ORIGINALLY AIRED

JULY 13TH AT 8 PM ET

FRANCESCA ROBINSON ON

EDWARD G ROBINSON

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EDWARD G. ROBINSON - RENAISSANCE MAN

Born Emanuel Goldenberg in Bucharest, Romania in 1893, Robinson immigrated to the United States at the age of 9 with his family, settling in New York's Lower East Side. After earning his degree from City College of New York, he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. A noted linguist, he spoke 9 languages fluently and was an accomplished public speaker.

Robinson began performing using his new name in 1913. Over the next seventeen years, he appeared in 40 plays both on and off Broadway and was a member of the famed Theater Guild. In 1927, he captured the notice of Hollywood with his powerful performance in the Broadway play " The Racket."  He also enjoyed a long run on the popular CBS weekly radio show, "Big Town," and made many acclaimed dramatic television appearances.

But he is probably best remembered for his work in the motion picture industry. His film debut was in the silent film "The Bright Shawl" (1923) and his first sound film was "The Hole in the Wall" (1929) with Claudette Colbert.  Robinson won international fame for his vivid performance as Gangster Enrico Bandello in "Little Caesar" (1930), creating a prototype for American gangster portrayals. His last line, "Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Rico?" is one of the most famous lines in cinema history.

Robinson became one of the most sucessful leading men in the 1930's and early 1940's in such classics as "The Woman in the Window,"  "A Dispatch from Reuters,"  "The Sea Wolf'"  "Double Indemnity,"  and his own personal favorite, "Dr. Erlich's Magic Bullet" (1940). He created another notable gangster in "Key Largo" (1948) opposite Bogart and Bacall, and co-starred in Frank Capra's "A Hole in the Head" (1959). He received the Cannes Film Festival award as Best Actor for "House of Strangers"  (1949).  Many feel he stole "The Cincinnati Kid" (1965) as the world-weary, experienced poker player who takes on Steve McQueen, and was deeply moving in his last film role, "Soylent Green" (1973).

A noted philanthropist, Robinson contributed to hundreds of relief and entertainment agencies and cultural and religious groups, and received the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and the French Legion of Honor, being the first Hollywood star to entertain in France after the invasion of Normandy. As a patron of the arts, his collection of rare books and impressionist art was considered among America's finest.

In 1970, Robinson received the Screen Actors Guild "Lifetime Achievement" award and in 1973 was awarded a special, honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement and outstanding contribution to motion pictures. The inscription reads: "To Edward G. Robinson who achieved greatness as a player, a patron of the arts, and a dedicated citizen... in sum, a Renaissance man. From his friends in the industry he loves."