Sunday, September 14, 2008

Darro's Diamond



THE DEVIL’S DIAMOND-1937-Dumb low budget crime drama has a group of gangsters hiring an old jeweler (George Cleveland) to cut up a “cursed” diamond. They hire and train a former messenger boy (Frankie Darro) to be a boxer as their front while they stay at a boarding house conveniently run by the jeweler’s granddaughter (Joan Gale). Familiar Serial star Kane Richmond is the special agent investigating the whole mess.

It’s funny to see the pint size Darro punching out guys much bigger than himself. He was popular at the time but later played mostly un-credited roles on TV (usually as a bellboy or messenger).

Richmond had many film roles but was best known for the title character in the serials The Shadow, Spy Smasher and Brick Bradford. The great character actor Byron Foulger is also featured as a Swedish handyman.

Thanks for reading!

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