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Brian Donlevy

Actor

Brian Donlevy

Born February 9, 1901 in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland [now in Northern Ireland], UKDied April 6, 197293 films

Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 5, 1972) was an Ulster-born American film actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually 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".

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The best way into Brian Donlevy's work
Destry Rides Again posterFirst watchDestry Rides Again19397.2as KentTom Destry, son of a legendary frontier peacekeeper, doesn’t believe in gunplay. Thus he becomes the object of widespread ridicule when he rides into the wide-open town of Bottleneck, the…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Kiss of Death poster7.1Kiss of Death1947The Big Combo poster7.0The Big Combo1955The Quatermass Xperiment poster6.5The Quatermass Xperiment1955Hangmen Also Die! poster6.9Hangmen Also Die!1943Beau Geste poster7.0Beau Geste1939The Miracle of Morgan's Creek poster6.8The Miracle of Morgan's Creek1944The Glass Key poster6.7The Glass Key1942Quatermass 2 poster6.4Quatermass 21957

Filmography

93 films as actor
  1. 1969Pit StopGrant Willard
  2. 1968Arizona BushwhackersMayor Joe Smith
  3. 1968Rogue's GalleryDetective Lee
  4. 1967Five Golden DragonsDragon #3
  5. 1967Hostile GunsMarshal Willett
  6. 1966Gammera the InvincibleGen. Terry Arnold
  7. 1966WacoAce Ross
  8. 1966The Fat SpyGeorge Wellington
  9. 1965How to Stuff a Wild BikiniB.D. 'Big Deal' MacPherson
  10. 1965Curse of the FlyHenri Delambre
  11. 1962The Pigeon That Took RomeCol. Sherman Harrington
  12. 1961The Errand BoyTom 'T.P.' Paramutual
  13. 1960Girl In Room 13Steve Marshall
  14. 1959Never So FewGen. Sloan
  15. 1959Juke Box RhythmGeorge Manton
  16. 1958CowboyDoc Bender, Trailhand
  17. 1957Escape from Red RockBronc Grierson
  18. 1957Quatermass 2Prof. Bernard Quatermass
  19. 1956A Cry in the NightEd Bates
  20. 1955The Quatermass XperimentProf. Bernard Quatermass
  21. 1955The Big ComboJoe McClure
  22. 1953Woman They Almost LynchedCharles Quantrill
  23. 1952Ride the Man DownBide Marriner
  24. 1952Hoodlum EmpireSen. William J. 'Bill' Stephens
  25. 1951Slaughter TrailCapt. Dempster
  26. 1951Fighting Coast GuardCmdr. McFarland
  27. 1950Kansas RaidersQuantrill
  28. 1950ShakedownNick Palmer
  29. 1949The Lucky StiffJohn J. Malone
  30. 1949ImpactWalter Williams
  31. 1948Command DecisionBrigadier General Clifton I. Garnet
  32. 1948A Southern YankeeKurt Devlynn
  33. 1947Killer McCoyJim Caighn
  34. 1947Heaven Only KnowsAdam 'Duke' Byron
  35. 1947Kiss of DeathAssistant D.A. Louis D'Angelo
  36. 1947The Trouble with WomenJoe McBride
  37. 1947Song of ScheherazadeCapt. Vladimir Gregorovitch
  38. 1946Two Years Before the MastRichard Henry Dana
  39. 1946Canyon PassageGeorge Camrose
  40. 1946Our Hearts Were Growing UpTony Minnetti
  41. 1946The VirginianTrampas
  42. 1945Duffy's TavernBrian Donlevy
  43. 1944The Miracle of Morgan's CreekGovernor McGinty
  44. 1944An American RomanceStefan Dubechek aka Steve Dangos
  45. 1943Hangmen Also Die!Dr. Franticek Svoboda
  46. 1942Stand by for ActionLieut. Cmdr. Martin Roberts
  47. 1942NightmareDaniel Shane
  48. 1942The Glass KeyPaul Madvig
  49. 1942Wake IslandMaj. Geoffrey Caton
  50. 1942A Gentleman After DarkHarry Melton
  51. 1942Two Yanks in TrinidadVince Barrows
  52. 1942The Remarkable AndrewGeneral Andrew Jackson
  53. 1941Birth of the BluesMemphis
  54. 1941The Great Man's LadySteely Edwards
  55. 1941South of TahitiBob
  56. 1941Hold Back the DawnMovie Actor (uncredited)
  57. 1941Billy the KidJim Sherwood
  58. 1941I Wanted WingsCapt. Mercer
  59. 1940Brigham YoungAngus Duncan
  60. 1940When the Daltons RodeGrat Dalton
  61. 1940The Great McGintyDaniel 'Dan' McGinty
  62. 1939Destry Rides AgainKent
  63. 1939Allegheny UprisingRalph Callendar
  64. 1939Behind Prison GatesAgent Norman Craig / Red Murray
  65. 1939Beau GesteSergeant Markoff
  66. 1939Union PacificSid Campeau
  67. 1939Jesse JamesBarshee
  68. 1938SharpshootersSteve Mitchell
  69. 1938We're Going to Be RichYankee Gordon
  70. 1938Battle of BroadwayChesty Webb
  71. 1938In Old ChicagoGil Warren
  72. 1937Born RecklessBob Kane
  73. 1937This Is My AffairBatiste Duryea
  74. 1937Midnight TaxiCharles 'Chick' Gardner
  75. 1936Crack-UpAce Martin
  76. 193636 Hours to KillFrank Evers
  77. 1936High TensionSteve Reardon
  78. 1936Half AngelDuffy Giles
  79. 1936Human CargoPacky Campbell
  80. 193613 Hours by AirJames Evarts
  81. 1936Strike Me PinkVance
  82. 1935Another FaceBroken Nose Dawson / Spencer Dutro III
  83. 1935Mary Burns, FugitiveSpike
  84. 1935Barbary CoastKnuckles Jacoby
  85. 1932A Modern CinderellaCharlie the Chauffeur
  86. 1932IrenoDrunk (uncredited)
  87. 1929Mother's BoyHarry O'Day
  88. 1929Two AmericansUnknown
  89. 1929Gentlemen of the PressKelly - Reporter (uncredited)
  90. 1926A Man of QualityRichard Courtney
  91. 1925School for WivesRalph
  92. 1924Monsieur Beaucaireunknown
  93. 1924Damaged HeartsJim Porter