he made his film debut in 1931, and went on to appear in a number of quota quickies of the period, including mystery horror films "the unholy quest" (1934) and "the mystery of the mary celeste" (1935), the latter opposite bela lugosi. his distinctive looks seemed to fit the macabre and he would continue to appear in horror films throughout his career including "pharaoh's curse" (1957), the boris karloff vehicle "die, monster, die!" (1965) and "the hand of night" (1968).