LEVENE, SAM

LEVENE, SAM (1905–1980), U.S. actor. Born in Russia, Levene became widely known for his role of Nathan Detroit in the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls (1950). He appeared on Broadway in plays as diverse as The Matchmaker (1954); Make a Million (1958); Heartbreak House (1959); The Devil's Advocate (Tony nomination for Best Actor, 1961); Saul Bellow's The Last Analysis (1964); The Impossible Years (1967); Three Men on a Horse (1969); Paris Is Out (1970); The Sunshine Boys (1972); The Royal Family (1976); and Horowitz and Mrs. Washington (1980). His films include Three Men on a Horse (1936); Room Service (1938); Dinner at Eight (1933); Golden Boy (1939); Shadow of the Thin Man (1941); The Big Street (1942); Action in the North Atlantic (1943); The Purple Heart (1944); The Killers (1946); Brute Force (1947); Crossfire (1947); The Babe Ruth Story (1948); Designing Woman (1957); Sweet Smell of Success (1957); A Farewell to Arms (1957); the TV movie The World of Sholom Aleichem (1959); Act One (1963); Such Good Friends (1971); Last Embrace (1979); and And Justice for All (1979). (Ruth Beloff (2nd ed.)