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Richard Conte

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Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor.<ref>Obituary Variety, April 23, 1975.</ref> He was known for his starring roles in films noir and crime dramas during the 1940s and 1950s,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> including Call Northside 777, Cry of the City, House of Strangers, Whirlpool, The Blue Gardenia, and The Big Combo.<ref name=":1" />

He also co-starred in three films opposite Frank Sinatra: the original Ocean's 11, Tony Rome, and Lady in Cement. Later in his career, he achieved recognition for his portrayal of Emilio Barzini, the mob boss rival to Vito Corleone and the principal antagonist of The Godfather (1972).<ref name="wdr2">Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life and educationEdit

Richard Conte was born Nicholas Peter Conte on March 24, 1910 in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of Italian-Americans Julia (nee Fina), a seamstress, and Pasquale Conte, a barber.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He graduated from William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City.<ref name="vms2">Template:Cite news</ref>

Conte worked as a truck driver, messenger, shoe salesman, and singing waiter before starting his acting career. He was discovered by film director Elia Kazan and actor John Garfield during his job at a Connecticut resort, which led to Conte finding stage work.Template:Fact He eventually earned a scholarship to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City,<ref name="kt2">Template:Cite news</ref> where he became a standout actor.Template:Fact

CareerEdit

StageEdit

He made his film debut under the name Nicholas Conte in Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939) at 20th Century Fox. He played Tony, a hobo who meets up with Joe (Glenn Ford who was also making his film debut) and Anita (Jean Rogers). The three of them make their way west hopping trains. They are later joined by Professor B (Raymond Walburn).

He made his Broadway debut in My Heart's in the Highlands (1939) for the Group Theatre. Also for the Group, he was in Clifford Odets' Night Music (1940). He performed in the road company of Golden Boy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="efn2">Template:Cite book</ref>

On Broadway, he was in Heavenly Express (1941) and Walk Into My Parlor (1941). He was a hit in Jason (1942), followed by Family (1943).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During World War II, Conte served in the United States Army, but he was discharged because of eye trouble.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

20th Century FoxEdit

In May 1943, Conte signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox, changing his name to Richard Conte. His first Fox film was Guadalcanal Diary (1943), where he was billed fourth.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He followed it with another war drama, The Purple Heart (1944), directed by Lewis Milestone; he was billed second, beneath Dana Andrews.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Conte had a smaller part in Captain Eddie (1945), a biopic about Eddie Rickenbacker, and played an Italian POW in A Bell for Adano (1945).

Conte had the star role in A Walk in the Sun (1945), another war film for Milestone, and he was teamed again with Andrews.

SuccessEdit

Fox promoted Conte to top billing with the film noir The Spider (1945). Although a B film for the studio, it was successful enough to establish Conte in film noir.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He had supporting roles in Somewhere in the Night (1946), directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, and the spy film 13 Rue Madeleine (1946), directed by Henry Hathaway.

Conte was borrowed by Enterprise Productions for The Other Love (1947) with Barbara Stanwyck and David Niven. Back at Fox, he was in Hathaway's crime drama Call Northside 777 (1948) as the prisoner whose innocence is proved by James Stewart.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Conte was teamed with Victor Mature in Cry of the City (1948). MGM borrowed him for Big Jack (1949), then he did House of Strangers (1949) with Edward G. Robinson, playing Max Monetti, a lawyer who defends his father (Robinson) against government charges of banking irregularities and goes to prison for jury tampering.

Conte was top billed in Thieves' Highway (1949), directed by Jules Dassin, and co-starred with Gene Tierney in Otto Preminger's film noir Whirlpool (1950).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

UniversalEdit

Conte signed a contract with Universal Pictures, and he starred in some crime films: The Sleeping City (1950); Hollywood Story (1951), directed by William Castle; and The Raging Tide (1951).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After doing The Fighter (1952) for United Artists, he returned to Universal for The Raiders (1952).

Conte went to Warner Bros to co-star with Anne Baxter and Ann Sothern in The Blue Gardenia (1953) directed by Fritz Lang. Back at Universal, Conte was in Desert Legion (1953). He made Slaves of Babylon (1953) for Sam Katzman at Columbia. Conte started guest starring on TV shows such as Medallion Theatre, Ford Television Theatre, and General Electric Theater.

Bill BroidyEdit

In 1953, Conte signed a contract with Bill Broidy to make six films over three years, and he would be paid 25% of the profits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first was the crime drama Highway Dragnet (1954), based on a story by Roger Corman, and he then went to England to make Mask of Dust (1954) for Hammer Films director Terence Fisher. He was going to direct The Wolf Pack for Broidy, but it was not made.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Back in the U.S., Conte did The Big Combo (1955) for Cornel Wilde's company;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> New York Confidential (1955) for producer Edward Small; and The Big Tip Off (1955) for Broidy.

Conte went to England for Little Red Monkey (1955), RKO for Bengazi (1955), and Warners for a Korean War movie Target Zero (1955).

Conte broke out of B movies with the second lead in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), an MGM biopic about Lillian Roth starring Susan Hayward. Conte and director Daniel Mann announced they would make Play by Play, but it was not made.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

ColumbiaEdit

Conte made a series of films for Columbia. He co-starred with Judy Holliday in Full of Life (1956), played the lead in The Brothers Rico (1957), and had supporting roles in This Angry Age (1957) and They Came to Cordura (1959).

TelevisionEdit

He continued to guest on TV shows like The 20th Century-Fox Hour and The Twilight Zone ("Perchance to Dream") and played the lead in a TV adaptation of The Gambler, the Nun and the Radio (1960). He had his first regular TV role in The Four Just Men (1959–1960).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Conte supported Frank Sinatra in Ocean's 11 (1960) but then focused on TV: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bus Stop, Naked City, Checkmate, Frontier Circus, The DuPont Show of the Week, The Untouchables, Alcoa Premiere, Going My Way, Kraft Mystery Theater, 77 Sunset Strip, The Reporter, Kraft Suspense Theatre and Arrest and Trial.<ref name="efn2" />

He had a supporting role in Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), Circus World (1964) and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) (playing Barabbas) and the lead in The Eyes of Annie Jones (1964) for Robert L. Lippert. After Synanon (1965), he had the lead in Stay Tuned for Terror (1965), shot in Argentina.

Conte had a supporting role in Assault on a Queen (1966), and he was one of several stars in Hotel (1967). In 1966, Conte landed a supporting role in the short-lived CBS sitcom The Jean Arthur Show.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He appeared as Lieutenant Dave Santini in two crime films with Frank Sinatra: Tony Rome (1967) and Lady in Cement (1968). He also did Sentenza di morte (1968).

In 1968, he released his only film as a director, Operation Cross Eagles, in which he also starred.

File:Il poliziotto è marcio Richard Conte.png
Conte in the Italian film Shoot First, Die Later (1974).

Conte's later performances include The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, The Challengers (1970), and The Name of the Game (1970).

The Godfather and later careerEdit

Conte had one of his memorable performances in The Godfather (1972) as Don Emilio Barzini. He was at one time also considered for the title role, Don Vito Corleone, a role performed by Marlon Brando.

The success of the film led to Conte being cast in a series of "mob" roles, mainly in Italian-produced poliziotteschi films. These included Anna, quel particolare piacere (1972), The Violent Professionals (1973), Il Boss (1973), My Brother Anastasia (1973) with Alberto Sordi, Tony Arzenta (1973) with Alain Delon, Shoot First, Die Later (1974) and Violent Rome (1975). He did the horror films Evil Eye (1975), A Diary of a Murderess (1975) and Naked Exorcism (1975).

Personal life and familyEdit

Conte was a Republican who campaigned for Dwight Eisenhower during the 1952 presidential election.<ref>Motion Picture and Television Magazine. November 1952, page 34.</ref> Nonetheless, he was staunchly opposed to the Hollywood Blacklist, and was a member of the Committee for the First Amendment. He was Roman Catholic.<ref>Morning News. January 10, 1948. Who Was Who in America (Vol. 2)</ref>

Conte was married to actress Ruth Storey,<ref name="kt2" /> with whom he adopted a son,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> film editor Mark Conte. In 1950, Conte and Storey were living at 1366 San Ysidro Drive in Beverly Hills.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They divorced in 1963.<ref name="kt2" /> He married his second wife, Shirlee Colleen Garner (1935-2014), in 1973.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His grandson is National Football League free safety Chris Conte. Chris is the son of Mark Conte.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DeathEdit

On April 3, 1975, Conte suffered a massive heart attack and a stroke. He was taken to UCLA Medical Center where the staff worked for eight hours to keep him alive. He was put in intensive care and died on April 15.<ref name="wdr2" /> He is buried in Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Selected filmographyEdit

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Theatre creditsEdit

Year Title Role Venue Notes Ref.
1939 My Heart's in the Highlands Real Estate Agent Guild Theatre Broadway debut citation CitationClass=web

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1940 Night Music Ensemble member Broadhurst Theatre <ref name=":0" />
1940 Heavenly Express Julio National Theatre <ref name=":0" />
1941 Walk Into My Parlor Gino Forest Theatre <ref name=":0" />
1942 Jason Messenger Hudson Theatre <ref name=":0" />
1943 The Family Peter Windsor Theatre <ref name=":0" />

Radio performancesEdit

Year Program Episode/source
1946 Reader's Digest Radio Edition Our Lady's Juggler<ref name=ndw13>Template:Cite journal</ref>
1946 Suspense citation CitationClass=web

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1953 Hollywood Star Playhouse Blackout<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Awards and nominationsEdit

Award Year Category Work Result
Golden Laurel 1960 Top Action Performance They Came to Cordura nom

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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