Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1889—April 5, 1972) was an Irish-born American character actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He mainly appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste (1939) and The Great McGinty (1940). For his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His obituary in The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom stated that...
more
Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1889—April 5, 1972) was an Irish-born American character actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He mainly appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste (1939) and The Great McGinty (1940). For his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His obituary in The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom stated that "any consideration of the American 'film noir' of the 1940s would be incomplete without him."
Donlevy was born Waldo Brian Donlevy in Armagh, Ireland to a whiskey distiller and his wife. When he was 10 months old his parents moved to Racine, Wisconsin. When he was 9 years old, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio and when he was 15 he ran away from home to join General Pershing's army against Mexico's Pancho Villa. His position in the army did not last very long, but he was able to get into military school soon after. In 1916 he was a major in...
less
