Biography

Alexander D'Arcy was born on August 10, 1908 in Cairo, Egypt. He was an actor, known for The Awful Truth (1937), Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969) and Horrors of Spider Island (1960). He was married to Arleen Whelan. He died on April 20, 1996 in West Hollywood, California, USA.

His mother was French and his father was a Turkish Pasha who owned cotton fields in Egypt.

Spoke English, French, and Arabic.

Supporting actor, often portraying oily types, in US and Continental films from the early 30's and thereafter.

"...worked in more than 15 countries as a film actor," according to his Variety obituary.

[from an interview done in 1990] There are personality actors and there are real actors. Olivier (Laurence Olivier], Burt Lancaster. He's an actor. They are real actors. Clark Gable and Cary Grant were personality actors. Gary Cooper was the same. Don't depress me, when I hear about great performance -- it's bullshit! It's nothing. Me, 19 years old, I was on the front pages of all the papers in England. What the fuck did I know. I was lucky. I can say it because I'm 82, I was outstanding good looking. And I had a great personality. I was very funny. When I was in a show, they hated me. The leading man hated me. When I came to America that was my problem. Yesterday's happiness, tomorrow's sadness. This is our business. 90% end up sad. 10% end up alcoholics or commit suicide.

An actor is 100% luck. If you have talent, it's good, it doesn't hurt. But it's better to be a bad actor in a great picture, with a good director, a good story. The main one is the writer, he produces the movie theme that feeds you. Then the director, then the cameraman, then the cutter. The combination of these key people make it good or bad. I don't care what kind of an actor you are, if you're in a lousy picture, you look lousy.

[on Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969)] Oh my God! That's something I would like to try and forget. The writer [Rex Carlton], he wrote the play for Jayne Mansfield, he committed suicide on Sunset. He was a good friend of mine and he asked me, "Please Alex, will you do that picture for me?" and I said, "It's ridiculous," and he said, "Please, as a favor to me!" I did it as a favor for him. I did it as a joke. We were laughing it up, thank god! It was an old castle in the desert, 80 miles from here. We drove everyday. It's something I would really like to forget. I was very lucky. Most of the pictures I did were good pictures. Many were big hits, you know. But this one, Jesus Christ!