Sam Levene Movies
Adept at playing sardonic, side-of-the-mouth urban types, Sam Levene appeared in several top Broadway productions of the early 1930s. At 29 (though looking far older and worldlier), Levene was brought to Hollywood to re-create his stage role as a superstitious gambler in Three Men on a Horse (1936). Not long afterward, he made the first of two appearances as New York police lieutenant Abrams in MGM's Thin Man series. Since Levene always seemed to have just stepped out of a Damon Runyon story, it was only natural that he create the part of crapshooter deluxe Nathan Detroit in the 1950 Broadway production Guys and Dolls; his endearingly offkey renditions of the Frank Loesser tunes "Oldest Established" and "Sue Me" can still be heard on the original cast album. When he wasn't essaying dese-dem-and-dose roles, Levene was frequently cast as a soft-spoken, philosophical Jew in such films as Action in the North Atlantic (1943) and Crossfire (1947). Though he made 36 films in his 33-year Hollywood career, Sam Levene was always happiest in front of a live audience: one of his last Broadway appearances was in the original production of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Norman Jewison's blackly satirical look at the American justice system has gained in stature as one of the more incisive social commentaries of its time. Al Pacino plays Arthur Kirkland, an incorruptible attorney who attempts to initiate reforms in the Maryland justice system. Kirkland is haunted by the fates of two past clients, one of whom committed suicide in jail; the other is still alive but is locked up on a trumped-up traffic violation. The ability of power and money to distort the pursuit of justice becomes all too clear as Kirkland finds out how deeply the rot has spread. He finally retaliates by representing a repulsive judge (John Forsythe) accused of rape. Pacino's and Forsythe's performances are intense and powerful. Many critics found the film biting and almost painful in its razor-sharp indictment of the justice system, while others declared the script too outrageous. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Jack Warden, (more)
- 1979
- R
In 1979, Jonathan Demme was still a cutting-edge director and The Last Embrace was his first effort at a completely commercial assignment. Very much in the Hitchcock vein, The Last Embrace is an intense suspense film concerning Harry Hannan (Roy Scheider), a government agent recovering from a catatonic collapse after the murder of his wife. After Harry's recovery, he is back on the job, but he can't figure out whether he is suffering from self-induced paranoia or if his former employers want to kill him. These conflicting feelings are exacerbated when he forms a connection with a nervous graduate student, Ellie Fabian (Janet Margolin), whom he discovers is living in his apartment. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Janet Margolin, (more)
Based upon the 1927 George S. Kaufman-Edna Ferber stage hit, The Royal Family is about a famous, more than somewhat eccentric theater family that may bring to mind the real-life Barrymores. The Cavendish clan is headed by Fanny, a grande dame of the highest order. Although her best days are past her, she still dreams of making a glorious comeback. Fanny's daughter, Julie, is the family's current stage star, a celebrated and successful actress in her prime, but brother Tony has made quite a splash in Hollywood as a matinee idol. The family is rounded out with other brother Herbert and his wife Kitty, both about to become has-beens (although some would say they were "never weres"), and Julie's daughter Gwen, who can't decide whether to pursue a career on the stage or embark upon a safe marriage with a stock broker. Julie was herself in a similar situation in her youth, and she wonders if she made the right decision, as she now yearns for a simpler life. Julie also must contend with Fanny's increasing restlessness and desire to return to the stage, which could be disastrous, as well as the unexpected arrival of brother Tony, who is escaping a scandal involving a director he's accused of hitting, a woman with whom he's accused of dallying, and a large debt he's accused of accumulating. This version of The Royal Family, filmed for PBS, is based upon a mid-'70s production at Lincoln Center. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- 1977
For the Record was an outgrowth of Camera 76, a component of the CBC series Performance. Concentrating on social issues pertinent to Canadian viewers, the erratically scheduled series adopted a dramatized documentary format which was labeled as "journalistic drama" by the producers. The fact-based story material ranged from labor disputes to political corruption to medical iniquities. Typical episodes included "Dying Hard," about the economically dictated demise of a Newfoundland mining town, and "Tar Sands," which brought about a lawsuit from Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed, who didn't like the way he was depicted on screen. Ben Barzman, an American writer-producer who had been forced to relocate to Canada by the blacklist, was the series' creative consultant, while among the regular actors were Fiona Reid and the ubiquitous Al