Bruce Cabot

Although his breakout movie role in the original "King Kong" all but epitomized the era's archetypal male hero, actor Bruce Cabot is perhaps best known for his villainous character studies in nearly 100 feature films. Born of Franco-Irish and Cherokee heritage in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Cabot worked various odd jobs, from prize fighter to insurance salesman to oil worker, before a chance meeting with RKO producer David O. Selznick jump-started his screen career. With his towering stature and athletic build, Cabot was cast as the male lead in 1933's groundbreaking monster epic, "King Kong," playing dashing hero Jack Driscoll to actress Fay Wray's damsel-in-distress, Ann Darrow.

Despite what was, for the relatively unknown actor, a huge career boost, Cabot seldom worked again as a romantic lead. Instead, he portrayed cruel and exacting villains in such films as 1935's "Let 'em Have It" and 1936's "The Last of the Mohicans." After serving in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, Cabot returned to Hollywood, playing supporting roles opposite John Wayne in popular war dramas and Westerns of the '50s and '60s.