Edward g robinson actor

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It was with Warner, in 1931, that he made the film that would cement the image he first rendered in "The Racket," "Little Caesar." He played Rico, the tough-as-nails mobster scheming and murdering his way to the top, compromised only by a near-imperceptible spark of humanity. Ehrlich's Magic Buller; A Dispatch from Reuter's) showed that Robinson could do serious drama too.

He received good reviews and was able to sign a contract with Warner Brothers.

His work so impressed industry players that he grudgingly returned to L.A. for a follow-up film, "East Is West" (1930), for $100,000.
Warner Bros. He was "absolved" of allegations of Communist affiliation after testifying as a friendly witness for the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy hysteria of the early 1950s.

In some of these, Robinson parodies his screen personality. In Billy Wilder's wonderful film noir, 'Double Indemnity' in 1944 he plays Barton Keyes, a wily insurance investigator on the track of temptress Barbara Stanwyck. The young Emanuel was drawn to acting from an early age, a passion ignited by his love for the theater.

His performance contributed to defining the characteristics of the gangster genre, including themes of ambition, power, and the inevitable downfall of the protagonist.

Establishing Robinson's Screen Persona

Robinson's role as Rico Bandello established his screen persona as the quintessential tough guy. His stage name, Edward G.

Robinson, was adopted as he transitioned into Hollywood, a move that would soon catapult him to stardom.

Path Towards Success

Robinson's breakthrough came with his role as the gangster Rico Bandello in "Little Caesar" (1931), a portrayal that would define his early career and establish him as a formidable actor.

Despite initially gaining fame for his portrayals of gangsters and tough characters, Robinson's range as an actor spanned across genres, including drama, comedy, and even historical epics. Warners used Robinson liberally in ruthless tough-guy roles in such films as "Smart Money" (1931, co-starring fellow tough James Cagney), "The Hatchet Man" (1932), and "The Last Gangster" (1937), though typecasting rankled him.

Emanuel made the crossing with his parents when he was nine, the family settling in the rough-and-tumble ghetto of the Lower East Side of New York.

There was a break in Robinson's career during the McCarthy Communist witch hunts of the early 1950s.

Though at one point scandalizing Hollywood by helping out the wife of Trumbo - who was blacklisted with the Hollywood Ten, imprisoned for contempt of congress, then exiled - HUAC called Robinson to testify three times in the early 1950s before clearing him of overt communist affiliation.

Robinson's portrayal of Rico, a small-time criminal with grand ambitions who rises to the top of the underworld only to experience a dramatic fall, became the archetype for movie gangsters. His name was cleared, but he gave names of Communist sympathizers to the committee which lost him a lot of support in Hollywood. He did two unsavory characters for über-director Michael Curtiz, as an unscrupulous boxing manager in "Kid Galahad" (1937) and a draconian sea captain in "The Sea Wolfe."

From 1937-1942, he even found time to do a regular radio show, playing a crusading newspaper editor in the "Big Town." As the war years approached, with dark portents for fellow Jews in Europe, Robinson also began showing liberal stripes, joining anti-fascist groups before it was fashionable and making it onto the radar of the U.S.'s welling anti-communist cadres.
In the meantime, his home life became strained, as Gladys grew distant, later to be diagnosed manic-depressive.

He found himself "graylisted" - not officially blacklisted but big studio jobs dried up. Broadway was two years later; he worked steadily there for 15 years. Despite the lack of formal awards, his legacy is solidified by his influence on the acting profession and his status as a cinema icon.