24 Facts About Oscar Levant

Oscar Levant was an American concert pianist, composer, conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian, and actor.

Oscar Levant had roles in the films Rhapsody in Blue, The Barkleys of Broadway, An American in Paris, and The Band Wagon.

Oscar Levant was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for recordings featuring his piano performances.

Oscar Levant was portrayed by Sean Hayes in the Broadway play Good Night, Oscar, written by Doug Wright.

Oscar Levant was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1906, to Orthodox Jewish Max, a watchmaker, and Annie, who emigrated from Russia.

Oscar Levant's parents were married by his maternal grandfather, who was a rabbi.

In 1925, Oscar Levant appeared with Ben Bernie in a short sound film, Ben Bernie and All the Lads, made in New York City with the De Forest Phonofilm sound-on-film system.

Oscar Levant traveled to Hollywood in 1928, where his career took a turn for the better.

From 1929 to 1948, Oscar Levant composed the music for more than twenty movies.

Oscar Levant studied under Arnold Schoenberg and impressed Schoenberg sufficiently to be offered an assistantship.

Oscar Levant was a talented pianist and was well known for his recorded works of Gershwin, and numerous classical composers.

Also, at this time, Oscar Levant was becoming known to American audiences as one of the regular panelists on the radio quiz show Information Please.

Originally scheduled as a guest panelist, Levant proved so quick-witted and popular that he became a regular fixture on the show in the late-1930s and 1940s, along with fellow panelists Franklin P Adams and John Kieran and moderator Clifton Fadiman.

Oscar Levant was always good for a bright response edged with acid.

Oscar Levant appeared in feature films, starting from the 1920s until the mid-50s, often playing a pianist or composer.

Oscar Levant regularly appeared on NBC radio's Kraft Music Hall, starring singer Al Jolson.

Levant hosted a talk show on KCOP-TV in Los Angeles from 1958 until 1960, The Oscar Levant Show, which was later syndicated.

In 1939, Oscar Levant married singer and actress June Gale; they had three daughters, Marcia, Lorna, and Amanda.

Oscar Levant became addicted to prescription drugs and was committed to psychiatric hospitals by his wife.

Oscar Levant is interred in the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Several plays have been written about Oscar Levant including At Wit's End by Stan Freeman and For Piano and Harpo by Dan Castellaneta, chronicling Oscar Levant's friendship with Harpo Marx.

Oscar Levant was the inspiration for the neurotic, womanizing pianist Henry Orient in Nora Johnson's novel The World of Henry Orient.

The play, Good Night, Oscar Levant, premiered at the Belasco Theatre and starred Sean Hayes, who received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance.

Oscar Levant had an extensive musical career with over 75 composer credits and 33 albums that he recorded as a pianist.