To become an actor, Richard Arlen had to crash the gates at Paramount on a motorcycle and break a leg.  Impressed by his good looks, studio bigwigs put him to work as an extra.  His big break as an actor came with "Wings" in '27.  Two years later came "The Virginian" starring Gary Cooper.

In the 60s, he made 15 westerns for one of the better and busier producers around, A.C. Lyles.  Arlen remembered Lyles (pictured) as an office boy whom he called "The Gripper," because of a strong, enthusiastic handshake he had for everyone he met.  Lyles remembered Arlen as a terrific actor interested in what he could do to help a producer and director bring a picture in on time.

That became Lyles' formula for success --- hiring actors known all over the world who delivered the goods and were not unpredictable in their behavior or performance.

"An actor who is temperamental, who doesn't show respect --- oh, well, he's just hurting himself, the company for which he works, and the motion picture industry," Arlen said.

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