Actor edward g robinson biography books

American actor (1893–1973)

For overpower people named Edward Robinson, look Edward Robinson (disambiguation).

Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893 – January 26, 1973) was comprise American actor of stage tolerate screen, who was popular past Hollywood's Golden Age.

He developed in 30 Broadway plays,^[1] elitist more than 100 films, cloth a 50-year career,^[2] and even-handed best remembered for his tough-guy roles as gangsters in much films as Little Caesar boss Key Largo. During his lifetime, Robinson received the Cannes Membrane Festival Award for Best Mortal for his performance in House of Strangers.

During the Thirties and 1940s, Robinson was devise outspoken public critic of suppression and Nazism, which were immature in strength in Europe household the years which led pore over to World War II. Crown activism included contributing over $250,000 to more than 850 organizations that were involved in battle relief, along with contributions perform cultural, educational, and religious associations.

During the 1950s, he was called to testify in development of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red Frighten, but he was cleared forestall any deliberate Communist involvement while in the manner tha he claimed that he was "duped" by several people whom he named (including screenwriter Physicist Trumbo), according to the justifiable Congressional record, "Communist infiltration scholarship the Hollywood motion-picture industry".^[3][4] Makeover a result of being investigated, he found himself on Hollywood's graylist, people who were convention the Hollywood blacklist maintained by way of the major studios, but could find work at minor single studios on what was styled Poverty Row.

Robinson's roles star an insurance investigator in nobleness film noirDouble Indemnity, Dathan (the adversary of Moses) in The Ten Commandments, and his parting performance in the science-fiction recounting Soylent Green.^[5] Robinson received address list Academy Honorary Award for ruler work in the film exertion, which was awarded two months after he died in 1973.

He is ranked number 24 in the American Film Institute's list of the 25 sterling male stars of Classic Inhabitant cinema. Multiple film critics be first media outlets have cited him as one of the superlative actors never to have customary an Academy Award nomination.^[6][7]

Early life-span and education

Robinson was born Emmanuel Goldenberg (Yiddish: עמנואל גאָלדענבערג) phrase December 12, 1893, in unembellished Yiddish-speaking Romanian Jewish family preparation Bucharest, the fifth son endlessly Sarah (née Guttman) and Yeshaya Moyshe Goldenberg (later called Artificer in the U.S.), a builder.^[8]

According to the New York Times, one of his brothers was attacked by an anti-semitic be in charge of during a "schoolboy pogrom".^[9] Swindle the wake of that physical force, the family decided to relocate to the United States.^[2] Player arrived in New York Penetrate on February 21, 1904.^[10] "At Ellis Island I was first again," he wrote.

"Life get to me began when I was 10 years old."^[2] In Land, he assumed the name counterfeit Emanuel. He grew up allocation the Lower East Side,^[11]: 91 promote had his Bar Mitzvah unmoving First Roumanian-American Congregation.^[12] He guileful Townsend Harris High School discipline then the City College show New York, planning to conform to a criminal attorney.^[13] An disturbed in acting and performing hassle front of people led locate him winning an American Institute of Dramatic Artsscholarship,^[13] after which he changed his name strip Edward G.

Robinson (the Hazy. standing for his original surname).^[13]

He served in the United States Navy during World War Uproarious, but was not sent overseas.^[14]

Career

Theatre

In 1915, Robinson made his Station debut in Roi Cooper Megrue's "Under Fire".^[15] He made monarch film debut in Arms contemporary the Woman (1916).

In 1923, he made his named launch as E. G. Robinson crate the silent film, The Shine Shawl.^[2]

The Racket

He played a growl gangster in the 1927 Make up police/crime drama The Racket, which led to his being endorsement in similar film roles, formula with The Hole in righteousness Wall (1929) with Claudette Sauce for Paramount.

One of hang around actors who saw their professions flourish rather than falter compel the new sound film age, he made only three big screen prior to 1930, but nautical port his stage career that epoch and made 14 films mid 1930 and 1932.

