Todd’s Serial Blog

Leonard Lord is a member of the unfortunately large number of actors that never really made it.  His entire resume consists of four films in one year.  His most prominent roles were in Universal serials.

Secret Agent X-9 (1937) had Lord cast as a disgruntled and ultimately disloyal henchman to an international jewel thief, and Radio Patrol (1937) had Lord playing a zombie like henchman who resides in an automated sarcophagus.  His other credits were small parts in San Quentin (1937) and Missing Witness (1937).

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Buzz Barton, a popular juvenile lead in the silents, got his start doubling Frankie Darro at FBO under the name Billy Lamar.  Changing his name to Buzz Barton,  the studio billed him as The World’s Greatest Juvenile Rider in the Red Hepner film series, with such titles as Slingshot Kid (1927) and Rough Riding Red (1928).   Though popular, the company stop making B Westerns with the coming of sound and Barton turned to freelancing, where he settled into playing teenage side kicks in poverty row westerns like The Apache Kid’s Escape (1930).

During this phase of his career, Barton made two serials.  Mascot’s The Lone Defender (1930) where he teamed with Walter Reed and Rin Tin Tin to stop an outlaw gang from stealing a gold mine.  Syndicate’s The Mystery Trooper (1930) teamed him with Robert Frazier in a similar plot.  Unfortunately as Barton got older, his parts got smaller, playing  small supporting roles in The Tonto Kid (1938) and Phantom Gold (1938).  With the coming of the war Barton enlisted in the Navy, and according to IMDB was serving on the USS Missouri when Japan surrendered.

After the war Barton worked sporadically in films, mostly in bit parts.  His last known credits include In the Heat of the Night (1967), as the dead victim, and the TV movie Cross of Fire (1989).

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Some people have incredibly bad luck.  Mona Rico’s life and career is an eye opening example of just how unfortunate some people’s lives turn out.  An exotic actress from Mexico she starred opposite John Barrymore in Eternal Love (1929) and looked to be poised be a huge star.  Two things happened that destroyed that dream.  Talkies came and her thick accent and high pitched voice proved to be unsuited for talkies and she immediately dropped to small supporting roles in A Devil With Women (1930) and Thunder Below (1932).

Then came real tragedy, flying off on her honeymoon with sportsman James Groton, the plane crashed and Rico’s face was heavily damaged, requiring several reconstructive surgeries.  The marriage ended quickly and bitterly.

Though she tried to rebuild her film career, it was too late.  Her last known role was playing Carmelita, a cantina waitress who gets information for James Carroll and Duncan Renaldo in Republic’s Zorro Rides Again (1937).

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