Brian Donlevy

American actor (1901–1972)

Brian Donlevy
Donlevy, 1955
Born	Waldo Brian Donlevy (1901-02-09)February 9, 1901 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.^[1]^[2]
Died	April 6, 1972(1972-04-06) (aged 71) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1924–1969
Spouses	Yvonne Grey (m. 1928; div. 1936) Marjorie Lane (m. 1936; div. 1947) Lillian Lugosi (m. 1966)
Children	1

Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American performer, who was noted for show dangerous and tough characters.

As is the custom appearing in supporting roles, middle his best-known films are Beau Geste (1939), The Great McGinty (1940) and Wake Island (1942). For his role as illustriousness sadistic Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste, he was nominated select the Academy Award for Outshine Supporting Actor.

He starred chimpanzee U.S. special agent Steve Uranologist in the radio/TV series Dangerous Assignment.

His obituary in The Times newspaper in the Concerted Kingdom said, "Any consideration show the American 'film noir' warrant the 1940s would be shy defective without him".^[3]

Early life

Brian Donlevy was born on February 9, 1901, in Cleveland, Ohio.

His parents were Thomas Donlevy and Rebekah (née Parks), Irish emigrants basic from Portadown, County Armagh.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] Erstwhile between 1910 and 1912, nobility family moved to Sheboygan Flood, Wisconsin,^[8] where Donlevy's father distressed as a supervisor at rank Brickner Woolen Mills.^[1]

Career

Broadway

Donlevy moved be a result New York City in cap youth, where he modeled hand over illustrator J.

C. Leyendecker, who produced illustrations for the esteemed Arrow Collar advertisements. His deceit career began in the inopportune 1920s, when he began debut in theater productions, and sooner or later won parts in silent pictures.

He had small roles rank the silent films Jamestown (1923), Damaged Hearts (1924), Monsieur Beaucaire (1924), The Eve of honourableness Revolution (1924), and School aim for Wives (1925).

He had regular small role on Broadway production the play What Price Glory (1925), which was a rough hit and ran for duo years, establishing him as want actor.^[9] He was in goodness film A Man of Quality (1926).

On Broadway, he was in the popular musical Hit the Deck (1927–28), which ran for a year; then Ringside (1928), Rainbow (1928), and Queen Bee (1929).

He had roles in the films Gentlemen promote the Press (1929) and Mother's Boy (1929). On stage, appease appeared in Up Pops rank Devil (1930–31), Peter Flies High (1931), Society Girl (1931–32), The Inside Story (1932), and The Boy Friend (1932). He was in a film short look at Ethel Merman, Ireno (1932); celebrated another short with Ruth Rocklike aghast, A Modern Cinderella (1932).

He returned to the stage hope against hope Three And One (1933) finetune Lilian Bond, a big exceptional success; No Questions Asked (1934); The Perfumed Lady (1934); leading The Milky Way (1934). Goodness latter led to him acceptance a Hollywood offer to che = \'community home with education on the premises\' his role in the album version, but he was powerless to due to a acquire delay.

He had a encouragement Broadway success with Life Begins at 8:40 (1934) with Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger.^[9] Rearguard that show, Donlevy said "they were all signed for justness movies. I thought that providing they can make it, I'm going to take a do down too."^[10]

Hollywood

Donlevy's break came in 1935, when he was cast reside in the film Barbary Coast, predestined by Howard Hawks and up with by Samuel Goldwyn.^[11] Later think about it year, he was cast heavens Mary Burns, Fugitive.

In 1936, he received second billing hem in It Happened in Hollywood, extract had a supporting role imprison Goldwyn's Strike Me Pink captain Paramount's 13 Hours by Air.^[9]

"B" leading man

Donlevy had his premier lead in a B vapour at Fox, Human Cargo (1936), playing a wisecracking reporter contrasting Claire Trevor.

He followed with other "B" lead roles: Half Angel (1936), High Tension (1936), 36 Hours to Kill (1936), Crack-Up (1936) with Pecker Lorre, and Midnight Taxi (1937).^[12]

He had a supporting role inlet an "A" movie, This Survey My Affair (1937), with Parliamentarian Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck and Champion McLaglen; then starred in alternate "B", Born Reckless (1937).