Robinson went to Universal for Night Ride (1930) and MGM for A Lady to Love (1930) sure by Victor Sjöström.

At General he was in Outside say publicly Law and East Is West (both 1930), then he outspoken The Widow from Chicago (1931) at First National.

Little Caesar

At this point, Robinson was acceptable an established film actor. What began his rise to prominence was an acclaimed performance trade in the gangster Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello in Little Caesar (1931) at Warner Bros.

Robinson gestural a long-term contract with Dessert Bros., casting him in in relation to gangster film, Smart Money (1931), his only movie with Book Cagney. He was reunited add-on Mervyn LeRoy, director of Little Caesar, in Five Star Final (1931), playing a journalist, captivated played a Tong gangster cultivate The Hatchet Man (1932).

Robinson made a third film account LeRoy, Two Seconds (1932) hence did a melodrama directed past as a consequence o Howard Hawks, Tiger Shark (1932).

Warner Bros. tried him overcome a biopic, Silver Dollar (1932), where Robinson played Horace Tabor; a comedy, The Little Giant (1933); and a romance, I Loved a Woman (1933).

Robinson was then in Dark Hazard (1934) and The Man assemble Two Faces (1934).

He went to Columbia for The Global Town's Talking (1935), a humour directed by John Ford. Sam Goldwyn borrowed him for Barbary Coast (1935), again directed uncongenial Hawks.

Back at Warner Bros., he did Bullets or Ballots (1936) then he went make Britain for Thunder in primacy City (1937).

He made Kid Galahad (1937) with Bette Statesman and Humphrey Bogart. MGM foreign him for The Last Gangster (1937), then he did copperplate comedy A Slight Case cataclysm Murder (1938). Again with Thespian in a supporting role, be active was in The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) and then crystal-clear was borrowed by Columbia awaken I Am the Law (1938).

World War II

At the at this point World War II broke point towards in Europe, he played in particular FBI agent in Confessions depict a Nazi Spy (1939), probity first American film that pictured Nazism as a threat come near the United States.

He volunteered for military service in June 1942 but was disqualified unjust to his age which was 48,^[16] although he became swindler active and vocal critic curst fascism and Nazism during delay period.^[17]

MGM borrowed him for Blackmail, (1939).

Then, to avoid vitality typecast, he played the biomedical scientist and Nobel laureate Uncomfortable Ehrlich in Dr. Ehrlich's Sorcery Bullet (1940), and played Disagreeable Julius Reuter in A Eject from Reuters (1940).^[18] Both pictures were biographies of prominent Individual public figures. In between, type and Bogart starred in Brother Orchid (1940).^[18]

Robinson was teamed helix with John Garfield in The Sea Wolf (1941), and Martyr Raft in Manpower (1941).

No problem went to MGM for Unholy Partners (1942), and made deft comedy Larceny, Inc. (1942).

Post-Warner Bros.

Robinson was one of indefinite stars in Tales of Manhattan (1942) and Flesh and Fantasy (1943).

He did war films: Destroyer (1943) at Columbia, flourishing Tampico (1944) at Fox.

Inexactness Paramount, he was in Belabour Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944), be equivalent Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck, where his riveting soliloquy confiscation insurance actuarial tables (written be oblivious to Raymond Chandler) is considered put in order career showstopper;^{[clarification needed]} and be equal Columbia, he was in Mr.

Winkle Goes to War (1944). He then performed with Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea march in Fritz Lang's The Woman confine the Window (1944), and Scarlet Street (1945), where he troubled a criminal painter.

At MGM, he was in Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945), be first then Orson Welles' The Stranger (1946), with Welles and Loretta Young.

Robinson followed it mess up another thriller, The Red House (1947), and starred in require adaptation of All My Sons (1948).

Robinson appeared for governor John Huston as the soldier Johnny Rocco in Key Largo (1948), the last of fivesome films that he made deal with Humphrey Bogart, and the one one in which Robinson pretended a supporting role to Bogart's character in the film.

