Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

Author:Karen Burroughs Hannsberry [Hannsberry, Karen Burroughs]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Genre Films, History & Criticism, Theory, Reference, Movies, Arts & Literature, Actors & Entertainers, Television Performers, Biographies, Video, Reference & Test Preparation, Actors & Actresses, Humor & Entertainment, Movies & Video
ISBN: 0786437391
Amazon: B00K5YR2NO
Publisher: McFarland
Published: 2003-01-01T11:00:00+00:00

Although the actor was, at this point, primarily focusing on his stage career, Levene made a number of appearances on such television shows as Studio One, The U.S. Steel Hour, and The Untouchables, and made-for-television movies including The World of Sholom Aleichem (1959). The actor also appeared in a handful of feature films during this period, including Three Sailors and a Girl (1953), an entertaining musical starring Jane Powell and Gordon MacRae; The Opposite Sex (1956), a mediocre remake of The Women (1939); and his final film noir, Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Here, Levene is Frank D’Angelo, the uncle of sleazy press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis, in one of the best performances of his career), whose overarching ambition centers on getting his clients noticed by powerful newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster). The unprincipled Sidney stoops to new lows when he becomes involved in Hunsecker’s efforts to end the relationship between his sister, Susan (Susan Harrison) and her musician boyfriend, Steve Dallas (Martin Milner). Although Sidney nearly succeeds in his mission, the scheme unravels when Hunsecker suspects Sidney of molesting his sister and turns him over to a crooked cop (Emile Meyer). Although the film stands up today as a fascinating entry in the realm of noir, Sweet Smell was a disappointment at the box office, with audiences turned off by its unredeemable characters and relentless cynicism. It was deservedly hailed by critics, however; the reviewer for Variety wrote that the film “captures the feel of Broadway and environs after dark,” and in the Los Angeles Examiner, Sara Hamilton opined: “The acrid odor of the film … permeates the nostrils long after the final reel has been unwound. It’s that pungent.” Hamilton also singled out Levene in her praise of the characters who “roam the unpleasant atmosphere doing good jobs in the awful world in which they find themselves.”

By now, Levene had become known as an outspoken, straightforward, and somewhat acerbic member of the acting community. Labeled by one newspaper columnist as “one of the Last Angry Men,” Levene particularly seemed to enjoy espousing his views on the field of acting, complaining primarily about its “lack of continuity.”

“The theater is an elusive thing—a constant fight to survive,” Levene said in a 1957 interview. “Always closing, always opening. Even with a hit, an actor says to himself, ‘What am I going to do next year?’ Always groping for something. My advice is to go back to the dress business. I wish I had.”

But Levene’s apparent disdain for his chosen career had little effect on his non-stop working schedule. During the next two decades, he continued his frenetic performance docket, appearing in feature films including Act One (1963), a biopic about playwright Moss Hart; Such Good Friends (1971), a poorly received comedy/drama directed by Otto Preminger; and And Justice for All (1979), starring Al Pacino; such stage productions as Seidman and Son, Goodnight Grandpa, The Sunshine Boys, co-starring Jack Albertson, and The Devil’s Advocate, for which he earned a Tony

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