Brian Donlevy
Biography
Brian Donlevy was an American actor who performed on stage, radio, television, and in films. Born in Cleveland in 1901, he began acting in theater in the early 1920s and took small parts in silent films before a role in the Broadway hit What Price Glory established him. His Hollywood break came in 1935 with Barbary Coast. He often played tough, dangerous men, particularly in films noir, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste (1939). He took the title part in Preston Sturges's The Great McGinty (1940) and appeared in Fritz Lang's Hangmen Also Die! (1943). He also starred in Impact (1949) and was Steve Mitchell on the radio and television series Dangerous Assignment. He played Bernard Quatermass in The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and Enemy from Space (1957). He died in 1972.
71years old at death
- Born Cleveland
- Died Woodland Hills
- Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
- Also credited as Waldo Brian Donlevy
Movie Career
- Films
- 37
- Career span
- 34 years1935 to 1969
First and latest
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First role
At Fox, Donlevy took his first starring role in a B movie, Human Cargo (1936), as a wisecracking reporter with Claire Trevor.
A role that slipped away
Paramount cast Donlevy in a key role in Cecil B. De Mille's Union Pacific in 1939, where he stepped in for Charles Bickford.
A role that slipped away
For MGM, King Vidor directed An American Romance (1944), and Donlevy received the lead role. Spencer Tracy had been intended for that part.
A role that slipped away
At Paramount, Donlevy appeared in Two Years Before the Mast (1946). He had planned to take the sadistic captain role, but handed it to Howard da Silva and played Richard Dana instead.
Big break
After a supporting role in The Big Combo, Donlevy took the lead as Professor Bernard Quatermass in Hammer Films' The Quatermass Xperiment. The character had been British, but the studio cast him hoping to sell the film in North America.
Brian Donlevy movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
George Marshall directed two of these films, Val Guest two and Preston Sturges two. Moroni Olsen appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Moroni Olsen's page
Henry O'Neill's page
Akim Tamiroff's page
Joel McCrea's page
Andy Devine's page
Tyrone Power's page
All films by George Marshall
Val GuestDirector, 2 films, 1955 to 1957
All films by Val Guest
Preston SturgesDirector, 2 films, 1940 to 1944
All films by Preston Sturges
Also three films together3 more actors
- Albert DekkerGammera the Invincible (1966), Wake Island (1942) and Beau Geste (1939)
- Willard RobertsonBrigham Young (1940), Jesse James (1939) and Union Pacific (1939)
- Robert PrestonWake Island (1942), Beau Geste (1939) and Union Pacific (1939)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.