George Raft was born and raised in a impoverished family in Hell's Kitchen, a notorious and violent area of New York City at the time. He was born George Ranft, the son of Eva (Glockner) and Conrad Ranft, a department store deliveryman, and both of his parents were of German descent.
In his youth, George demonstrated a remarkable interest in and aptitude for dancing, which, combined with his striking dark good looks and impeccable fashion sense, made him a local favorite at popular nightspots such as the El Fey Club, where he often performed alongside the legendary Texas Guinan.
In 1928, Raft ventured to Hollywood to pursue his dreams of acting, and his first significant role was as the coin-tossing henchman in the iconic film Scarface (1932). Throughout his career, he was often typecast in tough-guy roles, frequently portraying gangsters or convicts, and his convincing performances in these parts, coupled with his lifelong associations with real-life gangsters such as Owney Madden and Bugsy Siegel, led to persistent rumors that he was also involved in organized crime.
While his slightly shady reputation may have initially contributed to his popularity, it ultimately made him less desirable to movie executives later in his career. However, he somewhat poked fun at his gangster persona in Billy Wilder's classic comedy Some Like It Hot (1959).
