HWOF

Richard Arlen was an American actor who, before acting, served as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War I. At war’s end, he went to Los Angeles where he found work as an unskilled laborer. By a stroke of pure luck, he was given an opportunity to act, appearing at first in silent films before making the transition to talkies. He took time out from his Hollywood career to teach as a United States Army Air Forces flight instructor in World War II. Arlen is best known for his role as a pilot in the Academy Award-winning film Wings (1927) with Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy’ Rogers, and his future first wife Jobyna Ralston. Richard Arlen’s career spanned over five decades, during which he acted in such films as Ladies of the Mob (1928), Paramount on Parade (1930), A Dangerous Game (1941), and The Sky’s the Limit (1975). He even starred as the Cheshire Cat in the Paramount Pictures’ live-action version of Alice in Wonderland (1933).

• Born: Cornelius Richard Van Mattimore September 1, 1898 Charlottesville, Virginia
• Died: March 28, 1976 (aged 77) Hollywood, California
• Years active: 1921–1977
• Spouse(s): Margaret Kinsella (1946-1976) (his death), Jobyna Ralston (1927-1946) (divorced) 1 child, Ruth Austin (?-?) (divorced)

Read more about Richard Arlen at Wikipedia or at the Internet Movie Database