Richard Arlen
Birthdate: Sep 1, 1899
Birthplace: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
Died: Mar 28, 1976
During World War I, Richard Arlen served in the Royal Canadian Flying Corps as a pilot, but he never saw combat. After the war he drifted round and eventually wound up in Los Angeles, where he got a job as a motorcycle messenger at a film laboratory. When he crashed into the gates of Paramount Pictures and suffered a broken leg, the studio provided prompt medical attention. Impressed by his good looks, executives also gave him a contract after he had recovered. Starting as an extra in 1925, Arlen soon rose to credited roles, but the quality of his work left much to be desired. However, he continued in films, and his big break came when William A. Wellman cast him as a pilot in the silent film Wings (1927) with Charles 'Buddy' Rogers and Clara Bow. The story of fighter aces would win the Oscar for Best Picture and Arlen would continue to play the tough, cynical hero throughout his career. Arlen appeared in three more pictures directed by Wellman, Beggars of Life (1928), Ladies of the Mob (1928) and The Man I Love (1929). In "Wings" he had a scene with a young actor named Gary Cooper. In 1929, he again worked with Cooper in the western The Virginian (1929), only this time Cooper was the star and Arlen was the supporting actor. While Arlen moved easily into sound, his career just bumped along. By 1935 he was working in such "B" pictures as Three Live Ghosts (1936). It was in 1935 that he became a freelance actor and his freelance career soon waned. In 1939, he signed with Universal and began working in its action films. In 1941 he moved to the Pine-Thomas unit at Paramount, where he appeared in adventure films. With the war on, most of his earlier films included war scenarios. By the end of the 1940s Arlen was becoming deaf and this seemed to signal the end of his career. However, he had an operation in 1949 that restored his hearing and he went on making a handful of adventures and westerns through the 1950s and working more in the 1960s. He made 15 westerns for producer A.C. Lyles, who worked with the old western stars.
Besides movies, Arlen also appeared on television and in commercials. After leaving the business in the late 1960s, he was coaxed back to the screen for three small roles in films that were released the same year that he died.
Known For
Wings
(1927)
Island of Lost Souls
(1932)
The Light of Western Stars
(1930)
The Virginian
(1929)
Richard Arlen Movies
actor
Previous (142)
- 2024 |
- 2022 |
- 2019 |
The Mountain
asC.W. Rivial
The story of a young man who, after losing his mother, goes to work with a doctor specializing in lobotomies and therapies.
- 2019 |
The Bounty Killer
asMatthew Ridgeway
A bounty killer is hired by a Mexican landowner to rescue his daughter after she's kidnapped by a gang of outlaws on her wedding day.
- 2018 |
A Whale of a Tale
asMr. Monahan
The camera delves into the lives of local whalers, global activists and an American journalist in the "whale and dolphin killing town" of Taiji, Japan, revealing not everything is as black and white as it seems.
- 2010 |
Alice in Wonderland
asCheshire Cat
Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.
- 1975 | The Sky's the Limitas Grimes
- 1968 | Buckskinas Townsman
- 1968 | Rogue's Galleryas Man in Club
- 1967 | Fort Utahas Sam Tyler
- 1967 | Hostile Gunsas Sheriff Travis
- 1967 | Red Tomahawkas Telegrapher
- 1967 | The Road to Nashvilleas Studio Boss
- 1966 | Johnny Renoas Ned Duggan
- 1966 | To the Shores of Hellas Brig. Gen. F.W. Ramsgate
- 1966 | Wacoas Sheriff Billy Kelly
- 1965 | Apache Uprisingas Capt. Gannon
- 1965 | Black Spursas Pete Muchin
- 1965 | Hollywood My Home Town
- 1965 | The Human Duplicatorsas Lt. Shaw - National Intelligence
- 1965 | Town Tameras Dr. L. Kent
- 1964 | Law of the Lawlessas Ben -- Bartender
- 1964 | Sex and the College Girlas Charles Devon
- 1964 | Thunder Mountainas Old Matt
- 1964 | Young Furyas Sheriff Jenkins
- 1963 | The Crawling Handas Lee Barrenger
- 1963 | The Young and the Braveas Col. Ralph Holbein
- 1961 | The Last Time I Saw Archieas Col. Edwin Martin
- 1960 | Raymieas Garber
- 1959 | Warlockas Bacon
- 1958 | The Day of the Trumpetas Sgt. Jim Heisler
- 1956 | Hidden Gunsas Sheriff Ward Young
- 1955 | Blonde Blackmaileras Tony Pelassier
- 1954 | Devil's Harboras John 'Captain' Martin
- 1953 | Sabre Jetas Gen. Robert E. 'Bob' Hale
