Edward G. Robinson

Edward Goldenberg Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893 – January 26, 1973) was an American actor who was popular during Hollywood's Golden Age. After making his stage debut in 1913, he rose to stardom with his performance as the title character in Little Caesar (1931) and became well known for his portrayals of gangsters. He starred in a variety of films, including the biopics Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet and A Dispatch from Reuters (both 1940) and the film noirs Double Indemnity and The Woman in the Window (both 1944).

During the 1930s and 1940s, Robinson was an outspoken public critic of fascism and Nazism, which were growing in strength in Europe in the years which led up to World War II. His activism included contributing over $250,000 to more than 850 organizations that were involved in war relief, along with contributions to cultural, educational, and religious groups. His postwar films include The Stranger (1946) and Key Largo (1948), and he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for House of Strangers (1949).

During the 1950s, Robinson was called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Red Scare, but he was cleared of any deliberate Communist involvement. He did not name names but renounced a number of leftist organizations so as not to be probed further. As a result of being investigated, he found himself on Hollywood's graylist, people who were on the Hollywood blacklist maintained by the major studios, but could find work at minor film studios on what was called Poverty Row. He returned to the A-list when Cecil B. DeMille cast him as Dathan (the adversary of Moses) in The Ten Commandments (1956).

During his 60-year career, Robinson appeared in 30 Broadway plays, and more than 100 films. In 1956, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Middle of the Night. He played his final role in the science-fiction story Soylent Green (1973). Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited him as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. He received an Academy Honorary Award for his work in the film industry, which was awarded two months after he died in 1973. In 1999, he was ranked number 24 in the American Film Institute's list of the 25 greatest male stars of Classic American cinema.