Edward G. Robinson

Born Emanuel Goldenberg on Dec. 12, 1893, in Bucharest, Romania, legendary movie gangster Edward G. Robinson immigrated with his Yiddish-speaking family to New York's Lower East Side when he was 10 years old. Once he took up acting at a city college, Robinson deserted his plans to become a rabbi or lawyer and earned a scholarship at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at age 20.

After working steadily for 15 years on Broadway, he made his film debut with a small part in the 1923 silent film The Bright Shawl. It wasn't until the invention of talkies that Robinson's career hit its full stride, earning him film noir tough-guy status in films such as Little Caesar (1931) and Key Largo (1948). Other notable films include Double Indemnity and Some Like It Hot (1959).

After his death on Jan. 26, 1973, Robinson was honored with a posthumous lifetime achievement Academy Award that same year.

Filmography