George Raft
Here is a full article on George Raft — his life, career, style, and a few memorable quotes:
George Raft – Life, Career & Famous Quotes
Delve into the life of George Raft (1901–1980), the dancer-turned-Hollywood tough guy known for gangster roles, personal contradictions, and unforgettable lines.
Introduction
George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American actor and dancer, best known for his portrayals of gangsters and tough characters in Hollywood’s Golden Age. His image—cool, urbane, with a hint of menace—made him a fixture in crime dramas of the 1930s and 1940s. Yet behind that on-screen persona lay a life of early struggles, dance ambition, Hollywood compromises, and personal paradoxes.
Early Life and Family
George Raft was born in Manhattan, New York City, as George Ranft (later sometimes recorded as “Rauft”) to Eva Glockner and Conrad Ranft, both of German ancestry.
He worked odd jobs in youth—errand boy, fish wrapper, and later apprenticed as an electrician.
His dance skills, sensitivity to rhythm, and showmanship paved his path to vaudeville and nightclubs, and eventually to Broadway and then Hollywood.
Career and Achievements
Dance, Nightclubs & Broadway Beginnings
Raft’s early career was as a dancer and entertainer. He performed in New York nightclubs and vaudeville circuits.
He appeared in Broadway shows in the mid-1920s, including The City Chap, Gay Paree, Palm Beach Nights, Padlocks of 1927, among others. His flair and presence in dance made him noticeable in the entertainment world, laying groundwork for a shift to film.
Hollywood & Gangster Persona
Raft moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s and began with small roles and dance appearances. Queen of the Night Clubs (1929), though his scenes were cut.
His breakout came with gangster and crime films. In Quick Millions (1931), he played a criminal sidekick role. Scarface (1932) cemented his image: Raft played Guino Rinaldo, a gangster with style, and is often credited with introducing the coin-flip gesture in gangster movies.
Unlike some actors who embraced wide dramatic range, Raft often gravitated toward roles aligned with his persona—men of the streets, criminals, tough guys—but with a degree of elegance.
Over the 1930s and 1940s, he appeared in films such as Each Dawn I Die (1939) opposite James Cagney, Invisible Stripes (1939), They Drive by Night (1940), and later in lighter roles such as Some Like It Hot (1959).
Raft’s image was marked by restraint over exaggeration: his characters often operated via dignity, poise, and a controlled threat level, rather than overt violence.
Career Decisions & Decline
George Raft was known for being selective—he refused many roles, sometimes to his detriment. For example, it is often said he declined the lead in Double Indemnity (1944) (a decision many regard as a missed opportunity).
His reluctance to play pure villains, or characters without redeeming traits, also caused friction with studios.
By the late 1940s and early 1950s, his star began to wane. The film roles became fewer, many low budget, and the money and glamour receded.
He appeared in TV, commercials, smaller film parts, and limited acting work late into his life.
Style, Persona & Legacy
George Raft’s legacy lies partly in how he made gangster style glamorous—his dress, his posture, the calm menace behind his gaze. He projected a world-weary sophistication, not a raw brute.
He is remembered as one of the archetypal tough guys of classic Hollywood—someone whose off-screen associations with underworld figures (or rumors thereof) frequently ambled at the margins of his public persona. Several biographies document reported associations or investigations.
His career also illustrates how Hollywood’s star machine could both elevate and constrain actors: his refusal to yield entirely to studio demands eventually limited the roles he could get.
Though no longer a marquee name to general audiences, film historians regard Raft as part of the tapestry of gangster cinema, a cultural reference point for 1930s/’40s crime melodramas.
Famous Quotes of George Raft
Here are some of Raft’s more memorable lines (from interviews or attributed to him):
“I must have gone through $10 million during my career. Part of the loot went for gambling, part for horses and part for women. The rest I spent foolishly.”
“I’m afraid to look, because I’m probably awful.”
“You see, I found it tough work. What I would do would be to think over the scene in my mind and try to become whoever I was playing. … Sometimes my words would be different from the script.”
“I can’t act. I simply must be myself, do the things that seem natural to me. When I get with a director who wants me to act, I’ll be lost.”
“Who ever heard of Casablanca? I don’t want to star opposite some unknown Swedish broad.”
These quotes reflect both his self-awareness (or self-deprecation) about acting, and his sense of identity as more than just a “performer” — someone striving for authenticity in roles.
Lessons from George Raft
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Stay true to your identity—but know its limits
Raft often refused roles that conflicted with his self-image, but that also narrowed his career opportunities. -
The aura can sometimes outweigh the talent
His dance background and persona gave him a screen magnetism that transcended some acting limitations. -
Choices matter
Decisions to turn down iconic roles (or studios) can define, for better or worse, one’s trajectory in a competitive industry. -
Fame can fade
Even a well-known star can later work modestly; Raft’s decline reminds us that longevity in entertainment requires adaptability and sometimes compromise. -
The myth persists
The stories, rumors, and image around Raft contribute as much to his legacy as his films themselves.
Conclusion
George Raft remains a compelling figure of classic Hollywood—a dancer who became a screen gangster icon, a man of both elegance and edge. His life shows the interplay between persona and art, ambition and limitation, glamour and grit. Though his peak years have passed, his style and stories are still studied by fans of film noir and gangster cinema.