Alexander D'Arcy ( ar, ألكسندر دارسي; 10 August 1908 – 20 April 1996) was an Egyptian stage, television and film actor with an international film repertoire.

Career

Born Alexander Sarruf in Cairo, Egypt, D'Arcy, variously credited as Alexandre D'Arcy, Alex D'Arcy, Alexandre Darcy and Alex d'Arcy appeared in some 45 films, mostly as a suave gentleman or smooth rogue. His first film appearance was in 1927 in '' The Garden of Allah'', and then appeared in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's ''

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

'' (1928). He went to France, acted in a number of films, then departed for America. In 1936, listed as Joseph Alexandre Fabre - artist, aged 27, race French, nationality Egyptian - he sailed to New York as a first class passenger on the S/S

Ile de France Ile may refer to: * iLe, a Puerto Rican singer * Ile District (disambiguation), multiple places * Ilé-Ifẹ̀, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria * Interlingue (ISO 639:ile), a planned language * Isoleucine, an amino acid * Another ...

. He eventually left New York for Hollywood where he started by playing supporting roles in several films in the late 1930s, including ''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in orde ...

'' (1937) ''Stolen Holiday'' (1937), ''

The Awful Truth ''The Awful Truth'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. Based on the 1923 play ''The Awful Truth'' by Arthur Richman, the film recounts how a distrustful rich couple begins ...

'' (1937). In 1953, he was one of the suitors of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

's character in '' How to Marry a Millionaire'' and featured in ''

Abdulla the Great ''Abdulla the Great'' (also known as ''Abdullah's Harem'') is a 1955 comedy film. It was directed and produced by Gregory Ratoff who also stars in the title role from a screenplay by Boris Ingster and George St. George, based on the novel ''My K ...

'' and '' Soldier of Fortune'' in 1955. His roles diminished in importance, and by the 1960s, he acted mostly on television and resurfaced in horror films, notably '' It's Hot in Paradise'' (1962) and as Dracula in '' Blood of Dracula's Castle'' (1969). Evidently a favorite of such cult directors as

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fea ...

and

Sam Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made ou ...

, D'Arcy was seen in Corman's '' The St. Valentine's Day Massacre'' (1967), Meyer's '' The Seven Minutes'' (1971) and Fuller's '' Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street'' (1972 or 1974 TV movie). Throughout his life, D’Arcy split his time between his homes in the United States and Europe. In addition to acting, he worked as a restaurateur in Berlin. He was naturalized as a United States citizen in Los Angeles in May 1942. In his petition for naturalization, he declared that upon naturalization he wished his name to be legally changed from Joseph Alexandre Fabre to Alexander d'Arcy.

Personal life

D’Arcy was married twice, first to actress

Arleen Whelan Arleen Whelan (September 1, 1916 – April 7, 1993) was an American film actress. Early years Whelan was a native of Salt Lake City, Utah. Before she became an actress, she worked in Southern California as a manicurist, contributing her ea ...

and then, in 1964, to actress Yutta Darcy. They had a daughter named Susannah d'Arcy and divorced in 1973. Susannah D'Arcy

Death

D’Arcy died on 20 April 1996 at his home in West Hollywood, California at the age of 87.

Filmography

* '' The Garden of Allah'' (1927) - Bit Role (uncredited) * ''

'' (1928) - (uncredited) * ''

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in parad ...

'' (1928) - Spirdoff * '' Daughter of the Regiment'' (1929) * '' A Romance of Seville'' (1929) - Ramon Dunigo * ''La revanche du maudit'' (1930) - Edmond Saint-Edme * ''

À Nous la Liberté ''À nous la liberté'', sometimes written as ''À nous la liberté!'', (English: ''Freedom Forever'' or ''Freedom for Us'') is a 1931 French musical film directed by René Clair. With a score by Georges Auric, it has more music than any of ...

'' (1931) - Le gigolo (uncredited) * '' King of the Hotel'' (1932) - Alonzo * ' (1932) * ''Je vous aimerai toujours'' (1933) - Jean-Claude * '' Poliche'' (1934) - Saint-Wast * ''La Kermesse héroïque'' ('' Carnival in Flanders'') (1935) - Le capitaine / The Captain * ''

Stolen Holiday ''Stolen Holiday'' is a 1937 film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Kay Francis, Claude Rains and Ian Hunter. It is loosely based on the Stavisky Affair, a French political scandal. A Russian con artist worms his way into the upper reach ...

'' (1937) - Anatole * ''

'' (1937) - De Gautet (uncredited) * ''

''(1937) - Armand Duvalle * ''

She Married an Artist ''She Married an Artist'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Marion Gering and starring John Boles, Luli Deste, and Frances Drake.Goble p.806 The film's sets were designed by the art director Stephen Goosson. Partial cast * ...

