Lucille Browne

The sound era's first true serial queen, blond, blue-eyed Lucille Browne was appearing on-stage with aging matinee idol Richard Bennett in Jarnigan when signed to a contract with Fox in 1930. She was immediately teamed with George O'Brien for Last of the Duanes (1930), a Zane Grey adventure, and although Fox singularly failed to realize her potential, the die was cast and she would forever be identified with action and outdoor films. Browne's first in a total of six serials was Universal's Danger Island (1931), with Battling With Buffalo Bill (1931) and The Airmail Mystery (1932) following in short order. Her leading man in the latter was general purpose actor James Flavin, whom she would marry soon after, a union that lasted her lifetime. Mascot, the premium independent serial producer, hired her for Last of the Mohicans (1932) and Mystery Squadron (1933). The latter, starring Bob Steele and scores of airplanes, was probably Browne's best-remembered serial. The Law of the Wild (1934), also from Mascot, followed, and Browne was Gene Autry's leading lady in his signature opus, Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935). There were additional Westerns with Johnny Mack Brown and Ken Maynard but by the 1940s, both Flavins were playing bit roles.