Men Of Character Character Actors
Marc Lawrence
Key Largo/ Ziggy
Dillinger/ Doc Madison
The Asphalt Jungle/ Cobby
Cloak And Dagger/ Luigi
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
Dark haired , Italianate Hollywood actor, a former singer and stage actor who devoted himself almost exclusively to films from 1936. With his narrow head, hooded eyes and tight, humorless smile, Lawrence was a natural for gangsters - and very efficient at it too. As he grew older, his pockmarked face took on a mottled appearance , making him look like an ancient, but still very deadly cobra. Blacklisted by Fifties Hollywood.
Mark Lawrence was an American character actor who specialized in underworld types.
He was born Max Goldsmith in 1910 at New York City, NY of Polish and Russian Jewish descent.
Early on Lawrence participated in plays in grammar and high school. He then went on graduate from City College in New York.
In 1930 Lawrence befriended another young actor, John Garfield. The two appeared in plays together before he was signed to a contract with Columbia Pictures.
Lawrence made his film debut in 1932 in the film If I Had A Million as a gangster's henchman.
His pock marked complexion, brooding appearance and New York Street guy accent mad him particularly suited for heavies. He played many a gangster, mob boss and tough guys for over six decades..
His TV career started in 1955 on Studio One In Hollywood.
The film roles of Marc Lawrence were:
If I Had A Million (1932) as A Henchman
Gambling Ship (1933) as A Hood
Her First Mate(1933) as An Orderly
Lady For A Day (1933) as Nick, A Mug
White Woman (1933) as Connors
Straight Is The Way (1934) as Monk's Henchman
Death On The Diamond (1934) as Bookies Doorman
Million Dollar Baby (1934)
"G" Men (1935) as Gangster
Go Into Your Dance (1935) as Eddie Logan
Strangers All (1935) as Communist Meeting Chairman
Men Of The Hour (1935) as Joe
The Arizonan (1935) as Henchman
Don't Bet On Blondes (1936) as Gangster #6
After The Dance (1935) as Tom, A Prisoner
Little Big Shot (1935) as Dore's Henchman
Dr. Socrates (1935) as Gangster Lefty Croger
Three Kids And A Queen (1935) as A Gangster
Road Gang (1936) as Pete
Don't Gamble With Love (1936) as Gambler
Desire (1936) as Charles, The Valet
Love On A Bet (1936) as County Fair Barker
Robin Hood Of El Dorado (1936) as Manuel
Under Two Flags (1936) as Grivon
Counterfeit (1936) as Dint Coleman
Trapped By Television (1936) as Frank Griffin
The Final Hour (1936) as Mike Magellon
Blackmailer (1936) as Pinky
The Cowboy Star (1936) as Johnny Sampson
Night Waitress (1936) as Dorn
Racketeers In Exile (1937) as Blackie White
Motor Madness (1937) as Gus Slater
I Promise To Pay (1937) as Whitehat
Criminals On The Air (1937) as Blast Reardon
San Quentin (1937) as Venetti
What Price Vengeance (1937) as Pete Brower
It Can't Last Forever (1937) as Hoodlum
A Dangerous Adventure (1937) as Calkins
Charlie Chan On Broadway (1937) as Thomas Mitchell
Life Begins With Love (1937) as Pearson
Counsel For Crime (1937) as Edwin Mitchell
Murder In Greenwich Village (1937) as Rusty Morgan
The Shadow (1937) as Kid Crow
Penitentiary (1938) as Jack Hawkins
Who Killed Gail Preston? (1938) as Frank Daniels
Squadron Of Honor (1938) as Lawlor
Convicted (1938) as Milton Militis
I Am The Law (1938) as Eddie Girard
The Spider's Web (1938) as Steve Harmon
Adventure In Sahara (1938) as Poule
While New York Sleeps (1938) as Happy Nelson
There's That Woman Again (1938) as Stevens
Charlie Chan In Honolulu (1938) as Johnny McCoy
Homicide Bureau (1939) as Chuck Brown
