A celebrated dancer before landing in Hollywood, George Raft became a movie star with his acclaimed portrayal of the coin flipping Guino Rinaldo in Scarface (1932). He continued charming audiences with his charisma and style in a range of roles from dancer to romantic lead to tough guy in the 1930's and 1940's. A man's man as well as a ladies' man, his appeal was universal.

With over 125 screen and television credits spanning fifty years, his films include Bolero (1934) with Carole Lombard, Each Dawn I Die (1939) with James Cagney, They Drive By Night (1940) with Humphrey Bogart, and Some Like It Hot (1959) with Marilyn Monroe. He made eleven movies in the film noir genre along with musicals, comedies, dramas, and romance films. His was a varied career though he is most often associated with low-key, understated tough guy roles.

Despite humble beginnings, the debonair actor became a style icon often photographed in a suit tailored to his slim, athletic build and sporting an artfully angled fedora. Though he socialized with the elite—including princes and presidents—he was more famous for his friendships with an assortment of unsavory characters. A legend for his prowess as well as for dating some of the most desirable women in Hollywood, he was one of the highest paid actors of the era.

Off screen, he was self-effacing, soft spoken, kind, generous, and always willing to help others. At times stubborn but never mean-spirited, he wasn't afraid to exhibit his well-honed pugilistic skills when the situation called for it. At his core, he liked people and he wanted people to like him.

George Raft led an adventurous, colorful life and left a remarkable film legacy as an essential player during the Golden Age of Hollywood.