'' (1937) - Phillip Corval * '' Women Are Like That'' (1938) - Paul - a Headwaiter (uncredited) * '' Flight to Fame'' (1938) - Perez * ''

Topper Takes a Trip ''Topper Takes a Trip'' is a 1938Some sources, such as Turner Classic Movies, say 1939. According to the Internet Movie Database, the film was released in New York City on 29 December 1938, and in the United States in January 1939. The exact year ...

'' (1938) - Baron * ''

Good Girls Go to Paris ''Good Girls Go to Paris'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film starring Melvyn Douglas and Joan Blondell. Plot Jenny Swanson is a waitress in a small college town whose dream is to go to Paris by any means necessary. She confides her plan for ...

'' (1939) - Paul Kingston * ''Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga'' (1939, Short) - Himself (cameo) * ''

5th Ave Girl ''Fifth Avenue Girl'', sometimes stylized as ''5th Ave Girl'', is a 1939 RKO Radio Pictures comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Ginger Rogers, Walter Connolly, Verree Teasdale, and James Ellison. The screenplay was written by ...

'' (1939) - Maitre d'Hotel * '' Three Sons'' (1939) - Prince Nicky - Phoebe's Husband * ''

Another Thin Man ''Another Thin Man'' is a 1939 American detective film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, the third of six in the ''Thin Man'' series. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Continen ...

'' (1939) - Gigolo Who Danced with Nora Charles at West Indies Club (scenes deleted) * ''

City of Chance ''City of Chance'' is a 1940 American crime drama film directed by Ricardo Cortez and written by John Larkin and Barry Trivers. The film stars Lynn Bari, C. Aubrey Smith, Donald Woods and Amanda Duff. The film was released on January 13, 1940, b ...

'' (1940) - Baron Joseph * ''

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

'' (1940) - Mr. Dumont (uncredited) * ''

The Blonde from Singapore ''The Blonde from Singapore'' (also released as ''Hot Pearls'') is a 1941 American adventure film directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Florence Rice. Cast * Florence Rice as Mary Brooks * Leif Erickson as Terry Prescott * Gordon Jones as ' ...

'' (1941) - Prince Sali * ''

Marriage Is a Private Affair ''Marriage is a Private Affair'' is a 1944 war-comedy film, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, based on novel ''Marriage Is a Private Affair'' (1941) by Judith Kelly. It stars Lana Turner, Frances Gifford and James Craig. Plot During World War II ...

'' (1944) - Mr. Garby (uncredited) * '' The Red Angel'' (1949) - Ocelli * ''Harriet Quimby'' (1952, TV Movie) - Andre Houpert * ''

Man on a Tightrope ''Man on a Tightrope'' is a 1953 American drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring Fredric March and Terry Moore and Gloria Grahame. The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Neil Paterson. Paterson base ...

'' (1953) - Rudolph * ''

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901), wife of German ...

'' (1953) - Robin Ray * '' How to Marry a Millionaire'' (1953) - J. Stewart Merrill * ''Les clandestines'' (1954) - Louis d'Osterkoff * ''

'', aka ''Abdullah's Harem'' (1955) - Marco * '' Soldier of Fortune'' (1955) - Rene Dupont Chevalier * ''

Horrors of Spider Island ''Horrors of Spider Island'' (german: Ein Toter hing im Netz, "A Corpse Hung in the Web") is a 1960 West German horror film written and directed by Fritz Böttger, and produced by Gaston Hakim and Wolf C. Hartwig for Rapid-Film/Intercontinental Fi ...

'' (''Ein Toter hing im Netz'') (1960) - Gary Webster * ''

The Festival Girls ''The Festival Girls'' is a 1961 American drama film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Barbara Valentin, Alexander D'Arcy and Scilla Gabel. It was one of a number of low-budget exploitation films Austrian star Valentin appeared in during the ...

'' (1961) - Larry Worthington * ''Casanova wider Willen'' (1964, TV Movie) - Jack Perri * ''

Fanny Hill ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure''—popularly known as ''Fanny Hill''—is an erotic novel by English novelist John Cleland first published in London in 1748. Written while the author was in debtors' prison in London,Wagner, "Introduction" ...

'' (1964) - Admiral * '' The Incredible Sex Revolution'' (1965) - Pierre * '' Way...Way Out'' (1966) - Deuce Hawkins * '' The St. Valentine's Day Massacre'' (1967) - Joe Aiello * '' Blood of Dracula's Castle'' (1969) - Count Dracula - alias Count Charles Townsend * '' The Seven Minutes'' (1971) - Christian Leroux * ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed b ...

'' (1973, TV Series, episode: '' Tote Taube in der Beethovenstraße'') (1973) - Mr. Novak (final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:DArcy, Alexander 1908 births 1996 deaths 20th-century Egyptian male actors Egyptian expatriates in the United States Expatriate male actors in the United States Egyptian male film actors Egyptian male stage actors Egyptian male television actors Male actors from Cairo Egyptian male silent film actors Male Western (genre) film actors People from Greater Los Angeles