Photo: Macfadden Publications-page 2. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Brian Donlevy is exactly the kind of actor I find myself rooting for. He never had the matinee-idol gloss, but he owned the screen as a tough, dangerous heavy, especially in film noir, where moral murk suited him perfectly. That Beau Geste Oscar nomination in 1939 confirms what I sense: he was at his best in support, sharpening the leads around him. There is something honest about a performer from Cleveland building a Hollywood career on menace and grit rather than charm. Decades after his 1972 death, that star on the Walk of Fame feels well earned. I have deep respect for character actors like him.
Overview
Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor of film, stage, television, and radio. He appeared both in leading and supporting roles in Hollywood, and was noted for playing dangerous and tough "heavies", often in films noir. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Beau Geste (1939).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Brian Donlevy
- Name (Japanese)
- ブライアン・ドンレヴィ
- Reading
- ぶらいあん・どんれゔぃ
- Born
- February 9, 1901 – April 5, 1972
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Ox
- Origin
- Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / film producer / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.