George Raft Hollywood Legend Remembered

George Raft was born and grew up in a poor family in Hell's Kitchen, at the time one of the roughest, meanest areas of New York City. He was born George Ranft, and was the son of Eva (Glockner) and Conrad Ranft, a department store deliveryman. His parents were both of German descent. In his youth, he showed a great interest in, and aptitude for, dancing. That, combined with his dark good looks and sharp dressing, made him a local favorite at such spots as the El Fey Club with Texas Guinan. In 1928, Raft went to Hollywood to try his luck at acting. His first big role was as the coin-tossing henchman in Scarface (1932). His career was marked by numerous tough-guy roles, often a gangster or convict. The believability with which he played these, together with his lifelong associations with such real-life gangsters as Owney Madden and Bugsy Siegel, added to persistent rumors that he was also a gangster. The slightly shady reputation may have helped his popularity early on, but it made him somewhat undesirable to movie executives later in his career. He somewhat parodied his gangster reputation in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959).

[@kathrynbellerose3925]

Fantastic George Raft. ❤️🌈❤️🌞🌞🌞🌞🦋🦋🦋

[@robertamitchell7458]

Myself and Rosetta think he was all man and oh what a man

[@Pisces3139]

George Raft...great actor and dancer and very sexy looking man.

[@cindersmolloy6584]

What a man

[@sandrarice2069]

Love, love, love George Raft!!! Thank you for posting. Blessings.🙏

[@thoskornyck6254]

One of my favorite actors ☺

[@eisenjeisen6262]

the days of great cast

[@teresajohnstone7989]

Thank you Neil for bringing back such lovely memories.. In the 50s when I was a teenager, my mother would take me to the Rex cinema on Sundays, she just loved George Raft, James Cagney films, especially the prison breakouts, also Dillinger and Bonny & Clide, it was an escape from reality moments, all these great films of the times… I now find myself watching the Mafia films, love The Supranos etc … And so many interesting things on YT… Thanks once again Neil..

[@mariarosagomez4385]

Gracias maravillosa epoca en donde los actores eran completos, bailarines, cantantes, actores y las peliculas eran encantadoras...extraño esa epoca aunque no vivi en ella.

[@bambinoandmore46]

Really interesting. Thanks for uploading.

[@tinapeters5725]

Good morning Neil, thank you for this story, 🌻A wave , have a good day

[@bambinoandmore46]

He acted more at Paramount and Warners

[@steveweiser2792]

I think everybody would like The Bowery with Wallace Berry and George Raft..you will see the comedy side of George....He is one of my favorite personalities not for acting but for charisma and character...I believe Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson were better actors.. Wasn't Manpower also with Edward G. Robinson where they played utility electricians?

[@cindersmolloy6584]

Yes.

[@user-rn4qs9vu7l]

👋Hi Neil, any chance you can do something on the Spaghetti Westerns we used to watch? Saturday afternoons, Bonanza! and the one with Clint Eastwood, can't remember what it was called.... Memories of bonding time with my dad, that and the horse racing! My granny's thing was the Saturday morning wrestling 🤦, back in the early 70's, it's a bit different nowadays! 😂... 🙃🇬🇧

[@gerrynightingale9045]

You didn't 'do your homework'*
*'Raft's brother was 'Bert 'Wingy' Grober' a 'Host' who never 'Hosted' at Caesars Palace from '67 on*
( *Grober was always in the 'pit' watching all the games, and if you watched long enough, you would see two 'torpedos' with him at just the right distance...Bert always paid for a pack of Camels w/a $50 or a C-note to my mother, who worked at the 'Gift Shop' for many years and
that means he was basically paying the mortgage on our house every month!* )
*"Mobbed Up?"*
*NO...he was the 'real deal' from the old days in 'Hell's Kitchen'* He was the 'Mob'*