Robinson, Edward G.

Robinson, Edward G. (1893-1973), American actor, whose best-known role was that of a tough-talking gangster. He was born Emanuel Goldenberg in Bucharest, Romania, but emigrated to the United States as a child. After making his acting debut in New York, in 1913, Robinson became a leading performer on the New York stage. He appeared in ten plays produced during the 1920s by the Theater Guild, including an appearance in The Kibitzer (1929), which he co-wrote with Jo Swerling. His successful film career began in 1929, and in 1930 he made his first appearance as a gangster in Little Caesar. Among his other important films are Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940), The Woman in the Window (1944), Key Largo (1948), Cheyenne Autumn (1964), and Soylent Green (1973). He returned to the stage in Darkness at Noon (1951-1952) and appeared in New York in Middle of the Night (1956). He died shortly before his autobiography, All My Days, was published in 1974.