Waxman. Fluctuating between a 60- and 90-minute time slot, For the Record debuted on January 16, 1977, and was still going strong into the 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Released theatrically as God Told Me To, this inventive film from "B"-movie auteur Larry Cohen was later re-named Demon after television distributors refused to air it under the original title. The convoluted, tabloid-flavored storyline (predating the kind of stories frequently featured on The X-Files) involves a series of motiveless murders committed by various New York residents: a sniper picks off targets from a water tower; a mild-mannered father murders his entire family; and a cop (Andy Kaufman, of all people) opens fire during a St. Patrick's Day parade. The only consistent pattern to the crimes involves the perpetrators' calm admissions of guilt, explaining, "God told me to." While investigating the murders, devoutly-Catholic police detective Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) is increasingly troubled by evidence of a Christ-like figure named Bernard Phillips (Richard Lynch) who appeared to each of the killers and can't seem to shake the feeling that his own fate is inexplicably linked to this mysterious being. As he comes closer to the truth, his worst fears are confirmed -- particularly after a telling conversation with Bernard's tormented mother (Sylvia Sidney), who reveals the horrifying secret of her son's unnatural birth. Cohen has often used the "B"-movie format to address rather lofty concepts, and this is certainly no exception -- tackling no less than the existence of God and the nature of human beliefs -- but clumsy editing and an outrageous FX-heavy finale tend to obscure this film's unique vision. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
A young thug needs money, so he visits his girlfriend while she's baby-sitting. While there, he plans to tie up the girl, kidnap the child, and hold him for ransom in the hope that his wealthy father will pay up. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Luckinbill, Graham Beckel, (more)
- 1973
Throughout its two-year lifespan, the Canadian documentary series Gallery never settled on a single permanent time slot: Indeed, it wandered all over the CBC schedule, requiring fans to keep both eyes on the local TV listings at all times. Essentially lightweight in nature, the series specialized in segments focusing on sports teams, offbeat business enterprises, eccentric inventions, specialty schools, and regional music festivals. One program was based on Whatever Became Of..., Richard Lamparski's popular book series about celebrities of days gone by. Gallery was telecast from May 19 to August 11, 1973, then again from January 3 to April 4, 1975, remaining in rerun circulation until 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
Based upon the novel by Lois Gould and adapted (under the pseudonym Esther Dale) by Elaine May, Such Good Friends focuses on Julie Messinger (played by Dyan Cannon), a woman with intense, often wild emotions that are held in check beneath a rather conventional façade. After her chauvinistic and self-centered husband Richard checks into the hospital for a simple mole removal that goes seriously wrong, Julie discovers that he has been titanically unfaithful to her. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and Julie decides it is time for her to break out of her shell, no matter what the consequences. She begins to exhibit a sexual interest in other men (sometimes indiscriminately, as when she seduces her family doctor, played by James Coco), and speaks her mind to others, including her egocentric mother (Nina Foch) and her hypocritical best friend (ennifer O'Neill). At the end, Julie wanders into Central Park and, presumably, a new life. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- R
Anthony Quinn plays Matsoukas, a Greek/American ne'er do well, living in Chicago with his long-suffering wife Caliope (Irene Papas). When Matsoukas discovers that his son (Radames Pera) is dying, he decides that the boy needs to get out of the Windy City and recuperate in the more agreeable climate of Greece. All he needs is the money for the plane fare. One by one, Matsoukas' sources of income dry up until he is forced to fix a dice game in order to raise the cash. It is his wife who finally puts up the money by stealing from her own mother. Matsoukas makes the trip but realizes it would be better if he remain in Greece so as not to further humiliate the loyal Caliope. Inger Stevens co-stars as Quinn's mistress, while Sam Levene plays an old pal whose offer to put up the needed money evaporates when he suddenly drops dead. A Dream of Kings was adapted by Harry Mark Petrakis from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, (more)
- 1963
This autobiographical story traces the career of playwright Moss Hart. Moss (George Hamilton) struggles as a dramatic writer until he concentrates his efforts on writing comedy. He suffers through a series of professional and romantic failures before a meeting with George S. Kaufman (Jason Robards Jr.) changes his fortunes. Joe (Jack Klugman) is the faithful friend who stands by Hart in the lean times. Ruth Ford, Eli Wallach and George Segal also appear in this feature produced, directed and written by Dore Schary. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Hamilton, Jason Robards, Jr., (more)
