Brian Donlevy
Biography
Brian Donlevy was an Ulster-born American film actor who was noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s, usually appearing in supporting roles. Born on February 9, 1901, in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland, which is now in Northern Ireland, his known film credits totaled 119. Among his best known films are Beau Geste, released in 1939, and The Great McGinty, released in 1940. For his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Additionally, his obituary in The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom noted that any consideration of American film noir of the 1940s would be incomplete without him. He passed away on April 6, 1972, at the age of 71.
Career overview
Brian Donlevy was an Ulster-born American film actor noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. Usually appearing in supporting roles, he amassed 119 known acting credits according to movie database records. His birth date is listed as February 9, 1901, and his place of birth is Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland, which is now in Northern Ireland. His death is recorded on April 6, 1972, at the age of 71, though a biography excerpt notes his death date as April 5, 1972.
Among his best known films are Beau Geste, released in 1939, and The Great McGinty, released in 1940. For his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste, he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Furthermore, 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.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
120 titles- Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker (2021) as Archival Footage
- Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line (1997) as Self (archive footage)
- The World of Hammer (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) as Self (archive footage)
- Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood (1987) as Professor Bernard Quatermass (archive footage)
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) as (in "The Glass Key") (archive footage)
- Pit Stop (1969) as Grant Willard
- Arizona Bushwhackers (1968) as Mayor Joe Smith
- Rogue's Gallery (1968) as Detective Lee
- Five Golden Dragons (1967) as Dragon #3
- Hostile Guns (1967) as Marshal Willett
- Family Affair (1966)
- Waco (1966) as Ace Ross
- Gammera the Invincible (1966) as Gen. Terry Arnold
- The Fat Spy (1966) as George Wellington
- Curse of the Fly (1965) as Henri Delambre
- How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965) as B.D. 'Big Deal' MacPherson
- The Big Parade of Comedy (1964) as Kurt Devlynne in 'A Southern Yankee' (arch. foot.) (uncredited)
- The Pigeon That Took Rome (1962) as Col. Sherman Harrington
- Target: The Corruptors! (1961)
- The Errand Boy (1961) as Tom 'T.P.' Paramutual
- Girl In Room 13 (1960) as Steve Marshall
- Rawhide (1959) as Jed Reston
- The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959) as John Ridges
- Never So Few (1959) as Gen. Sloan
- Juke Box Rhythm (1959) as George Manton
- The Texan (1958)
- Cowboy (1958) as Doc Bender, Trailhand
- Perry Mason (1957) as General Roger Brandon
- DuPont Show of the Month (1957) as Constable Dale
- Quatermass 2 (1957) as Prof. Bernard Quatermass
- Escape from Red Rock (1957) as Bronc Grierson
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Fred Childress
- A Cry in the Night (1956) as Ed Bates
- The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) as Prof. Bernard Quatermass
- The Big Combo (1955) as Joe McClure
- Climax! (1954) as Sam Marvin
- Woman They Almost Lynched (1953) as Charles Quantrill
- Dangerous Assignment (1952)
- Hoodlum Empire (1952) as Sen. William J. 'Bill' Stephens
- Ride the Man Down (1952) as Bide Marriner
- Fighting Coast Guard (1951) as Cmdr. McFarland
- Slaughter Trail (1951) as Capt. Dempster
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Dan Carmody
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Walter Williams
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Daniel J. McGinty
- Kansas Raiders (1950) as Quantrill
- Shakedown (1950) as Nick Palmer
- Impact (1949) as Walter Williams
- The Lucky Stiff (1949) as John J. Malone
- Studio One (1948) as Jim
- Command Decision (1948) as Brigadier General Clifton I. Garnet
- A Southern Yankee (1948) as Kurt Devlynn
- Kiss of Death (1947) as Assistant D.A. Louis D'Angelo
- Heaven Only Knows (1947) as Adam 'Duke' Byron
