ACTOR
Brian Donlevy
Known for Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid · Perry Mason · Rawhide
Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 5, 1972) was an Ulster-born American film actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste (1939) and The Great McGinty (1940). For his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His obituary in The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom…
Snapshot 2026-10-16
- Born
- Feb 9, 1901
- Died
- Apr 6, 1972
- Birthplace
- Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland [now in Northern Ireland], UK
- Known For
- Acting
Biography
Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 5, 1972) was an Ulster-born American film actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste (1939) and The Great McGinty (1940). For his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His obituary in The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom stated that "any consideration of the American 'film noir' of the 1940s would be incomplete without him".
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Known For
MOVIE
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid(in "The Glass Key") (archive footage) · 1982
★ 6.6
★ 6.6
TV
Perry MasonGeneral Roger Brandon · 1957
★ 7.7
★ 7.7
TV
RawhideJed Reston · 1959
★ 7.3
★ 7.3
TV
Family Affair1 eps · 1966
★ 6.7
★ 6.7
TV
Studio OneJim · 1948
★ 5.4
★ 5.4
TV
The Colgate Comedy HourSelf · 1950
★ 6.9
★ 6.9
TV
Climax!Sam Marvin · 1954
★ 3.8
★ 3.8
TV
Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreFred Childress · 1956
★ 6.2
★ 6.2
Filmography
Movies
JamestownMinor Role (Uncredited)
1923
Damaged HeartsJim Porter
1924
Monsieur Beaucaireunknown
1924
School for WivesRalph
1925AM
A Man of QualityRichard Courtney
1926
Gentlemen of the PressKelly - Reporter (uncredited)
1929
Mother's BoyHarry O'Day
1929TA
Two AmericansUnknown
1929
A Modern CinderellaCharlie the Chauffeur
1932I
IrenoDrunk (uncredited)
1932
Another FaceBroken Nose Dawson / Spencer Dutro III
1935
Barbary CoastKnuckles Jacoby
1935
Mary Burns, FugitiveSpike
1935
13 Hours by AirJames Evarts
1936
36 Hours to KillFrank Evers
1936
Crack-UpAce Martin
1936
Half AngelDuffy Giles
1936
High TensionSteve Reardon
1936
Human CargoPacky Campbell
1936
Strike Me PinkVance
1936
Born RecklessBob Kane
1937
Midnight TaxiCharles 'Chick' Gardner
1937
This Is My AffairBatiste Duryea
1937
Battle of BroadwayChesty Webb
1938
In Old ChicagoGil Warren
1938
SharpshootersSteve Mitchell
1938
We're Going to Be RichYankee Gordon
1938
Allegheny UprisingRalph Callendar
1939
Beau GesteSergeant Markoff
1939
Behind Prison GatesAgent Norman Craig / Red Murray
1939
Destry Rides AgainKent
1939
Jesse JamesBarshee
1939
Union PacificSid Campeau
1939
Brigham YoungAngus Duncan
1940
The Great McGintyDaniel 'Dan' McGinty
1940
When the Daltons RodeGrat Dalton
1940
Billy the KidJim Sherwood
1941
Birth of the BluesMemphis
1941
Hold Back the DawnMovie Actor (uncredited)
1941
I Wanted WingsCapt. Mercer
1941
South of TahitiBob
1941
The Great Man's LadySteely Edwards
1941
A Gentleman After DarkHarry Melton
1942
NightmareDaniel Shane
1942
Stand by for ActionLieut. Cmdr. Martin Roberts
1942
The Glass KeyPaul Madvig
1942
The Remarkable AndrewGeneral Andrew Jackson
1942
Two Yanks in TrinidadVince Barrows
1942
Wake IslandMaj. Geoffrey Caton
1942
Hangmen Also Die!Dr. Franticek Svoboda
1943
StalingradNarrator (English version)
1943
An American RomanceStefan Dubechek aka Steve Dangos
1944
The Miracle of Morgan's CreekGovernor McGinty
1944
Twenty Years After(archive footage)
1944
Duffy's TavernBrian Donlevy
1945
Canyon PassageGeorge Camrose
1946
Our Hearts Were Growing UpTony Minnetti
1946
The VirginianTrampas
1946
Two Years Before the MastRichard Henry Dana
1946
Heaven Only KnowsAdam 'Duke' Byron
1947
Killer McCoyJim Caighn
1947
Kiss of DeathAssistant D.A. Louis D'Angelo
1947
Song of ScheherazadeCapt. Vladimir Gregorovitch
1947
The Beginning or the EndMaj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves
1947
The Trouble with WomenJoe McBride
1947
A Southern YankeeKurt Devlynn
1948
Command DecisionBrigadier General Clifton I. Garnet
1948
ImpactWalter Williams
1949
The Lucky StiffJohn J. Malone
1949
Kansas RaidersQuantrill
1950
ShakedownNick Palmer
1950
Fighting Coast GuardCmdr. McFarland
1951
Slaughter TrailCapt. Dempster
1951
Hoodlum EmpireSen. William J. 'Bill' Stephens
1952
Ride the Man DownBide Marriner
1952
Woman They Almost LynchedCharles Quantrill
1953
The Big ComboJoe McClure
1955
The Quatermass XperimentProf. Bernard Quatermass
1955
A Cry in the NightEd Bates
1956
Escape from Red RockBronc Grierson
1957
Quatermass 2Prof. Bernard Quatermass
1957
CowboyDoc Bender, Trailhand
1958
Juke Box RhythmGeorge Manton
1959
Never So FewGen. Sloan
1959
Girl In Room 13Steve Marshall
1960
The Errand BoyTom 'T.P.' Paramutual
1961
The Pigeon That Took RomeCol. Sherman Harrington
1962
The Big Parade of ComedyKurt Devlynne in 'A Southern Yankee' (arch. foot.) (uncredited)
1964
Curse of the FlyHenri Delambre
1965
How to Stuff a Wild BikiniB.D. 'Big Deal' MacPherson
1965
Gammera the InvincibleGen. Terry Arnold
1966
The Fat SpyGeorge Wellington
1966
WacoAce Ross
1966
Five Golden DragonsDragon #3
1967
Hostile GunsMarshal Willett
1967
Arizona BushwhackersMayor Joe Smith
1968
Rogue's GalleryDetective Lee
1968
Pit StopGrant Willard
1969
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid(in "The Glass Key") (archive footage)
1982
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped BloodProfessor Bernard Quatermass (archive footage)
1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful LifeSelf (archive footage)
1987
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the LineSelf (archive footage)
1997
Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. LeyendeckerArchival Footage
2021Television
Studio OneJim · 1 eps
1948
Lux Video TheatreDan Carmody · 1 eps
1950Lux Video TheatreWalter Williams · 1 eps
1950Lux Video TheatreDaniel J. McGinty · 1 eps
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents1 eps
1950
The Colgate Comedy HourSelf · 1 eps
1950
Dangerous Assignment41 eps
1952
Climax!Sam Marvin · 1 eps
1954
CrossroadsDr. Roy Bell · 1 eps
1955
Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreFred Childress · 1 eps
1956
DuPont Show of the MonthConstable Dale · 1 eps
1957
Perry MasonGeneral Roger Brandon · 1 eps
1957
The Texan2 eps
1958
RawhideJed Reston · 1 eps
1959
The DuPont Show with June AllysonJohn Ridges · 1 eps
1959
Target: The Corruptors!1 eps
1961
Family Affair1 eps
1966
The World of HammerSelf (archive footage) · 2 eps
1994Photos
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