Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy ( February 9 , 1901 – April 5 , 1972 ) , later known as Brian Donlevy was an Irish - born American actor , noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s . He usually appeared in supporting roles . Among his best - known films are " Beau Geste " ( 1939 ) and " The Great McGinty " ( 1940 ) . For his role as Sergeant Markoff in " Beau Geste " he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . Donlevy starred as US special agent , Steve Mitchell , in 40 episodes of the 1952 TV series " Dangerous Assignment " . Mitchell received assignments to exotic locales involving international intrigue from ' The Commissioner ' played by Hubert Butterfield . His obituary in " The Times " newspaper in the United Kingdom stated that " any consideration of the American ' film noir ' of the 1940s would be incomplete without him " . Early life and military service . Donlevy was born Brian Donlevy in Portadown , County Armagh in 1901 . Sometime between 1910 and 1912 the family moved to Sheboygan Falls , Wisconsin , where Donlevy ' s father worked as a supervisor at the Brickner Woolen Mills . When the local Army National Guard company was called into service for the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916 , Donlevy lied about his age ( he was actually 14 ) so he could join the mobilization . Donlevy served during the expedition as a bugler . When the United States entered World War I , Donlevy went to France with Company C , 127th Infantry Regiment , a part of the 32nd Infantry Division . Acting career . Donlevy began his career in New York in the early 1920s , appearing in many theater productions and also winning an increasing number of silent film parts . Previously , he had modeled for the illustrator J . C . Leyendecker , who produced illustrations for the famous Arrow Collar advertisements . His Broadway credits included " Hit the Deck " and " " . Donlevy ' s break came in 1935 , when the bull - necked Irishman was cast in the Edward G . Robinson film " Barbary Coast " . A large amount of film work followed , with several important parts . In 1939 , he played the lead villain in " Destry Rides Again " and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role as the ruthless Sergeant Markoff in " Beau Geste " , although the Oscar went to Thomas Mitchell for " Stagecoach " . The following year , he played the role for which he is perhaps best remembered , that of McGinty in " The Great McGinty " , a role he reprised four years later in " The Miracle of Morgan ' s Creek " . In 1942 , Donlevy starred in " Wake Island " with William Bendix and Robert Preston and played street - tough borough politician Paul Madvig in Dashiell Hammet ' s classic " The Glass Key " . In 1955 , he played the lead in the British science - fiction horror film " The Quatermass Xperiment " ( called " The Creeping Unknown " in the US ) for the Hammer Films company , playing the lead role of Professor Bernard Quatermass . The film was based on a 1953 BBC Television serial of the same name . The character had been British , but Hammer cast Donlevy in an attempt to help sell the film to North American audiences . Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale disliked Donlevy ' s portrayal , referring to Donlevy as " a former Hollywood heavy gone to seed " . Nonetheless , the film version was a success and Donlevy returned for the sequel , " Quatermass 2 " ( " Enemy From Space " in the US ) , in 1957 , also based on a BBC television serial . This made Donlevy the only man ever to play the famous scientist on screen twice , although later Scottish actor Andrew Keir would play him two times , once on film and then on the radio . Throughout his film career , Donlevy also did several radio shows , including a reprise of " The Great McGinty " . He played the lead character in " Dangerous Assignment " between 1949 and 1954 , taking the series to TV in 1952 . He featured in a number of films over the following years until his death . He also appeared in a variety of television series from the late 1940s until the mid - 1960s . In 1966 in one of the final episodes of " Perry Mason " , " The Case of the Positive Negative , " Donlevy played defendant General Roger Brandon . He also guest - starred on such popular programs as " Crossroads " , " Wagon Train " and " Rawhide , " . In 1957 , he appeared in a CBS production of the A . J . Cronin ' s " Beyond This Place " . In 1960 , he appeared as John Ridges in the episode " Escape " of CBS ' s anthology series " The DuPont Show with June Allyson " , with Sylvia Sidney portraying his wife . His last film role was in " The Winner " , released in 1969 . Personal life . Donlevy was married three times : first to Yvonne Grey from 1928 – 36 , then to actress Marjorie Lane from 1936 – 1947 , and finally to Lillian Arch Lugosi ( the ex - wife of Bela Lugosi , famous for playing Dracula ) from 1966 until his death in 1972 . Donlevy died from throat cancer on April 5 , 1972 at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Woodland Hills , California . He was survived by his wife and a daughter , Judy Donlevy , by his second wife . His ashes were scattered over Santa Monica Bay .