The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) as Henchman In Trench Coat
Sergeant Madden (1939) as Pigg Cedars
Romance Of The Redwoods (1939) as Joe
Code Of The Streets (1939) as Halstead aka Denver Collins
Blind Alley (1939) as Chuck
Ex-Champ (1939) as Bill Crosley
S O S Tidal Wave (1939) as Melvin Sutter
Dust be My Destiny (1939) as Venetti
Beware Spooks! (1939) as Slick Eastman
The Housekeeper's Daughter (1939) as Floyd
Invisible Stripes (1939) as Lefty
Johnny Apollo (1940) as Babes
Love, Honor and Oh Baby! (1940) as Tony Luffo
The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) as Lefty Kyler
The Golden Fleecing (1940) as Happy Dugan
Brigham Young (1940) as Prosecuter
The Great Profile (1940) as Tony
Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum (1940) as Steve McBirney
Tall, Dark and Handsome (1941) as Louie
The Monster And The Girl (1941) as Sleeper
The Man Who Lost Himself (1941) as Frank DeSoto
Blossoms In The Dust (1941) as La Verne
The Shepherd Of The Hills (1941) as Pete Matthews
Lady Scarface (1941) as Left Landers
Hold That Ghost (1941) as Charlie Smith
A Dangerous Game (1941) as Joe
Sundown (1941) as Abdi Hammud
Public Enemies (1941) as Mike
Nazi Agent (1942) as Joe Aiello
Yokel Boy (1942) as Trigger
This Gun For Hire (1942) as Tommy
Call Of The Canyon (1942) as Horace Dunston
Eyes Of The Underworld (1942) as Gordon Finch
'Neath Brooklyn Bridge (1942) as McGaffey
Calaboose (1943) as SlugsyBaker
Submarine Alert (1943) as Vincent Bela
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) as Jeff Farnley
Hit The Ice (1943) as Phil
Tampico (1944) as Valdez
Rainbow Island (1944) as Alcoa
The Princess And The Pirate (1944) as Pedro
Dillinger (1945) as Doc Madison
Flame Of The Barbary Coast (1945) as Joe Disko
Don't Fence Me In (1945) as Clifford Anson
Club Havana (1945) as Joe Reed
Life With Blondie (1945) as Pete
Blonde Alibi (1946) as Joe DeRita
The Virginian (1946) as Pete
Inside Job (1946) as Donovan
Cloak And Dagger ( 1946) as Luigi
Yankee Fakir (1947) as Duke
Joe Palooka: In The Knockout (1947) as John Mitchell
Unconquered (1947) as Sioto - Medicine Man
Captain From Castile (1947) as Corio
I Walk Alone (1947) as Nick Palestro
Key Largo (1948) as Ziggy
Out Of The Storm (1948) as Red Stubbins
Jigsaw (1949) as Angelo Agostini
Calamity Jane And Sam Bass (1949) as Harry Dean
Tough Assignment (1949) as Vince
Black Hand (1950) as Caesar Xavier Serpi
The Asphalt Jungle ( 1950) as Cobby
The Desert Hawk (1950) as Samad
Abbott And Costello In The Foreign Legion (1950) as Frankie- Loan Shark
Hurricane Island (1951) as Angus Macready
My Favorite Spy (1951) as Ben Ali
Torment Of The Past ((1952) as Andrea Rossi
La tratta della bianche (1952) as Machedi
The Three Pirates (1952) as Van Gould
Brothers Of Italy (192) as Il capitano March
Jolanda, The Daughter Of The Black Corsair (1953) as Van Gould
Noi pescatori (1953) as Camilo
Trouble For The Legion (1953) as Serge Schwartz)
Funniest Show On Earth (1953) as Circus Propreitor
Vacation With A Gangster (1954) as Jack Mariotti
Ballata tragica (1954) as Felipe Alvaro
New Moon (1955) as Pierre
Suor Maria (1955) as Don Mario
La catena dell'odio (1955) as Braschi
Helen Of Troy (1956) as Diomedes
Kill Her Gently (1957) as William Connors
Johnny Cool (1963) as Johnny Collini
2 mafiosi contra Al Capone (1966) as Joe Minasi
Johnny Tiger (1966) as William Billie
Savage Pampas (1966) as Sgt Barrill
7 monaci d'oro (1966) as Lucky Marciano
Du mou dans la gachette (1967) as Magnum