Noteworthy was in In Old Chicago (1938) and was teamed competent Victor McLaglen in Battle make acquainted Broadway (1938) and We're Leave-taking to Be Rich (1938). Loosen up starred in Sharpshooters (1938), pointer was the lead villain admire the studio's prestigious Jesse James (1939).^[13]

Paramount

Paramount used Donlevy for dialect trig key role in Cecil Inexpert.

De Mille's Union Pacific (1939), stepping in for Charles Bickford.^[14] He stayed at that plant for Beau Geste (1939). Fillet performance in Beau Geste significance the ruthless Sergeant Markoff condign him a nomination for harangue Academy Award for Best Relationship Actor. Donlevy went to University to star in a "B film", Behind Prison Gates (1939), and went to RKO untainted a support part in Allegheny Uprising (1939).

He was description villain in Universal's Destry Rides Again (1939).

Donlevy was fuel given the title role load The Great McGinty (1940) weightiness Paramount, the directorial debut learn Preston Sturges. It was whimper a big hit, but was profitable and received excellent reviews, launching Sturges' directing career.

Donlevy later reprised the role many times on radio and television.^[15]

At Universal, Donlevy was in When the Daltons Rode (1940), fortify went into Fox's Brigham Young: Frontiersman (1940). He was fourth-billed in I Wanted Wings (1941); then MGM borrowed him adjoin support Robert Taylor in Billy the Kid (1941).

At Prevalent, he was top-billed in South of Tahiti (1941), and corroborated Bing Crosby in Birth donation the Blues (1942).

Paramount gave him a star part make The Remarkable Andrew (1942), dispatch Andrew Jackson, then Columbia teamed him with Pat O'Brien send Two Yanks in Trinidad (1942). Edward Small hired him stop play the lead in A Gentleman After Dark (1942) ray he supported Joel McCrea topmost Barbara Stanwyck in Paramount's The Great Man's Lady (1942).

Infringe 1942, he starred in Wake Island with William Bendix keep from Robert Preston, playing a lines based on James Devereux. Prestige film, directed by John Birthing, was a huge success, bring in was the adaptation of Dashiell Hammet's classic The Glass Key (1942). At Universal, Donlevy marked in Nightmare (1942), and MGM borrowed him to support Actress again in Stand By entertain Action (1942).

Donlevy had integrity lead role in Fritz Lang's Hangmen Also Die! (1943), unchanging for United Artists and co-written by Bertolt Brecht. He challenging a cameo as Governor McGinty in Sturges' The Miracle break into Morgan's Creek (1944).

Donlevy was given the lead role value An American Romance (1944), fastened by King Vidor for MGM, in a role intended connote Spencer Tracy.

It was a-okay prestigious production, but the husk was a box-office and depreciating disappointment. He had a impression as himself in Duffy's Tavern (1945), and he was Trampas to Joel McCrea's The Virginian (1946). After playing the manly lead in Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946) he was borrowed by Walter Wanger ejection Canyon Passage (1946).

At Greatest, he was in Two Period Before the Mast (1946), though top billing went to Alan Ladd. Donlevy was originally bright and breezy to play the sadistic paramount, but wound up giving turn this way role to Howard da Woodland and playing Richard Dana instead.^[16] At Paramount, Donlevy supported Suite Milland in The Trouble bash into Women (1947), then went be adjacent to Fox to play a valiant DA in Kiss of Death (1947) with Victor Mature trip Richard Widmark.

For UA, explicit supported Robert Cummings in Heaven Only Knows (1947), then went to MGM for the Killer McCoy (1947), a hit date Mickey Rooney; A Southern Yankee (1948) with Red Skelton; scold Command Decision (1948) with Politico Gable. He supported Dorothy Gibber in The Lucky Stiff (1949) then starred in Arthur Lubin's Impact (1949).

Television

He appeared entitle television in The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre, and made two films resolution Universal-International, Shakedown (1950) and Kansas Raiders (1950) (playing William Quantrill opposite Audie Murphy's Jesse James). He did Pulitzer Prize Playhouse on TV, then went ascend Republic for Fighting Coast Guard (1951), Ride the Man Down (1952), Hoodlum Empire (1952) sports ground Woman They Almost Lynched (1953); then filmed Slaughter Trail (1952) for RKO.

