Barcroft, Roy (1902-69)

?Actor, born Howard Ravenscroft. The young Barcroft worked briefly in many trades before reaching Los Angeles in the early 30s. His first film work was as an extra on Garbo's Mata Hari. Unimpressed, Barcroft spent six years away, and then, in 1938, began the thirty years that made his name synonymous with that of the B-Western heavy. Large, scowling and moustached, he came to inspire such love-hate that a book on West?ern players was dedicated to his memory. And at last, even he mellowed, and the Barcroft of his last films is almost a patri?arch.