- 1952 | Flaming Featheras Showdown Calhoun
- 1952 | Hurricane Smithas Brundage
- 1952 | The Blazing Forestas Joe Morgan
- 1951 | Silver Cityas Charles Storrs
- 1950 | Kansas Raidersas Union Captain
- 1949 | Grand Canyonas Mike Adams
- 1948 | Speed to Spareas Cliff Jordan
- 1948 | The Return of Wildfireas Dobe Williams
- 1948 | When My Baby Smiles at Meas Harvey Howell
- 1947 | Buffalo Bill Rides Againas Buffalo Bill
- 1946 | Accompliceas Simon Lash
- 1945 | Identity Unknownas Johnny March
- 1945 | The Phantom Speaksas Matt Fraser
- 1944 | Storm Over Lisbonas John Craig
- 1944 | That's My Baby!as Tim Jones
- 1944 | The Big Bonanzaas Captain Jed Kilton
- 1944 | The Lady and the Monsteras Dr. Patrick Cory
- 1944 | Timber Queenas Russell Evans
- 1943 | Aerial Gunneras Sgt
- 1943 | Alaska Highwayas Woody Ormsby
- 1943 | Minesweeperas Richard Houston - aka Jim 'Tennessee' Smith
- 1943 | Submarine Alertas Lewis J. 'Lee' Deerhold
- 1942 | Torpedo Boatas Skinner Barnes
- 1942 | Wrecking Crewas Matt Carney
- 1941 | A Dangerous Gameas Dick Williams
- 1941 | Flying Blindas Jim Clark
- 1941 | Forced Landingas Dan Kendall
- 1941 | Lucky Devilsas Dick McManus
- 1941 | Men of the Timberlandas Dick O'Hara
- 1941 | Mutiny in the Arcticas Dick Barclay
- 1941 | Power Diveas Brad Farrell
- 1941 | Raiders of the Desertas Dick Manning
- 1940 | Black Diamondsas Walter Norton
- 1940 | Danger on Wheelsas Larry Taylor
- 1940 | Hot Steelas Frank Stewart
- 1940 | The Devil's Pipelineas Dick Talbot
- 1940 | The Leather Pushersas Dick 'Kid' Roberts
- 1939 | Legion of Lost Flyersas Gene 'Loop' Gillan
- 1939 | Man from Montrealas Clark Manning
- 1939 | Missing Daughtersas Wally King
- 1939 | Mutiny on the Blackhawkas Capt. Robert Lawrence
- 1939 | Tropic Furyas Dan Burton
- 1938 | Call of the Yukonas Gaston Rogers
- 1938 | No Time to Marryas Perry Brown
- 1938 | Straight Place and Showas Denny Paine
- 1937 | Artist and Modelsas Alan Townsend
- 1937 | Murder in Greenwich Villageas Steve Havens Jackson Jr.
- 1937 | Secret Valleyas Lee Rogers
- 1937 | Silent Barriersas Hickey
- 1936 | The Mine with the Iron Dooras Bob Harvey
- 1936 | Three Live Ghostsas Bill Jones
- 1935 | Let 'em Have Itas Mal Stevens
- 1935 | The Calling of Dan Matthewsas Dan Matthews
- 1934 | Come On, Marines!as Lucky Davis
- 1934 | Helldoradoas Art Ryan
- 1934 | Ready for Loveas Julian Barrow
- 1934 | She Made Her Bedas Wild Bill Smith
- 1933 | College Humoras Mondrake
- 1933 | Golden Harvestas Walt Martin
- 1933 | Hell and High Wateras Capt. J.J. Jericho
- 1933 | Song of the Eagleas Bill Hoffman
- 1933 | Three Cornered Moonas Dr. Alan Stevens
- 1932 | Guilty as Hellas Frank C. Marsh
- 1932 | Island of Lost Soulsas Edward Parker
- 1932 | Sky Brideas Bert 'Speed' Condon
- 1932 | The All-Americanas Gary King
- 1932 | Tiger Sharkas Pipes Boley
- 1931 | Caughtas Lt. Tom Colton
- 1931 | Gun Smokeas Brad Farley
- 1931 | The Conquering Hordeas Dan McMasters
- 1931 | The House That Shadows Built
- 1931 | The Lawyer's Secretas Joe Hart
- 1931 | The Secret Callas Tom Blake
- 1931 | Touchdown!as Dan Curtis
- 1930 | Burning Upas Lou Larrigan
- 1930 | Dangerous Paradiseas Heyst
- 1930 | Only Saps Workas Lawrence Payne
- 1930 | Paramount on Paradeas Hunter - Episode 'Dream Girl'
- 1930 | The Border Legionas Jim Cleve
- 1930 | The Light of Western Starsas Dick Bailey
- 1930 | The Santa Fe Trailas Stan Hollister
- 1930 | The Sea Godas Phillip 'Pink' Barker
- 1929 | Dangerous Curvesas Larry Lee
- 1929 | The Four Feathersas Lt. Harry Faversham
- 1929 | The Man I Loveas Dum-Dum Brooks
- 1929 | The Virginianas Steve
- 1929 | Thunderboltas Bob Moran
- 1928 | Beggars of Lifeas The Boy - Jim
- 1928 | Feel My Pulseas Her Problem
- 1928 | Ladies of the Mobas Red
- 1928 | Manhattan Cocktailas Fred Tilden
- 1928 | Under the Tonto Rimas Edd Denmeade
- 1927 | Figures Don't Lieas Bob Blewe
- 1927 | Rolled Stockingsas Ralph Treadway
- 1927 | Sally in Our Alleyas Jimmie Adams
- 1927 | She's a Sheikas Capt. Colton
- 1927 | The Blood Shipas John Shreve
- 1927 | Wingsas David Armstrong
- 1926 | Behind the Frontas Percy Brown
- 1926 | Padlockedas 'Tubby' Clark
- 1926 | The Enchanted Hillas Link Halliwell
- 1926 | You'd Be Surprisedas Photographer
- 1925 | In the Name of Loveas Dumas Dufrayne
- 1925 | The Coast of Follyas Bather
- 1923 | Hollywoodas Richard Arlen
- 1923 | Vengeance of the Deepas Jean
- 1922 | The Ghost Breakeras One of the 'Ghosts'
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