- 1961
Racketeer Larry Fay (Sam Levene) gains control of New York's dairy industry, forcing the price of milk to an astronomical (for 1933) price of 13 cents a quart. Hoping to put Fay out of business, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) appeals to the better nature of singer Sally Kansas (Claire Trevor), star attraction of Fay's popular nightclub (Sally is a thinly disguised caricature of real-life entertainment Texas Guinan, of "Hello, suckers!" fame ). Though she has managed to steer clear of her boss' criminal activities, Sally isn't about to bite the hand that feeds her--until Larry goes one step too far and orders the murder of Sally's kid brother Tommy (Tommy Cook). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
A child star becomes a brat to hide her loneliness in this drama. The popular little actress is quite insolent and refuses to allow anyone to push her around. She becomes quite stubborn when a studio publicist asks her to do an interview with his ex-wife, a prominent columnist. He finally bribes her into it, and when the contrary miss meets the journalist she takes an immediate shine to her. The lonesome girl becomes so enamored with the woman that she runs away from home to be near her. Trouble ensues when the publicist is arrested for kidnapping. Fortunately the girl turns up, affects a new attitude and happiness ensues all around. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Duryea, Patty McCormack, (more)
Ernest Lehman drew upon his experiences as a Broadway press agent to write the devastating a clef short story "Tell Me About Tomorrow." This in turn was adapted by Lehman and Clifford Odets into the sharp-edged, penetrating feature film Sweet Smell of Success. Burt Lancaster stars as J. J. Hunsecker, a Walter Winchell-style columnist who wields his power like a club, steamrolling friends and enemies alike. Tony Curtis co-stars as Sidney Falco, a sycophantic press agent who'd sell his grandmother to get an item into Hunsecker's popular newspaper column. Hunsecker enlists Falco's aid in ruining the reputation of jazz guitarist Steve Dallas (Martin Milner), who has had the temerity to court Hunsecker's sister Susan (Susan Harrison). Falco contrives to plant marijuana on Dallas, then summons corrupt, sadistic NYPD officer Harry Kello (Emile Meyer), who owes Hunsecker several favors, to arrest the innocent singer. The real Walter Winchell, no longer as powerful as he'd been in the 1940s but still a man to be reckoned with, went after Ernest Lehman with both barrels upon the release of Sweet Smell of Success. Winchell was not so much offended by the unflattering portrait of himself as by the dredging up of an unpleasant domestic incident from his past. While Success was not a success at the box office, it is now regarded as a model of street-smart cinematic cynicism. The electric performances of the stars are matched by the taut direction of Alex MacKendrick, the driving jazz score of Elmer Bernstein, and the evocative nocturnal camerawork of James Wong Howe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, (more)
Vincente Minnelli directed this sophisticated comedy, which owes a debt to Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn vehicles. Sportswriter Mike Hagen (Gregory Peck) and fashion designer Marilla (Lauren Bacall) are New Yorkers who meet while both are vacationing in California. It's love at first sight, and the two decide on the spur of the moment to get married. However, once they return to the Big Apple, it starts to occur to them just how different they are after Mike moves out of his sloppy bachelor lair in the Village and joins Marilla in her luxury flat on the Upper East Side. While they try to sort out their differences, Mike encounters his former girlfriend Lori (Dolores Gray), while Marilla runs into her onetime beau Zachary (Tom Helmore); given the haste with which they married, neither of their exes had yet heard that Mike and Marilla were hitched, and the notion that they could still be lured away hangs in the air. Meanwhile, Mike has written a series of articles exposing corruption in boxing, which earns him no friends among some ill-mannered Gotham mobsters. Bacall's sparkling comic performance was a remarkable display of personal strength; as the movie was being filmed, her husband Humphrey Bogart was suffering from the last stages of the cancer that would soon claim his life. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Lauren Bacall, (more)
- 1957
Though Slaughter on Tenth Avenue's background music relies heavily on the Richard Rodgers composition of the same name, the film itself bears no relation to the ten-minute ballet for which Rodgers wrote the piece. Instead, this Albert Zugsmith-produced crime meller attempts to expose waterfront union racketeering. In trying to solves a murder on the docks, deputy DA Richard Egan runs up against the stevedores' code of silence. It also dawns on Egan that his own boss (Sam Levene) shows little interest in pursuing justice in this instance. The DA is finally able to mount a case, but at the crucial courtroom moment he may have to pull out due to lack of evidence--a lack engineered by crooked boss Walter Matthau, who has several local politicians in his pocket. A last-minute dockside battle enables Egan to bring the racketeers to justice. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue was based on New York district attorney William J. Keating's memoirs The Man Who Rocked the Boat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Egan, Jan Sterling, (more)
