Marc Lawrence

Marc Lawrence (born Max Goldsmith; February 17, 1910 – November 28, 2005) was an American character actor who specialized in underworld types. He has also been credited as F. A. Foss, Marc Laurence and Marc C. Lawrence.

Early life

Lawrence was born in New York City, the son of a Polish Jewish mother, Minerva Norma (née Sugarman), and a Russian Jewish father, Israel Simon Goldsmith. He participated in plays in school, then attended the City College of New York. In 1930, he received a two-year scholarship to the repertory theater operated by Eva Le Gallienne.

Career

Lawrence's film debut came in 1933. His pock-marked complexion, brooding appearance, and New York street-guy accent made him a natural for heavies, and he would portray scores of gangsters and mob bosses over the next six decades. He was once informed by studio executive Harry Cohn that infamous mobster Johnny Roselli called Lawrence "the best hood in films". Lawrence himself added that many Italian hoods told him he played them better than anyone else.

In 1951, Lawrence found himself under scrutiny for his political past. After being visited at his L.A. home by two government agents who accused him of being a Communist Party USA (CPUSA) member, Lawrence was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). On April 24, 1951, he appeared before the HUAC and admitted he had belonged to the CPUSA in the late 1930s. He named fourteen of his film industry associates as Communists, including fellow actors J. Edward Bromberg, Morris Carnovsky, Jeff Corey, Howard da Silva, Lloyd Gough, Sterling Hayden, Larry Parks, Anne Revere, and Lionel Stander. Despite being a cooperative witness, Lawrence did not fully escape the blacklist, and so he and his wife, screenwriter Fanya Foss, and their two children departed for Italy in 1951. They lived abroad for six years. During that time, he appeared in numerous Italian films and also landed the role of Diomedes in Robert Wise's ''Helen of Troy'' (1956).

Once the blacklist eased for Lawrence in the late 1950s, he and his family moved back to the U.S. He initially obtained guest spots on TV series such as '' The Detectives'' and '' The Untouchables''. He later resumed his position in films as a familiar and talented purveyor of gangland types. He played gangsters in two James Bond movies: 1971's '' Diamonds Are Forever'' opposite Sean Connery, and 1974's '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' opposite Roger Moore. He also portrayed a henchman opposite Laurence Olivier in '' Marathon Man'' (1976) and a stereotypical Miami mob boss alongside Jerry Reed and Dom DeLuise in the comedy '' Hot Stuff'' (1979).

Lawrence also had occasional directing credits, including on '' Nightmare in the Sun'' (1965) and ''Pigs'' (1973), as well as on episodes of TV series such as '' Lawman'', '' The Roaring 20's'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', and '' Maverick''. Among his later acting jobs, he played Volnoth, a member of the Gatherers, in the 1989 '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode " The Vengeance Factor". He was the elderly motel owner in '' From Dusk till Dawn'' (1996). He returned to the ''Star Trek'' franchise when he portrayed Mr. Zeemo in the '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' episode " Badda-Bing Badda-Bang", which aired in February 1999. His final film acting performance was in '' Looney Tunes Back in Action'' (2003), appearing as an Acme Corporation vice president.

Books

Lawrence's autobiography, ''Long Time No See: Confessions of a Hollywood Gangster'' (), was published in 1991. He was also the subject of a novel, ''The Beautiful and the Profane'' () (published in 2002).

Personal life

In 1942, he married Fanya Foss, a Ukrainian-American screenwriter. They had two children. Foss died in 1995. His daughter Toni was married to Billy Bob Thornton from 1986 to 1988. In 2003, at the age of 93, Lawrence married a Mexican woman named Alicia, who had a daughter from a prior marriage.

Death

On November 28, 2005, Marc Lawrence died of heart failure at his Palm Springs home. He was 95.

