Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893 – January 26, 1973) was an American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays, and more than 100 films, during a 50-year career, and his tough-guy roles as gangsters in films like Little Caesar and Key Largo are still remembered today. Robinson received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in House of Strangers. Beyond acting, Robinson was also a vocal public critic of fascism and Nazism, contributing to over 850 organizations involved in war relief, and various cultural, educational, and religious groups. Despite this, he was investigated for alleged Communist involvement – a claim he rebuked stating that he was 'duped' by several Communist individuals. The investigation led him to appear on Hollywood's graylist, a group of people barred from working in the major studios, but still found work at minor film studios. His legacy in film persists, with not only a posthumous Academy Honorary Award, but placing number 24 in the American Film Institute's list of the 25 greatest male stars of Classic American cinema. Despite his iconic roles and contributions to the film industry, Robinson has also been recognized as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.