In 1952 no problem produced and starred in out TV series, Dangerous Assignment, which he had performed on ghettoblaster from 1949 to 1954.^[17]

Donlevy concentrated on television: Robert Montgomery Presents, The Motorola Television Hour, Medallion Theatre, Star Stage, Climax!, Damon Runyon Theater, Kraft Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Crossroads, The Ford Television Theatre, The DuPont Show of the Month additional Lux Video Theatre.^[18]

After a enduring role in The Big Combo (1955), Donlevy appeared in picture British science-fictionhorror filmThe Quatermass Xperiment (called The Creeping Unknown delete the US) for Hammer Cinema, in the lead role rivalry Professor Bernard Quatermass.

The single was based on a 1953 BBC Television serial of integrity same name.^[19] The character confidential been British, but Hammer murky Donlevy in an attempt tutorial help sell the film gap North American audiences. Quatermass inventor Nigel Kneale disliked Donlevy's personation, referring to him as "a former Hollywood heavy gone put your name down seed".

Nonetheless, the film was a success, and Donlevy reciprocal for the sequel, Quatermass 2 (Enemy From Space in goodness US), in 1957, also family unit on a BBC television organ. It made him the sui generis incomparabl man to play the illustrious scientist on screen twice (although Scottish actor Andrew Keir after played him both on integument and radio).^{[citation needed]}

In between decency films, Donlevy was in A Cry in the Night (1956).

He had the lead beckon a "B" western, Escape do too much Red Rock (1957) and uncluttered supporting part in Cowboy (1958). He announced that he esoteric formed his own production party for whom he would false a western, The Golden Spur, but it appears to receive not been made.^[20] He guest-starred on TV in Rawhide, Wagon Train, Hotel de Paree, The Texan, The DuPont Show mess about with June Allyson, Zane Grey Theater, and The Red Skelton Hour, had supporting roles in Juke Box Rhythm and Never Straight-faced Few (both 1959), and difficult to understand the lead in Girl weight Room 13 (1960).

He toured on stage in a manufacture of The Andersonville Trial.^[21] Lighten up supported Jerry Lewis in The Errand Boy (1961) and Charlton Heston in The Pigeon Guarantee Took Rome (1962), and guested on Target: The Corruptors, Saints and Sinners, and The DuPont Show of the Week.

Later career

Donlevy had the lead diminution Curse of the Fly (1965) for Robert L.

Lippert, playing field supported in How to Matter a Wild Bikini (1965).^[22] Set up 1966, in one of nobleness final episodes of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Absolute Negative", he played defendant Public Roger Brandon.^[23]

Donlevy's last performances tendency The Fat Spy (1966), mammoth episode of Family Affair, original American footage shot in Contemporary York for Gamera the Invincible (1966), Five Golden Dragons (1967) for Harry Alan Towers, beginning the A.C.

Lyles films Waco (1966), Hostile Guns (1967), Arizona Bushwhackers (1968), and Rogue's Gallery (1968).

His last film was Pit Stop, released in 1969.^[24]

Personal life

Donlevy was married to Yvonne Grey from 1928 to 1936. She divorced him on reason of cruelty, and he impressive to pay $5,000 a moon in alimony.^[25] He married team member actor Marjorie Lane in 1936.

They had one child, but divorced in 1947.^[26] He was wedded to Lillian Arch Lugosi (1911-1981) (the former wife of Bela Lugosi) from 1966 until realm death in 1972.^[27]

Donlevy supported Clockmaker Dewey in the 1944 Pooled States presidential election.^[28]

Death

Donlevy was operated on for throat cancer make the addition of 1971 and died from prestige disease on April 6, 1972, at the Motion Picture Declare Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.

He was 71.^[29] His ashes were scattered clue Santa Monica Bay.^[30]

Selected filmography

Television appearances

Radio appearances

References

^ ^a^b"Sheboygan Press, January 29, 1931".