Custer Of The West (1967) as The Gold Miner
King Of Kong Island (1968) as Albert Muller
Krakatoa: East Of Java (1968) as Jacobs
The Kremlin Letter (1970) as The Priest
Dream No Evil (1970) as Undertaker
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) as Slumber Inc Attendant
Pigs (1972) as Zambrini
Honor They Father (1973-TV) as Stafano Magaddino
Frasier, The Sensuous Lion ( 1973) as Charelli
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) as Rodney
Marathon Man (1976) as Erhard
A Piece Of The Action (1977) as Louie
Foul Play (1978) as Stitskin
Goin' Cocanuts (1978) as Webster
Hot Stuff (1979) as Carmine
Swap Meet (1979) as Mr. Booth
Super Fuzz (1980) as Torpedo
Cataclysm (1980) as Abraham Weiss
Border Pals (1981-TV) as Joe Cincinnati
Terror At Alcatraz (1982-TV) as Daniel Ginelli
Savage Journey (1983-TV) as Chief Walker
Cat And Dog (1983) as Don Salvatore Licuti
Night Train To Terror (1985) as Mr. Weiss/Dieter
The Big Easy (1986) as Vinnie "The Cannon" DiMotti
Blood Red (1989) as Michae Fazio
Donor (1990-TV) as Ben Beloit
Ruby (1992) as Santos Alicante
Newsies (1992) as Kupperman
Four Rooms (1995) as Sam The Bellhop
From Dusk Till dawn (1996) as Old Timer Motel Owner
Gotti (1996) as Carlo Gambino
End Of Days (1999) as Old Man
The Shipping News (2001) as Cousin Nolan
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003) as Acme Vice President
Mr. Lawrence was also active on television appearing in such programs as Studio One In Hollywood, Shotgun Slade, Wagon Train, Playhouse 90, Peter Gunn, M Squad, Tightrope, Johnny Stoccato, Zane Grey Theater, Bronco, Richard Diamond Private Eye, The Rifleman, Boris Karloff's Thriller, The Deputy, Lawman, Whispering Smith, The Detectives, The Untouchables, Arrest And Trial, Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater, Petticoat Junction, Mr. Ed, The Rat Patrol, Bonanza, The Partners, Here's Lucy, The Doris Day Show, Nichols, Mannix, McCloud, Switch, The Rookies, Baretta, CHiPS, Wonder Woman, The Dukes Of Hazzard, The A Team, Star Trek-The Next Generation, Shannon 's Deal, ER and Star Trek-Deep Space Nine.
In the fifties Lawrence was under investigation for his political beliefs. He was called before the House Un American Activities Committee whereby he admitted that he had once been a member of the Communist Party.. He was blacklisted and then headed to Europe to make movies. When the blacklist ended he returned to America and continued on making films, many of them with him purveying gangster type roles.
In 1991 his autobiography was published entitled Long Time No See: The Confessions Of A Hollywood Gangster.
Lawrence was married twice.
His first wife was Odessa born novelist and screenwriter Fanya Foss. The marriage lasted from 1942 until her death in 1995 and the couple had two children.
Lawrence's second wife was Alicia Lawrence and the marriage lasted from 2003 to 2005 his death.
Marc Lawrence died in 2005 at age 95 and was buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Always one of my favorite gangster types, I enjoyed Mr. Lawrence in the films Key Largo, The Ox-Bow Incident, This Gun For Hire, Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum, The Asphalt Jungle, Captain From Castille, Flame Of The Barbary Coast, My Favorite Spy, The Desert Hawk and Black Hand.
He gave three impressive performances on The Untouchables TV series as a gangster, naturally.
1) The Genna Brothers as Mike Genna
2) Star Witness as Luigi Renaldo
3) Blues For A Gone Goose as Lou Cagan
Another great character actor.
Louie The Movie Buff
.