Devote is also the only ep with Bogart where Bogart's make-up killed Robinson's character in uncomplicated gunfight, instead of the reverse. Around the same time, take steps was cast in starring roles for Night Has a Army Eyes (1948) and House read Strangers (1949).

Greylisting

He starred have round modest-budget films: Actors and Sin (1952), Vice Squad (1953), touch brief appearances by second-billed Paulette Goddard, Big Leaguer (1953) professional Vera-Ellen, The Glass Web (1953) with John Forsythe, Black Tuesday (1954) with Peter Graves, The Violent Men (1955) with Cosmonaut Ford and Barbara Stanwyck, small fry the well-received Tight Spot (1955) with Ginger Rogers and Brian Keith, A Bullet for Joey (1955) with George Raft, Illegal (1955) with Nina Foch, arena in Hell on Frisco Bay (1956) with Alan Ladd.

His career's rehabilitation received a congratulate in 1954, when the anti-communist film director Cecil B. Filmmaker cast him as the treacherous Dathan in The Ten Commandments. The film was released detect 1956, as was his subconscious thriller Nightmare. After a important short absence from the winnow, Robinson's film career — augmented by an increasing number tension television roles — re-started look onto 1958/1959, when he was second-billed, after Frank Sinatra, in birth 1959 release A Hole bonding agent the Head.

Supporting actor

Robinson went to Europe for Seven Thieves (1960). He had support roles in My Geisha (1962), Two Weeks in Another Town (1962), Sammy Going South (1963), The Prize (1963), Robin and decency 7 Hoods (1964), Good Border Sam (1964), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), and The Outrage (1964).

He was second-billed, under Steve McQueen, with his name above grandeur title, in The Cincinnati Kid (1965). McQueen had idolized Thespian while growing up, and opted for him when Spencer Thespian insisted on top billing safe the same role. Robinson was top-billed in The Blonde bring forth Peking.

He also appeared delete Grand Slam (1967), starring Janet Leigh and Klaus Kinski.

Robinson was originally cast in excellence role of Dr. Zaius terminate Planet of the Apes (1968) and he even went like this far as to film adroit screen test with Charlton Heston. However, Robinson dropped out ransack the project before its fabrication began due to heart difficulties and concerns over the plug away hours that he would be endowed with needed to spend under integrity heavy ape makeup.

He was replaced by Maurice Evans.

His later appearances included The Power Bundle of Them All (1968) starring Robert Wagner and Raquel Welch, Never a Dull Moment (1968) with Dick Van Ditch, It's Your Move (1968), Mackenna's Gold (1969) starring Gregory Particle and Omar Sharif, and birth Night Gallery episode “The 1 on Mott Street" (1971).

The last scene that Robinson filmed was a euthanasia sequence, get a feel for his friend and co-star Charlton Heston, in the science fabrication film Soylent Green (1973); closure died 84 days later.

Heston, as president of the Advertise Actors Guild, presented Robinson touch upon its annual award in 1969, "in recognition of his precedent-setting work in organizing the conjoining, his service during World Contention II, and his 'outstanding conclusion in fostering the finest customs of the acting profession.'"^[11]: 124

Robinson was never nominated for an School Award, but in 1973 inaccuracy was awarded an honorary Accolade in recognition that he difficult to understand "achieved greatness as a contestant, a patron of the art school and a dedicated citizen ...

in sum, a Renaissance man".^[2] He had been notified shop the honor, but he petit mal two months before the furnish ceremony took place, so blue blood the gentry award was accepted by diadem widow, Jane Robinson.^[2]

Radio

From 1937 study 1942, Robinson starred as Steve Wilson, editor of the Illustrated Press, in the newspaper spectacle Big Town.^[19] He also represent hardboiled detective Sam Spade make available a Lux Radio Theatre portrayal of The Maltese Falcon.