Selected filmography

* 1932 '' If I Had a Million'' as Henchman of Mike The Gangster (uncredited)
* 1933 '' Gambling Ship'' as Hood (uncredited)
* 1933 '' Her First Mate'' as Orderly With Message (uncredited)
* 1933 '' Lady for a Day'' as Nick, Mug At Reception (uncredited)
* 1933 '' White Woman'' as Connors
* 1934 '' Straight Is the Way'' as Monk's Henchmen (uncredited)
* 1934 '' Death on the Diamond'' as Bookies' Doorman (uncredited)
* 1934 ''Million Dollar Baby'' as Gangster
* 1935 '' G Men'' as Gangster Killed At Lodge (uncredited)
* 1935 '' Go Into Your Dance'' as Eddie Logan (uncredited)
* 1935 '' Strangers All'' as Communist Meeting Chairman (uncredited)
* 1935 '' Men of the Hour'' as Joe
* 1935 '' The Arizonian'' as Henchman Who Pistol-Whipped Clay (uncredited)
* 1935 '' Don't Bet on Blondes'' as Gangster #6 (uncredited)
* 1935 '' After the Dance'' as Tom, Prisoner (uncredited)
* 1935 '' Little Big Shot'' as Doré's Henchman
* 1935 '' Dr. Socrates'' as "Lefty" Croger, Gangster (uncredited)
* 1935 '' Three Kids and a Queen'' as Gangster (uncredited)
* 1936 '' Road Gang'' as Pete, Friendly Convict
* 1936 '' Don't Gamble with Love'' as Gambler (uncredited)
* 1936 '' Love on a Bet'' as County Fair Barker (uncredited)
* 1936 '' Robin Hood of El Dorado'' as Manuel (uncredited)
* 1936 ''Desire'' as Charles, The Valet (uncredited)
* 1936 '' Under Two Flags'' as Grivon (uncredited)
* 1936 ''Counterfeit'' as "Dint" Coleman
* 1936 '' Trapped by Television'' as Frank Griffin (uncredited)
* 1936 '' The Final Hour'' as Mike Magellon
* 1936 ''Blackmailer'' as "Pinky" (uncredited)
* 1936 '' The Cowboy Star'' as Johnny Sampson
* 1936 '' Charlie Chan at the Opera'' as Unknown Role (uncredited)
* 1936 '' Night Waitress'' as Dorn, The Henchman
* 1937 '' Racketeers in Exile'' as "Blackie" White
* 1937 '' Motor Madness'' as Gus Slater
* 1937 '' I Promise to Pay'' as "Whitehat", The Henchman
* 1937 '' Criminals of the Air'' as "Blast" Reardon
* 1937 '' San Quentin'' as Venetti
* 1937 '' What Price Vengeance?'' as Pete Brower
* 1937 '' It Can't Last Forever'' as Hoodlum (uncredited)
* 1937 '' A Dangerous Adventure'' as Calkins
* 1937 '' Charlie Chan on Broadway'' as Thomas Mitchell
* 1937 '' Life Begins with Love'' as Pearson (uncredited)
* 1937 ''Counsel for Crime'' as Edwin Mitchell
* 1937 '' Murder in Greenwich Village'' as "Rusty" Morgan
* 1937 ''The Shadow'' as "Kid" Crow
* 1938 '' Penitentiary'' as Jack Hawkins (uncredited)
* 1938 '' Who Killed Gail Preston?'' as Frank Daniels
* 1938 '' Squadron of Honor'' as Lawlor
* 1938 '' Convicted'' as Milton Militis
* 1938 '' I Am the Law'' as Eddie Girard
* 1938 '' The Spider's Web'' (Serial) as Steve Harmon
* 1938 '' Adventure in Sahara'' as Poule
* 1938 '' While New York Sleeps'' as "Happy" Nelson
* 1938 '' Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' as Johnny McCoy
* 1939 '' Homicide Bureau'' as Chuck Brown
* 1939 '' There's That Woman Again'' as Stevens (uncredited)
* 1939 '' The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt'' as The Henchman In Trenchcoat (uncredited)
