Roy D'Arcy Movies

The last of RKO's Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicles, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is also the least typical. At their best playing carefree characters in gossamer-thin musical comedy plotlines, Fred and Ginger seem slightly ill at ease cast as the real-life dancing team of Vernon and Irene Castle. The stripped-to-essentials storyline boils down to novice dancer Irene (Rogers) convincing vaudeville comic Vernon (Astaire) to give up slapstick in favor of "classy" ballroom dancing. With the help of agent Edna May Oliver, the Castles hit their peak of fame and fortune in the immediate pre-World War I years. When Vernon is called to arms, Irene stays behind in the US, making patriotic movie serials to aid the war effort. Vernon is killed in a training accident, leaving a tearful Irene to carry on alone. To soften the shock of Astaire's on-screen death (it still packs a jolt when seen today), RKO inserted a closing "dream" dancing sequence, with a spectral Vernon and Irene waltzing off into the heavens. The film's production was hampered by the on-set presence of the real Irene Castle, whose insistence upon accuracy at all costs drove everyone to distraction--especially Ginger Rogers, who felt as though she was being treated like a marionette rather than an actress. In one respect, Mrs. Castle had good reason to be so autocratic. Walter, the "severest critic servant" character played by Walter Brennan, was in reality a black man. RKO was nervous about depicting a strong, equal-footing friendship between the white Castles and their black retainer, so a Caucasian actor was hired for the role. Mrs. Castle was understandably incensed by this alteration, and for the rest of her days chastised RKO for its cowardice. As it turned out, it probably wouldn't have mattered if Walter had been black, white, Chicano or Siamese; The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was a financial bust, losing $50,000 at the box office. Perhaps as a result, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would not team up again for another ten years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Legion of Missing Men was one of three Monogram "specials" produced in 1937 by I. E. Chadwick. Foreign legion officer Bob Carter (Ralph Forbes) and his younger brother Don (Ben Alexander) vie for the attentions of sexy cabaret singer Nina (Halla Linda). This rivalry is forgotten when they're both captured and tortured by the Arabs. The one new element of this film is the identity of the brother who gives up the girl and gets killed (it won't be revealed here, but it is quite a switch from the usual cliché). By the way, Ralph Forbes was one of the stars of the 1927 version of Beau Geste, from which Legion of Missing Men steals shamelessly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Designed as a follow-up to the Halperin Brothers' phenomenally successful White Zombie, Revolt of the Zombies unfortunately isn't nearly as good. The story is set in Cambodia in the years following WWI. Evil Count Mazovia (Roy D'Arcy) has come into possession of the secret methods by which dead men can be transformed into walking zombies and uses these unholy powers to create a race of slave laborers. An expedition is sent to the ruins of Angkor Wat, in hopes of ending Mazovia's activities once and for all. Unfortunately, Armand (Dean Jagger), one of the members of the expedition, has his own agenda. Stealing a set of secret tablets, he sets about to create his own army of zombies, targeting those whom he considers to be enemies. But Armand is hoist on his own petard when the zombies rebel and turn against him. The anachronistic moviemaking techniques which contributed so much to the atmosphere and entertainment value of White Zombie are totally out of place in Revolt of the Zombies; also, Dean Jagger's performance lacks the conviction necessary for this sort of horror fare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a jockey, wrongfully imprisoned for riding at an "illegal" racetrack, escapes from prison just prior to his parole so he can ride Blue Streak in the Kentucky Derby. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The 1934 Fox melodrama Orient Express was based on a Graham Greene novel. In true "Grand Hotel" fashion, an awful lot happens during the Constantinople-to-Ostend run of the titular express. The dramatis personae includes covetous dancer Coral Musker (Heather Angel), naïve date merchant Carlton Myatt (Norman Foster), erudite anarchist Dr. Czinner (Ralph Morgan), a homicidal sneak thief (Roy D'Arcy), and an abrasive blue-collar couple (Herbert Mundin and Una O'Connor, who previously co-starred in Cavalcade and were later reteamed in The Adventures of Robin Hood). When the intrigues become too thick for comprehension, the solution is provided by girl reporter Mabel Warren (Dorothy Burgess), justifying her heretofore unexplained presence in the picture. The plot goes off on too many directions at once, suggesting a plethora of rewrites. Despite its confusing storyline, critics admired the "continental" look of Orient Express, remarking that one would never imagine that it was a mere Hollywood programmer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his first western, former football star Reb Russell plays Clint Mason, a young parolee returning to Bonanza City intent on proving that he was framed in a stage holdup. The sheriff (Murdock MacQuarrie) tends to believe the youngster but is hamstringed by the local marshal (Jack Rockwell), who is in the pocket of town czar Rance McCloud (Fred Kohler). The latter threatens to destroy Colonel Campbell (George Hayes) unless his daughter Nancy (Ann D'Darcy) agrees to marry him. But Clint has learned that McCloud is really Kelso, an escaped convict, and the villain is forced to flee into Mexico with Nancy. