Robinson was born Emanuel Goldenburg on December 12, 1893 in Bucharest
Romania. He arrived in the United States at age ten, and his family took up
residence in New York's Lower East Side. He took up acting while attending City
College, abandoning plans to become a rabbi or lawyer. The American Academy
of Dramatic Arts awarded him a scholarship, and he began work in stock, with
his new name, Edward G. Robinson, in 1913. Broadway was two years later; he
worked steadily there for 15 years. His work included "The Kibitzer", a comedy
he co-wrote with Jo Swerling. His film debut was a small supporting part in the
silent The Bright Shawl (1923), but it was with the coming of sound that he hit
his stride. His stellar performance as snarling, murderous thug Rico Bandello in
Little Caesar (1931) - all the more impressive since in real life he was a
sophisticated, cultured man with a passion for fine art - set the standard for
movie gangsters, both for himself in many later films and for the industry. He
portrayed the title character in several biographical works, such as Dr. Ehrlich's
Magic Bullet (1940) and _Dispatch from Reuters, A (1940)_ . Psychological
dramas included Flesh and Fantasy (1943), Double Indemnity (1944), The
Woman in the Window (1945) and Scarlet Street (1945). Another notable
gangster role was in Key Largo (1948). He was "absolved" of allegations of
Communist affiliation after testifying as a friendly witness for the House Un-
American Activities Committee during the McCarthy hysteria of the early 1950s.
In 1956 he had to sell off his extensive art collection in a divorce settlement
and also had to deal with a psychologically troubled son. In 1956 he returned to
Broadway in "Middle of the Night". In 1973 he was awarded a special,
posthumous Oscar for lifetime achievement.
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