Farewell to Arms is the second film version of Ernest Hemingway's World War One novel--and also the last film produced by David O. Selznick (Gone with the Wind). Rock Hudson plays an American serving in the Italian Army during the "War to End All Wars". Jennifer Jones is his lover, a Red cross nurse. They have a torrid affair, which results in Jones' pregnancy. As the months pass, Hudson and Jones lose contact with one another, and Jones believes that Hudson has forgotten her. But a battle-weary Hudson finally makes it to Switzerland, where Jones is hospitalized. The baby is stillborn, and Jones dies shortly afterward, murmuring that her death is "a dirty trick." Filmed on a simpler scale in 1932 (with Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes starring), A Farewell to Arms was blown all out of proportion to "epic" stature for the 1957 remake--so much so that its original director, John Huston, quit the film in disgust. Still, the basic love story is touchingly enacted by Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson, Jennifer Jones, (more)
- 1956
The Opposite Sex is an opulent musical remake of Clare Booth Luce's The Women (1939). June Allyson stars in the old Norma Shearer role, playing the virtuous wife who loses her husband to scheming Joan Collins (as the Joan Crawford character). At first agreeing to a divorce, June decides to win hubby back by utilizing the same crafty feminine wiles that Joan had employed to lead him astray. Doloress Gray plays the counterpart to Rosalind Russell's vitriolic gossip. The original The Women boasted an all-female cast: the remake includes several male characters, played by the likes of MGM contractees Leslie Nielsen and Jeff Richards. Dick Shawn, Jim Backus and Harry James are also on hand, billed as "special guest stars." The satirical bite of The Women has been softened in The Opposite Sex, but musical fans should have a good time. Sammy Cahn, Nicholas Brodszky, Ralph Freed and George Stoll were among the songwriters; Collins, Allyson and Jeff Richards perform musical numbers in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Allyson, Joan Collins, (more)
- 1953
Though it isn't obvious at first glance, Three Sailors and a Girl is the fourth screen version of the George S. Kaufman stage comedy The Butter and Egg Man. The titular gobs are Jones, Twitch, and Parky, played respectively by Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, and Jack E. Leonard. On leave in New York with their pockets full of money, our trio of heroes are convinced by wheeler-dealer Joe Woods (Sam Levene) to invest their money in a musical show. It soon becomes obvious that the boys have backed a turkey, but with the help of pert leading-lady Penny (Jane Powell), a potential disaster is converted into a smashing success. The Sammy Cahn-Sammy Fain musical score is tuneful if forgettable, while LeRoy Prinz' choreography is first-rate. A cute celebrity cameo appearance caps this happy little film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Powell, Gordon MacRae, (more)
- 1950
Louis B. Mayer's nephew Gerald proved himself an able director with the MGM "B" thriller Dial 1119. Marshall Thompson stars as an emotionally disturbed young man who pulls out a gun at a bar and holds the patrons hostage. As the police gather outside, the film concentrates on the various bar customers, each of whom has his or her own deep-rooted problems. Thompson is on the verge of killing everyone around him when a telephoned ruse breaks the crisis. A raw-nerved 75 minutes' worth of entertainment, Dial 1119 was a personal favorite of actress Virginia Field, who played one of the hostages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marshall Thompson, Virginia Field, (more)
- 1950
With These Hands is an entertaining 47-minute slice of propaganda, courtesy of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. The film dramatizes the rise of the American labor movement, beginning with the dark days of the sweatshop in 1910 and culminating with the much-improved working conditions and wage scales of the 1950s. The infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1913 is re-created, along with many other examples of labor-management iniquity. Given the temper of the times, the film is careful to distance the ILGWU from the Communist Party, by demonstrating the damage caused to the Movement by Red agitators. The cast is filled to overflowing with top Broadway talent, including Arlene Francis, Sam Levene, Joseph Wiseman, Alexander Scourby and Alexander Lockwood. Though designed to be shown at rallies and fundraisers, With These Hands managed to attain a few theatrical bookings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Levene, Arlene Francis, (more)
- 1950