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The top-billed stars in the extravagant RKO musical Flying Down to Rio are Dolores Del Rio and Gene Raymond. Forget all that: this is the movie that first teamed Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. We're supposed to care about the romantic triangle between aviator/bandleader Raymond, Brazilian heiress Del Rio and her wealthy fiance Raul Roulien, but the moment Fred and Ginger dance to a minute's worth of "The Carioca", the film is theirs forever. Other musical highlights include Rogers' opening piece "Music Makes Me" and tenor Roulien's lush rendition of "Orchids in the Moonlight". Then there's the title number. The plot has it that Del Rio' uncle has been prohibited from having a floor show at his lavish hotel because of a Rio city ordinance. Astaire and Raymond save the day by staging the climactic "Flying Down to Rio" number thousands of feet in the air, with hundreds of chorus girls shimmying and swaying while strapped to the wings of a fleet of airplanes. It is one of the most outrageously brilliant numbers in movie musical history, and one that never fails to incite a big round of applause from the audience--even audiences of the 1990s. Together with King Kong, Flying Down to Rio saved the fledgling RKO Radio studios from bankruptcy in 1933. The film was a smash everywhere it played, encouraging the studio to concoct future teamings of those two stalwart supporting players Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed tale is set in contemporary London and follows Holmes and Watson as they seek to bring the nefarious Professor Moriarty to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

On something of a "literary binge" in the early 1930s, low-budget Monogram Pictures acquired the screen rights for the well-known Gaborieu detective yarn File 113. Lew Cody stars as urbane Parisian detective Le Coq, who must contend with a bank robbery and blackmail scheme. Le Coq is anxious to get both cases over with in a hurry lest his love life with Mlle. Adoree (Mary Nolan) suffer from neglect. Departing from the Gaborieu original, the film ends with an exciting chase across the roofs of Gay Paree. Clara Kimball Young, who like Lew Cody had been a silent-screen favorite, does her best in an unsympathetic role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Golddigging Verna Wilson (Natalie Morehead) files suit against married millionaire John Randolph (Montague Love) for breach of promise. On the verge of collecting $100,000 in "hush money," Verna discovers that her former lover (Roy D'Arcy) has broken out of jail and is heading after her with blood in his eye. Frantically, she books passage on an ocean liner bound for Europe. During the voyage, Verna is confronted by another man -- Dick Randolph (Jack Mulhall), son of the disgraced millionaire. Not long afterward, Verna's ex-lover catches up with her . . . and the result, inevitably is murder. But who done it (and who is it "done" to?) Love Bound was also released as Murder on the High Seas and Souls for Sale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, a producer reopens a theater where five years before, a lead actor was killed on stage during a performance. The murder remained unsolved. To solve the mystery, the producer stages the same play with the same cast. As the play is performed, the same series of events occurs and the lead actor vanishes. It is eventually discovered that a masked stage manager is behind the it all. He has set up the whole thing to force stockholders to withdraw from the production. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Filmed silent, but outfitted with a Movietone musical score and sound effects, Woman From Hell was inspired by From Hell Came a Lady, a play by Jaime Del Rio, George Scarborough and Lois Leeson. The title character, played by Mary Astor is Dee Renaud, the principal attraction of a cheap sideshow. The seedy barker promises the yokels that if they're able to catch the "Lady From Hell," she will reward them with a kiss. When rapacious customer Slick Ericks (Roy D'Arcy) tries to go beyond kissing, Dee is rescued by lighthouse keeper Jim Coakley (Dean Jagger, in his film debut). Marrying Jim out of gratitude, Dee unsuccessfully tries to convince Jim's salty old father (James Bradbury Sr.) that she'll be a good and faithful wife. Alas, she is a slave to her passions, and it isn't long before she has become smitten by Jim's best friend Alf (Robert Armstrong), who responds in kind, inviting the girl to run off with him. When Jim's dad is incapacitated, however, Dee loyally remains in the lighthouse to operate the beam and avert a shipwreck. Realizing that Dee's true place is with her husband and father-in-law, Alf does the "right thing" and walks out of her life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide