Richard Conte

Richard Conte

Highest Rated: 100% Hotel (1967)

Lowest Rated: 38% The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Birthday: Mar 24, 1910

Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

The son of a barber, Richard Conte held down jobs ranging from truck driver, to Wall Street clerk before finding his place as an actor. In 1935, Conte became a waiter/entertainer in a Connecticut resort, which led to stage work when he was spotted by Group Theatre's Elia Kazan and John Garfield. Through Kazan's help, Conte earned a scholarship to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse. His first Broadway appearance was in the fast-flop Moon Over Mulberry Street. In 1939, still billed as Nicholas Conte, the actor made his first film, 20th Century-Fox's Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence (1939). It was Fox which would build up the intense, brooding Conte as the "New John Garfield" upon signing him to a contract in 1943. His best parts during his Fox years included the wrongly imprisoned man who is exonerated by crusading reporter James Stewart in Call Northside 777 (1947), and the lead role as a wildcat trucker in Thieves' Highway (1949). Among Conte's many TV assignments was a co-starring stint with Dan Dailey, Jack Hawkins and Vittorio De Sica on the 1959 syndicated series The Four Just Men. Appearing primarily in European films in his last years, Conte directed the Yugoslavian-filmed Operation Cross Eagles. Richard Conte's most important Hollywood role in the 1970s was as rival Mafia Don Barzini in the Oscar-winning The Godfather (1972).

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet Under The Gun Actor — 2013
No Score Yet Roma violenta (Violent Rome) Actor — 1976
No Score Yet The Evil Eye Dr. Stone — 1975
No Score Yet Diary of an Erotic Murderess Actor — 1974
No Score Yet Secrets of a Call Girl Actor — 1974
No Score Yet Tony Arzenta Nick — 1973
No Score Yet Il boss (Wipeout!) Actor — 1973
No Score Yet The Violent Professionals Padulo — 1973
No Score Yet Anna: The Pleasure, The Torment Actor — 1973
No Score Yet The Italian Connection Actor — 1972
98% The Godfather Barzini — 1972
No Score Yet 1931: Once Upon a Time in New York Actor — 1972
No Score Yet Operation Cross Eagles Lt. Bradford Director — 1969
No Score Yet Sentenza di Morte Actor — 1968
50% Lady in Cement Lt. Dave Santini — 1968
100% Hotel Dupere — 1967
50% Tony Rome Lt. Dave Santini — 1967
No Score Yet Assault on a Queen Tony Moreno — 1966
38% The Greatest Story Ever Told Barabbas — 1965
40% Circus World Aldo Alfredo — 1964
No Score Yet Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? Leonard Ashley — 1963
No Score Yet The Eyes of Annie Jones David Wheeler — 1963
No Score Yet Pepe Himself — 1960
50% Ocean's 11 Anthony Bergdorf — 1960
80% They Came to Cordura Cpl. Milo Trubee — 1959
No Score Yet The Brothers Rico Eddie Rico — 1957
No Score Yet Full of Life Nick Rocco — 1956
No Score Yet I'll Cry Tomorrow Tony Bardeman — 1955
No Score Yet Bengazi John Gillmore — 1955
No Score Yet New York Confidential Nick Magellan — 1955
92% The Big Combo Mr. Brown — 1955
80% The Blue Gardenia Casey Mayo — 1953
No Score Yet The Fighter Felipe Rivera — 1952
No Score Yet The Raging Tide Bruno Felkin — 1951
No Score Yet Hollywood Story Larry O'Brien — 1951
No Score Yet The Sleeping City Fred Rowan — 1950
71% House of Strangers Max Monetti — 1949
No Score Yet Big Jack Dr. Alexander Meade — 1949
91% Whirlpool Dr. William Sutton — 1949
100% Thieves' Highway Nick Garcos — 1949
75% Call Northside 777 Frank W. Wiecek — 1948
92% Cry of the City Martin Rome — 1948
83% 13 Rue Madeleine Bill O'Connell — 1947
No Score Yet The Other Love Paul Clermont — 1947
89% Somewhere in the Night Mel Phillips — 1946
100% A Walk in the Sun Pvt. Rivera — 1945
No Score Yet A Bell for Adano Nicolo — 1945
No Score Yet Spider Chris Conlon — 1945
No Score Yet The Purple Heart Lt. Angelo Canelli — 1944
No Score Yet Guadalcanal Diary Capt. Davis — 1943
No Score Yet Heaven With A Barbed Wire Fence Actor — 1939
No Score Yet Hollywood Stadium Mystery Producer — 1938
No Score Yet Piazza Pulita Actor —

TV

Credit
No Score Yet Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955-1962 		Frank Burns 1961
80% The Twilight Zone
1959-1964 		Edward Hall 1959

QUOTES FROM Richard Conte CHARACTERS

Barzini says: Times have changed. It's not like the Old Days -- when we can do anything we want. A refusal is not the act of a friend. If Don Corleone had all the judges, and the politicians in New York, then he must share them, or let us others use them. He must let us draw the water from the well. Certainly he can -- present a bill for such services; after all -- we are not Communists.

Rivera says: So that's what I am, huh? Whaddaya know. Where'd you get that malarkey, Jake?

Friedman says: Out of a book.

Rivera says: A book!

Friedman says: You're a decadent democrat, Rivera

Friedman says: You're a decadent democrat, Rivera.

Rivera says: Good thing they invented trains for travelling salesmen.

Friedman says: OK, kill me: what's the gag?

Rivera says: No gag. But if they didn't have trains, all the travelling salesmen would have to walk.

Friedman says: *You're* a travelling salesman; you ain't been taking any trains lately.

Rivera says: Rivera: Whaddaya mean, *I'm* a travelling salesman? I'm a murderer!

Friedman says: You're a travelling salesmen. You're selling democracy to the natives.

Rivera says: You're a travelling salesmen. You're selling democracy to the natives.

Barzini says: Surely he can charge a fee for such services. After all, we are not Communists.