* 1939 '' Sergeant Madden'' as "Piggy" Ceders
* 1939 '' Romance of the Redwoods'' as Joe
* 1939 '' Code of the Streets'' as Denver Collins / Halstead, The Henchman
* 1939 '' Blind Alley'' as Buck
* 1939 '' Ex-Champ'' as Bill Crosley, Olsen's Manager
* 1939 '' S.O.S. Tidal Wave'' as Melvin Sutter
* 1939 '' Dust Be My Destiny'' as Venetti
* 1939 '' Beware Spooks!'' as "Slick" Eastman
* 1939 '' The Housekeeper's Daughter'' as Floyd
* 1939 '' Invisible Stripes'' as "Lefty" Sloan
* 1940 '' Johnny Apollo'' as Bates
* 1940 '' Love, Honor and Oh-Baby!'' as Tony Luffo
* 1940 '' The Man Who Talked Too Much'' as "Lefty" Kyler
* 1940 '' The Golden Fleecing'' as "Happy" Dugan
* 1940 ''Brigham Young'' as Prosecutor
* 1940 '' The Great Profile'' as Tony
* 1940 '' Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum'' as Steve McBirney
* 1941 '' Tall, Dark and Handsome'' as Louie
* 1941 '' The Monster and the Girl'' as "Sleeper"
* 1941 '' The Man Who Lost Himself'' as Frank DeSoto
* 1941 '' Blossoms in the Dust'' as LaVerne
* 1941 '' The Shepherd of the Hills'' as Pete Matthews
* 1941 ''Lady Scarface'' as "Lefty" Landers
* 1941 ''Hold That Ghost'' as Charlie Smith
* 1941 '' A Dangerous Game'' as Joe
* 1941 '' Sundown'' as Abdi Hammud
* 1941 '' Public Enemies'' as Mike
* 1942 '' Nazi Agent'' as Joe Aiello
* 1942 '' Yokel Boy'' as "Trigger", The Henchman
* 1942 '' This Gun for Hire'' as Tommy
* 1942 '' Call of the Canyon'' as Horace Dunston
* 1942 '' Eyes of the Underworld'' as Gordon Finch
* 1942 '' 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge'' as McGaffey
* 1943 '' Calaboose'' as "Sluggsy" Baker
* 1943 ''Submarine Alert'' as Vincent Bela
* 1943 '' The Ox-Bow Incident'' as Jeff Farnley
* 1943 '' Hit the Ice'' as Phil
* 1944 ''Tampico'' as Valdez
* 1944 '' Rainbow Island'' as Alcoa
* 1944 '' The Princess and the Pirate'' as Pedro
* 1945 '' Dillinger'' as "Doc" Madison
* 1945 '' Flame of Barbary Coast'' as Joe Disko
* 1945 '' Don't Fence Me In'' as Clifford Anson
* 1945 '' Club Havana'' as Joe Reed
* 1945 '' Life with Blondie'' as Pete, Blackie's Henchman
* 1946 '' Blonde Alibi'' as Joe DeRita
* 1946 '' The Virginian'' as Pete
* 1946 '' Inside Job'' as Donovan
* 1946 ''Cloak and Dagger'' as Luigi
* 1947 '' Yankee Fakir'' as Duke
* 1947 '' Joe Palooka in the Knockout'' as John Mitchell
* 1947 '' Unconquered'' as Sioto, The Medicine Man
* 1947 '' Captain from Castile'' as Corio
* 1948 '' I Walk Alone'' as Nick Palestro
* 1948 '' Key Largo'' as "Ziggy"
* 1948 '' Out of the Storm'' as "Red" Stubbins
* 1949 '' Jigsaw'' as Angelo Agostini
* 1949 '' Calamity Jane and Sam Bass'' as Harry Dean
* 1949 '' Tough Assignment'' as Vince
* 1950 '' Black Hand'' as Caesar Xavier Serpi
* 1950 '' The Asphalt Jungle'' as Cobby
* 1950 '' The Desert Hawk'' as Samad
* 1950 '' Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion'' as Frankie, The Loan Shark
* 1951 '' Hurricane Island'' as Angus MacReady (uncredited)
* 1951 '' My Favorite Spy'' as Ben Ali