Zachary Scott plays Max Thursday, an alcoholic ex-police detective working as a bouncer at a sleazy rooming house owned by Smitty (Mary Boland), a likeable, earthy old lady. Thursday's former wife, Georgia (Faye Emerson), shows up one night, while her ex-husband is in an alcoholic stupor, to tell him that their three-year-old son Jeff is missing, taken by her brother, Fred, on some errand from which he did not return. Thursday goes after his ex-brother-in-law's employer, Doc Elder (Jed Prouty), a broken-down physician with a shady past, who manages to get the former cop drunk before knocking him cold. Awakening in a police cell, Thursday is questioned by his former boss, Capt. Mark Tonetti (Sam Levene), about where he was last night, and who might've murdered Doc Elder. Thursday has no choice but to stay sober as he tries to trace the leads he has left. No one admits to knowing anything about the person named Saint Paul, who Elder was meeting, so he tries to find the man Elder was afraid of, Otto Varkas, a notorious smuggler. Varkas (J. Edward Bromberg) isn't much help, though he reveals that he is worried about a hired killer named Stitch Olivera (Elliott Sullivan). While leaving Varkas' office, Thursday spots Angel (Kay Medford), a "business girl" he last saw near Elder's building. He finds out that she's the girl Fred was seeing, and that she's got him on ice, wounded, but he hasn't said anything about a kid; he also won't reveal the whereabouts of the package that he was picking up for Doc Elder (a diamond necklace worth 400,000 dollars) which was to go to Saint Paul. Before they can get to Fred, two of Varkas' men grab him, and Thursday is just drunk enough from his stop with Angel to be unable to stop them. He tries to get to Varkas, but the gang leader and his men are killed and Fred is taken by Olivera. Thursday fights off the hit man in a vicious battle in a Brooklyn subway station that leaves him with a clue that to his astonishment seems to point Thursday back where he started: to the rooming house where he lives. He pieces it together through a fading alcoholic haze, and figures out what's been bothering him about Olivera being a step ahead of him each time he was getting close to Fred: Smitty is Saint Paul, and has been manipulating Thursday since he left with Georgia. The wounded Fred tells the ex-cop what he knows, and Thursday, sober and focused for the first time, takes Olivera in a sudden explosion of gunfire. Ignoring Smitty's offer of a half-share from the sale of the jewels, he calls police headquarters and then his wife, so they can go and get their son together. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zachary Scott, Faye Emerson, (more)
- 1948
The Plan 9 From Outer Space of baseball biopics, The Babe Ruth Story is definitely in the "So Bad It's Good" category. An outrageously miscast William Bendix stars as George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who as depicted herein is a childish, misunderstood oaf who happens to be one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. With an almost perverse disregard for the facts, the film chronicles Babe's school days in Baltimore, his brief tenure with the Baltimore Orioles, his glory days with the New York Yankees, his precedent-breaking 60th homer, his "called shot" of 1932, his fall from grace with the Boston Braves, and his slow death from an unnamed but obviously cancerous illness. Along the way, Ruth marries nightclub performer Claire Hodgson (Claire Trevor) with whom he spends many happy years (the earlier Mrs. Ruth, Helen Woodford, is ignored as if she never existed, as is Babe's daughter Dorothy). It's difficult to remember all of the film's howling innacuracies, which include Claire Hodgson's performance of "Singin' in the Rain" ten years before the song was written, the Yankee Stadium billboard for Ballantine Beer in the middle of Prohibition, and Babe's promise to a dying child that he'd hit a homer during the 1932 World Series (this famous incident actually occured in 1927, and the kid wasn't dying). It's also fun to note that Babe's spiritual mentor Brother Matthias (Charles Bickford) remains steadfastly the same age from 1914 to 1948. It was probably to much to expect the truth from coscripter Grantland Rice, who during his newspaper career spent most of his time covering up Ruth's many sexual and alcoholic peccadilloes "for the good of baseball." Despite its multitude of flaws, The Babe Ruth Story is worth sitting through if only for the jaw-dropping final scene (which is even more ridiculous than the earlier vignette in which a Ruth home run enables a crippled child to walk for the first time!) Yes, it's awful, almost stupefyingly so, but The Babe Ruth Story is an experience not to be missed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Bendix, Claire Trevor, (more)
- 1948
In this drama, a wanderer is put on a fight card after promising the promoter that he will take a dive. He soon falls in love with a woman, but later discovers that she is in love with his opponent. He then attempts to scare his rival away from prizefighting by beating him up. He then hits the road and resumes his vagabond life. The lives of those he left behind are forever changed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Mitchell, Virginia Grey, (more)
