Brian Donlevy Overview:

Legendary actor, Brian Donlevy, was born Waldo Brian Donlevy on Feb 9, 1901 in Portadown, Northern Ireland. Donlevy died at the age of 71 on Apr 5, 1972 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles and was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.

MINI BIO:

Gloweringly handsome, strong, mustachioed Irish-born Hollywood actor. After an adventurous early life (including World War I service in Lafayette Escadrille) he drifted into acting, although it was 1935 before he settled permanently in Hollywood. A tough villain of the 1930s, he became a popular semi-star of rugged thrillers and action films in the succeeding decade after his success in the title role of The Great McGinty. Although Donlevy suffered from drinking problems, his forthright performances remained good value in the end. Died from cancer of the throat. Oscar-nominated for his sadistic sergeant in Beau Geste.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Film Stars).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Although Donlevy was nominated for one Oscar, he never won a competitive Academy Award.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1939Best Supporting ActorBeau Geste (1939)Sergeant MarkoffNominated
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He was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television.

BlogHub Articles:

THE PAIRS THAT NEVER WERE: and Charles McGraw

By Carol Martinheira on Apr 26, 2024 From The Old Hollywood Garden

THE PAIRS THAT NEVER WERE: and Charles McGraw On April 26, 2024 By CarolIn Uncategorized The bad boys of film noir are here! And they never made a movie together. Let’s dive in! Ohio-born started his career in New York, modellin... Read full article


Kiss of Death starring Victor Mature, , Coleen Gray, and Richard Widmark in his screen debut

By Stephen Reginald on Jul 21, 2020 From Classic Movie Man

Kiss of Death starring Victor Mature, , Coleen Gray, and Richard Widmark in his screen debut Kiss of Death (1947) is a film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Victor Mature, , and Coleen Gray. It marked the screen debut of Richard Widmark; he earned a Best Su... Read full article


THE GREAT VILLAIN BLOGATHON: as Sergeant Markoff, Beau Geste (1939)

on May 24, 2019 From Caftan Woman

Karen of Shadows and Satin, Kristina of Speakeasy and Ruth of Silver Screenings are hosting The Great Villain Blogathon for 2019. Look for all the baddies on May 24th to the 26th. P.C. Wren's 1924 adventure novel Beau Geste is a touchstone in the genre, giving us the most honourable and lik... Read full article


Warner Archive: , Robert Walker and the True Story of the Atomic Bomb

By KC on Nov 2, 2015 From Classic Movies

This is the story of how the atom bomb was developed--with allowances for dramatic effect and national security of course. A triumph of science which led to unfathomable destruction. MGM faced a delicate task in telling this story. As expected, it contains a heavy dose of propaganda, but the tale i... Read full article


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Brian Donlevy Quotes:

Paul Madvig: Hiya, Big Brain! See what I mean?


Daniel 'Dan' McGinty: [to the Politician about getting paid for multiple voting] Never mind the applesauce! How do I get the bucks?


Nick Varna: I'm too big to take the boot from you now.
Paul Madvig: You may be too big to take it laying down, Nick, but you're gonna take it. You are taking it.


read more quotes from Brian Donlevy...



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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1939






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Brian Donlevy on the
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Brian Donlevy Facts
Although he is typically credited as having been with the Lafayette Escadrille, he was not. However he was a member of a group of young American men who went to France and received flight training there in WWI. As such, he was an honorary member of The Lafayette Flying Corps (also known as the Franco-American Flying Corps). The Corps was never officially a unit, it is a collective name for all American pilots -- including the Lafayette Escadrille pilots -- who flew for the French during World War I. The exact number of actual pilots who flew for the French is open to question and many different numbers exist depending on who is counting. The numbers range from as low as 180 to over 300. The most widely accepted number of men who were recognized as having successfully completed French flight training (received their "brevets") is 209. Of this 209, only 180 actually served at the Front in combat divided among 66 French pursuit escadrilles and 27 bomber/observer escadrilles.

According to a statement in a 1944 movie magazine, Donlevy did not smoke or play cards. The only smoking he did was "for the movies".

His character, Gil Warren, in In Old Chicago (1937) died as a result of the Chicago fire. His character, Steely Edwards, in 'The Great Man's Lady (1942) died in the San Francisco fire.

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