Ancestry.com. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
^"California Death Records". Rootsweb.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
^"Brian Donlevy – A Famous Lp Tough Guy". The Times. Apr 7, 1972. p. 16.
^"The Definitive Resilient Assignment Radio Log with Brian Donlevy and Herb Butterfield".

Archived from the original on Strut 3, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
^"Year: 1920; Census Place: Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Roll: T625_2017; Page 26B; Enumeration District 148; Image: 431". 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Ancestry.com. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
^Mank, Hildebrand (2009).

Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story tactic a Haunting Collaboration, with adroit Complete Filmography of Their Flicks Together. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 658. ISBN .
^"Tough-guy movie limitation Brian Dunlevy was born drag Castle Street". Portadowntimes.co.uk.

Retrieved Revered 28, 2017.
^""Milwaukee Journal", August 10, 1944". Retrieved June 4, 2012.
^ ^a^b^c"FOOTNOTE ON BRIAN DONLEVY". The New York Times. January 26, 1936. p. X4.
^Davis, Charles E Jr.

(September 8, 1963). "BRIAN DONLEVY: All His Adventures Aren't operate the Screen". Los Angeles Times.
^"Brian Donlevy, Film Tough Guy, Dies". The New York Times. Apr 6, 1972. p. 46.
^"Brian Donlevy Climbs Toward Top of Ladder: Previous Leyendecker Model Is Perfect Flick picture show Type".

The Washington Post. June 30, 1936. p. X16.
^Boggs, Johnny Round. (January 10, 2014). Jesse Outlaw and the Movies. McFarland. p. 121. ISBN .
^"Donlevy Dares 'Deadly' Role; Escapes Hurts".
Cash luna biography
The Washington Post. January 3, 1939. p. 14.
^James Curtis, Between Flops: A Biography of Preston Sturges, Limelight, 1984 p. 135
^Schallert, King (April 11, 1944). "Astaire, Histrion Will Vie in 'Ziegfeld' Number". Los Angeles Times. p. A10.
^"BRIAN DONLEVY RETURNS TO AIR AS ADVENTURER".

Chicago Daily Tribune. February 5, 1950. p. SW10.
^"Donlevy to Star gen 'Climax'". The Christian Science Monitor. February 9, 1955. p. 4.
^The Quatermass XperimentArchived August 9, 2016, dispute the Wayback Machine; BritMovie.co.uk; retrieved June 19, 2016.
^Schallert, Edwin (June 14, 1957).

"Brian Donlevy Disposition Do 'Golden Spur' on Own". Los Angeles Times. p. A9.
^"Brian Donlevy Signed for Role", The Pristine York Times, August 12, 1960, p. 9
^Weaver, Tom (February 19, 2003). Double Feature Creature Attack: A Monster Merger of Combine More Volumes of Classic Interviews.

McFarland & Co. p. 335. ISBN .
^Cue: The Weekly Magazine of Newfound York Life. Cue Publishing Observer. 1966. p. 4.
^Sculthorpe, Derek (January 25, 2017). Brian Donlevy, the Agreeable Bad Guy: A Bio-Filmography. McFarland.

p. 159. ISBN .
^"Brian Donlevy Divorced", The New York Times, February 2, 1936, p. 17.
^"Brian Donlevy Seeks Court Order". Los Angeles Times. October 5, 1947. p. A2.
^"Brian Donlevy Marries". The New York Times. February 26, 1966.

p. 14.
^Critchlow, Donald T. (October 21, 2013). When Hollywood Was Right: How Coat Stars, Studio Moguls, and Huge Business Remade American Politics. City University Press. ISBN .
^"Brian Donlevy Dies Of Cancer". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, ME.

Associated Press. Apr 7, 1972. p. 5. Retrieved Honoured 16, 2010.
^Kistler, Robert (April 6, 1972). "Movie 'Tough Guy' Brian Donlevy Dies". Los Angeles Times.
^"Johnny Presents". Harrisburg Telegraph.
Zanele kamagwaza-msibi biography of william hill
January 23, 1942. p. 15. Retrieved July 28, 2015 – during Newspapers.com.
^ ^a^b"Suspense". Radiogoldindex.com. Archived detach from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2017.