Actor. He had an acting career that spanned from the 1920s to 1980, and gained a reputation as one of Hollywood's best-dressed actors. Before acting, he started off as a prizefighting boxer, then moved on to dancing both on Broadway theatre and in Prohibition-era nightclubs. In motion pictures, he immediately gained roles portraying gangsters. On top of being typecast as a Hollywood gangster, he made bad decisions choosing his next roles. He turned down "High Sierra" (1941) reportedly because he didn't want to die on-screen, and turned down the role of 'Sam Spade' in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) because it seemed to him a lowly B-grade picture. He achieved some success appearing in "Some Like It Hot" (1959) and continued to act until his death in 1980.
Actor. He had an acting career that spanned from the 1920s to 1980, and gained a reputation as one of Hollywood's best-dressed actors. Before acting, he started off as a prizefighting boxer, then moved on to dancing both on Broadway theatre and in Prohibition-era nightclubs. In motion pictures, he immediately gained roles portraying gangsters. On top of being typecast as a Hollywood gangster, he made bad decisions choosing his next roles. He turned down "High Sierra" (1941) reportedly because he didn't want to die on-screen, and turned down the role of 'Sam Spade' in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) because it seemed to him a lowly B-grade picture. He achieved some success appearing in "Some Like It Hot" (1959) and continued to act until his death in 1980.
Bio by: Terrance Crooms
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