* 1952 '' Torment of the Past'' as Andrea Rossi
* 1952 '' Girls Marked Danger'' as Manchedi
* 1952 '' The Three Pirates'' as Van Gould
* 1952 ''Brothers of Italy'' as Il Capitano March, Un Ufficiale Austriaco
* 1953 '' Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair'' as Van Gould
* 1953 '' Noi peccatori'' as Camillo
* 1953 ''Legione straniera'' as Sergeant Schwartz
* 1953 '' Funniest Show on Earth'' as Il Proprietario Del Circo
* 1954 '' Vacation with a Gangster'' as Jack Mariotti
* 1954 '' Tragic Ballad'' as Felipe Alvaro
* 1955 '' New Moon'' as Pierre
* 1955 ''Suor Maria'' as Don Mario, Proprietario Del Night Club
* 1955 ''La catena dell'odio'' as Braschi
* 1956 ''Helen of Troy'' as Diomedes
* 1957 '' Kill Her Gently'' as William Connors
* 1963 '' Johnny Cool'' as Johnny Colini
* 1966 '' Due mafiosi contro Al Capone'' as Joe Minasi
* 1966 '' Johnny Tiger'' as William Billie
* 1966 '' Savage Pampas'' as Sergeant Barril
* 1966 ''7 monaci d'oro'' as "Lucky" Marciano, Capo Da Banda
* 1967 ''Du mou dans la gâchette'' as Magnum
* 1967 '' Custer of the West'' as Gold Miner
* 1968 '' Kong Island'' as Albert Muller
* 1969 '' Krakatoa, East of Java'' as Jacobs
* 1970 '' The Kremlin Letter'' as The Priest
* 1970 '' Dream No Evil'' as The Undertaker
* 1971 '' Diamonds Are Forever'' as Slumber Inc. Attendant
* 1972 ''In Pursuit of Treasure''
* 1972 '' Daddy's Deadly Darling'' as Zambrini
* 1973 ''Frasier, the Sensuous Lion'' as Chiarelli
* 1974 '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' as Rodney
* 1976 '' Marathon Man'' as Erhard
* 1977 '' A Piece of the Action'' as Louie
* 1978 '' Foul Play'' as Stiltskin
* 1978 '' Goin' Coconuts'' as Webster
* 1979 '' Hot Stuff'' as Carmine
* 1979 '' Swap Meet'' as Mr. Booth
* 1980 '' Super Fuzz'' as "Torpedo"
* 1980 ''Cataclysm'' as Abraham Weiss / Dieter
* 1982 '' Cat and Dog'' as Don Salvatore Licuti
* 1985 '' Night Train to Terror'' as Mr. Weiss / Dieter (segment "The Case of Claire Hansen")
* 1986 '' The Big Easy'' as Vinnie "The Cannon" DiMotti
* 1989 '' Blood Red'' as Michael Fazio
* 1992 ''Ruby'' as Santos Alicante
* 1992 '' Newsies'' as Kloppman
* 1995 '' Four Rooms'' as Sam, The Bellhop
* 1996 '' From Dusk till Dawn'' as Old Timer Motel Owner
* 1996 '' Gotti'' as Carlo "Don Carlo" Gambino
* 1999 '' End of Days'' as Old Man
* 2001 '' The Shipping News'' as Cousin Nolan
* 2003 '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' as Acme VP, Stating The Obvious (final film role)

References

Further reading

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Marc
1910 births
2005 deaths
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American Ashkenazi Jews
Male actors from New York City
Male actors from Palm Springs, California
Members of the Communist Party USA
American male film actors
American male television actors
Jewish American male actors
Jews from New York (state)
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Hollywood blacklist
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent