George Raft
A real-life dancer turned silver-screen gangster, his authentic underworld associations lent a dangerous credibility to Hollywood's golden age crime films.
1901–1980 (age 79)·American actor·Birthday: September 26·The Greatest Generation
Biography
George Raft's life often blurred the line between his film roles and his personal associations, creating an aura of genuine danger that studios could barely contain. He emerged from the tough streets of New York's Hell's Kitchen, earning his chops as a professional dancer and speakeasy bouncer before Hollywood called. His breakthrough role as the coin-flipping gangster Guido Rinaldo in 'Scarface' was chillingly believable, a performance informed by his actual friendships with notorious mobsters like Bugsy Siegel. This typecasting was both a blessing and a curse; he turned down roles that made other actors legends, including the lead in 'High Sierra' and Sam Spade in 'The Maltese Falcon'. While his career had later peaks, like his comic turn in 'Some Like It Hot', he remained forever etched in film history as the archetypal, sleekly dressed hood with a shadowy past.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
George was born in 1901, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1901
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1901Born
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Started school
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Became a teenager
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could drive
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could vote
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Turned 21
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1931Turned 30
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 40
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 50
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 60
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 70
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Died at 79
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
Key Achievements
- Delivered a seminal performance as the coin-flipping gangster Guido in Howard Hawks's classic 'Scarface' (1932).
- Turned down the lead role in 'High Sierra', which then went to Humphrey Bogart and launched Bogart's star career.
- Successfully transitioned to comedy late in his career with a memorable role as a mob boss in 'Some Like It Hot' (1959).
- His early career as a professional dancer led to starring roles in musicals like 'Bolero' (1934).
Did You Know?
He was a childhood friend of gangster Bugsy Siegel and worked as a bodyguard for Owney Madden, a major bootlegger.
Raft was an accomplished dancer who performed in vaudeville and worked as a dance instructor early in his life.
He famously turned down the role of Rick Blaine in 'Casablanca', which then went to Humphrey Bogart.
The U.S. government once considered denying him a passport due to his alleged organized crime connections.
“I made over 70 pictures, but the one I'm remembered for is the one where I flip a coin.”
