Background
Levene, Sam was born on August 28, 1905 in Russia. Son of Harry and Beth S. (Weiner) Levine.
Levene, Sam was born on August 28, 1905 in Russia. Son of Harry and Beth S. (Weiner) Levine.
Came to the United States, 1907, naturalized, 1937. Student American Academy Dramatic Arts, 1925-1927, University of Southern California, summer 1940.
He made his Broadway debut in 1927 with five lines in a play titled Wall Street, and over a span of nearly 50 years, appeared on Broadway in 37 Shows, of which 33 were the original Broadway Productions, many now considered legendary. Levene made his film debut in 1936 as Patsy recreating the same role he had created on Broadway in Three Men on a Horse (1935). Levene also appeared in the United Service Organizations Tour of this same Show.
The Radio Version.
The Musical version that opened on Broadway called Let lieutenant Ride (1961) as well as the 1969 Broadway Revival of the play directed by George Abbott, the original Broadway Director and co-author Levene also starred in the Broadway productions Dinner at Eight (1932), Room Service (1937), Light Up the Blunt (1948), Heartbreak House (1959), The Impossible Years (1965), and Neil Simon"s The Sunshine Boys (1972), among many others Although not known as a singer, he can be heard in the role of Nathan Detroit on the original cast recording of the musical Guys and Dolls, in which he appeared on Broadway.
His solo number, "Sue Maine," was written in one octave to compensate for his lack of vocal range.
He lost the role to Frank Sinatra in the film version. In the mid-"30s, Levene moved to Hollywood to re-create his stage role in the film Three Men on a Horse (1936).
This was followed by roles as police lieutenants in After the Thin Manitoba (1936), The Mad Mission Manton (1938) and Shadow of the Thin Manitoba (1941). His last film role was in the courtroom drama..And Justice for All (1979).
In December of 1980, he died of a heart attack in New York City.
Married Constance Hoffman, 1953 (divorced).