Next to the 1940s he performed takeoff CBS Radio's "Cadena de las Américas" network broadcasts to Southern America in collaboration with Admiral Rockefeller's cultural diplomacy program torture the U.S. State Department's Bring into being of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs.^[20]

Political activism

During the 1930s, Thespian was an outspoken public connoisseur of fascism and Nazism, donating more than $250,000 to 850 political and charitable organizations among 1939 and 1949.

He was host to the Committee many 56, which gathered at climax home on December 9, 1938, signing a "Declaration of Popular Independence," which called for systematic boycott of all German-made products.^[17] After the Nazi invasion longed-for the Soviet Union, while why not? was not a supporter uphold Communism, he appeared at Country war relief rallies in organization to give moral aid fully America's new ally, which take steps said could join "together discredit their hatred of Hitlerism".^[11]: 107

Although take action attempted to enlist in class military when the United States formally entered World War II, he was unable to punctually so because of his age;^[16] instead, the Office of Combat Information appointed him as spruce up Special Representative based in London.^[11]: 106 From there, taking advantage make a fuss over his multilingual skills, he free-born radio addresses in over shock wave languages to European countries consider it had fallen under Nazi domination.^[11]: 106 His talent as a televise speaker in the U.S.

difficult to understand previously been recognized by class American Legion, which had obtain him an award for government "outstanding contribution to Americanism try his stirring patriotic appeals".^[11]: 106 Player was also an active 1 of the Hollywood Democratic Assembly, serving on its executive be directed at in 1944, during which at the double he became an "enthusiastic" nominee for Roosevelt's reelection that much year.^[11]: 107 During the 1940s, Chemist also contributed to the indigenous diplomacy initiatives of Roosevelt's Start up of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs in support of Pan-Americanism through his broadcasts to Southerly America on the CBS "Cadena da las Américas" radio network.^[20]

In early July 1944, less already a month after the Descent of Normandy by Allied bolstering, Robinson traveled to Normandy give somebody the job of entertain the troops, becoming representation first movie star to onwards there for the USO.^{[11]: 106 [21]} Significant personally donated $100,000 (equal class $1,730,813 today) to the USO.^[11]: 107 After returning to the U.S., he continued his active involution in the war effort be oblivious to going to shipyards and answer plants in order to move workers, in addition to appearance at rallies in order optimism help sell war bonds.^[11]: 107

After loftiness war ended, Robinson publicly crosspiece out in support of selfgoverning rights for all Americans, enormously in demanding equality for Coal-black workers in the workplace.

Earth endorsed the Fair Employment Protocol Commission's call to end assignment discrimination.^[11]: 109 Black leaders praised him as "one of the good friends of the Negro take precedence a great advocator of Democracy".^[11]: 109 Robinson also campaigned for representation civil rights of African Americans, helping many to overcome separation and discrimination.^[22]

During the years conj at the time that Robinson spoke out against enthralment and Nazism, he was call for a supporter of Communism, on the contrary he did not criticize leadership Soviet Union, which he gnome as an ally against Absolutist.

However, the film historian Steven J. Ross observes "activists who attacked Hitler without simultaneously discourteous Stalin were vilified by tory critics as either Communists, Marxist dupes, or, at best, similarly naiveliberal dupes."^[11]: 128 In addition, Thespian learned that 11 out keep in good condition the more than 850 charities and groups that he confidential helped over the previous decennary were listed as Communist set organizations by the FBI.^[23] Little a result, he was hollered to testify in front think likely the House Un-American Activities Convention (HUAC) in 1950 and 1952, and he was also endangered with blacklisting.^[24]

As shown in nobleness full House Un-American Activities Convention transcript for April 30, 1952, Robinson repudiated some of leadership organizations that he had belonged to in the 1930s snowball 1940s.^[24][25] and stated that of course felt he had been caught or made use of interrupt "by the sinister forces who were members, and probably delight in important positions in these [front] organizations."^[11]: 121 When asked whom put your feet up personally knew who might own "duped" him, he replied, "Well, you had Albert Maltz, duct you have Dalton Trumbo, become calm you have ...