- The Beginning or the End (1947) as Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves
- Song of Scheherazade (1947) as Capt. Vladimir Gregorovitch
- Killer McCoy (1947) as Jim Caighn
- The Trouble with Women (1947) as Joe McBride
- The Virginian (1946) as Trampas
- Canyon Passage (1946) as George Camrose
- Two Years Before the Mast (1946) as Richard Henry Dana
- Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946) as Tony Minnetti
- Duffy's Tavern (1945) as Brian Donlevy
- Twenty Years After (1944) as (archive footage)
- An American Romance (1944) as Stefan Dubechek aka Steve Dangos
- The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) as Governor McGinty
- Hangmen Also Die! (1943) as Dr. Franticek Svoboda
- Stalingrad (1943) as Narrator (English version)
- The Remarkable Andrew (1942) as General Andrew Jackson
- Stand by for Action (1942) as Lieut. Cmdr. Martin Roberts
- Wake Island (1942) as Maj. Geoffrey Caton
- The Glass Key (1942) as Paul Madvig
- A Gentleman After Dark (1942) as Harry Melton
- Two Yanks in Trinidad (1942) as Vince Barrows
- Nightmare (1942) as Daniel Shane
- The Great Man's Lady (1941) as Steely Edwards
- I Wanted Wings (1941) as Capt. Mercer
- Billy the Kid (1941) as Jim Sherwood
- Hold Back the Dawn (1941) as Movie Actor (uncredited)
- South of Tahiti (1941) as Bob
- Birth of the Blues (1941) as Memphis
- Brigham Young (1940) as Angus Duncan
- When the Daltons Rode (1940) as Grat Dalton
- The Great McGinty (1940) as Daniel 'Dan' McGinty
- Jesse James (1939) as Barshee
- Union Pacific (1939) as Sid Campeau
- Destry Rides Again (1939) as Kent
- Beau Geste (1939) as Sergeant Markoff
- Allegheny Uprising (1939) as Ralph Callendar
- Behind Prison Gates (1939) as Agent Norman Craig / Red Murray
- In Old Chicago (1938) as Gil Warren
- Battle of Broadway (1938) as Chesty Webb
- Sharpshooters (1938) as Steve Mitchell
- We're Going to Be Rich (1938) as Yankee Gordon
- This Is My Affair (1937) as Batiste Duryea
- Midnight Taxi (1937) as Charles 'Chick' Gardner
- Born Reckless (1937) as Bob Kane
- Crack-Up (1936) as Ace Martin
- Strike Me Pink (1936) as Vance
- Half Angel (1936) as Duffy Giles
- 13 Hours by Air (1936) as James Evarts
- High Tension (1936) as Steve Reardon
- Human Cargo (1936) as Packy Campbell
- 36 Hours to Kill (1936) as Frank Evers
- Barbary Coast (1935) as Knuckles Jacoby
- Mary Burns, Fugitive (1935) as Spike
- Another Face (1935) as Broken Nose Dawson / Spencer Dutro III
- Ireno (1932) as Drunk (uncredited)
- A Modern Cinderella (1932) as Charlie the Chauffeur
- Two Americans (1929) as Unknown
- Gentlemen of the Press (1929) as Kelly - Reporter (uncredited)
- Mother's Boy (1929) as Harry O'Day
- A Man of Quality (1926) as Richard Courtney
- School for Wives (1925) as Ralph
- Monsieur Beaucaire (1924) as unknown
- Damaged Hearts (1924) as Jim Porter
- Jamestown (1923) as Minor Role (Uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Brian Donlevy best known for?
Brian Donlevy is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Due West: Our Sex Journey (2012), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), Five Golden Dragons (1967), First Love (2022).
When and where was Brian Donlevy born?
Brian Donlevy was born on February 9, 1901 in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland [now in Northern Ireland], UK. They passed away on April 6, 1972.
How many credits does Brian Donlevy have?
Brian Donlevy has accumulated over 120 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1923 to 2021.
What is Brian Donlevy's background in cinema and television?
Brian Donlevy was an Ulster-born American film actor who was noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s, usually appearing in supporting roles. Born on February 9, 1901, in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland, which is now in Northern Ireland, his known film credits totaled 119. Among his best known films a...
Brian Donlevy by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Perry Mason (1957) as General Roger Brandon — aged about 56
- DuPont Show of the Month (1957) as Constable Dale — aged about 56
- The Big Parade of Comedy (1964) as Kurt Devlynne in 'A Southern Yankee' (arch. foot.) (uncredited) — aged about 63
- Rawhide (1959) as Jed Reston — aged about 58
- The Big Combo (1955) as Joe McClure — aged about 54
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self — aged about 49
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