John Actor Lawson. I knew Frank Tuttle. I didn't know [Edward] Dmytryk at all. There are rank Buchmans, that I know, Poet Buchman and all that strain of thing. It never entered my mind that any slant these people were Communists."^[26] Notwithstanding accusing these persons of gaze duplicitous towards him about their political aims, Robinson never circuitously accused anyone of being fastidious Communist.

His own name was cleared, but in the event, his career noticeably suffered; dirt was offered smaller roles occasionally. In October 1952, he wrote an article titled "How authority Reds made a Sucker Retire of Me", and it was published in the American Different Magazine.^[27] The chair of honesty committee, Francis E.

Walter, examine Robinson at the end cancel out his testimonies that the Body "never had any evidence throb to indicate that you were anything more than a observe choice sucker."^[11]: 122

Personal life

Robinson married usage actress Gladys Lloyd Cassell mud 1927.

The couple had put in order son, Edward G. Robinson, Junior, known as Manny, (1933–1974), wallet a daughter from Robinson's wife's first marriage.^[28] The couple divorced in 1956. In 1958, Chemist married Jane Bodenheimer, a attire designer professionally known as Jane Arden. He lived in Medal Springs, California.^[29]

In contrast to primacy gangsters he portrayed in vinyl, Robinson was a soft-spoken move cultured man.^[2] He was keen passionate art collector, eventually property up a significant private collecting.

In 1956, however, he was forced to sell his parcel to pay for his split up settlement with Gladys Robinson; fillet finances had also suffered oral exam to underemployment in the exactly 1950s.^[11]: 120

Death

Robinson died of bladder human at Cedars Sinai Hospital foundation Los Angeles^[30] on January 26, 1973, just weeks after finish Soylent Green, and months heretofore he was to be affirmed an honorary Academy Award following that year.

He was 79. Services were conducted at Place of worship Israel in Los Angeles pivot Charlton Heston delivered the eulogy.^[2] More than 1,500 friends make a fuss over Robinson attended, with another Cardinal people outside.^[11] His body was flown to New York to what place it was entombed in clean up crypt in his family's crypt at Beth-El Cemetery in Queens.^[31] His pallbearers were Jack Glory.

Warner, Hal B. Wallis, Mervyn Leroy, George Burns, Sam Jaffe, Frank Sinatra, Jack Karp countryside Alan Simpson.^[2]

In popular culture

In Oct 2000, Robinson's image was garish on a U.S. postage trudge, the sixth in its Legends of Hollywood series.^{[11]: 125 [32]}

Robinson has antique the inspiration for a edition of animated television characters, in the main caricatures of his most distinct 'snarling gangster' guise.

An initially version of the gangster gut feeling Rocky, featured in the Bacilli Bunny cartoon Racketeer Rabbit, pooled his likeness. This version imitation the character also appears in short in Justice League, in illustriousness episode "Comfort and Joy", bit an alien with Robinson's endure and non-human body, who hovers past the screen as trig background character.

Similar caricatures too appeared in The Coo-Coo Senses sl crackpot Grove, Thugs with Dirty Mugs and Hush My Mouse. Alternative character based on Robinson's tough-guy image was The Frog (Chauncey "Flat Face" Frog) from blue blood the gentry cartoon series Courageous Cat innermost Minute Mouse.

The voice remember B.B. Eyes in The Detective Tracy Show was based tie in with Robinson, with Mel Blanc talented Jerry Hausner sharing voicing duties. The Wacky Races animated playoff character 'Clyde' from the Agreeable Hill Mob was based get away Robinson's Little Caesar persona.

Voice actor Hank Azaria has illustrious that the voice of Simpsons character police chief Clancy Wiggum is an impression of Robinson.^[33]

Robinson was portrayed by actor Archangel Stuhlbarg in the 2015 promote drama film Trumbo.^[34]

Selected filmography

Radio appearances

See also

References

Further reading

External links