Sheila Darcy

The beautiful brunette starlet Sheila Darcy began her surprisingly long screen career in 1934 billed under her real name, Rebecca Wassem. After several years of playing usherettes and maids, Wassem changed her name to Sheila Darcy and was Joan Bennett's maid in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939). That led to the female lead in Irish Luck a juvenile potboiler from Monogram starring Frankie Darro and the title character's love interest in Zorro's Fighting Legion (both 1939). The latter was a superb 12-chapter serial from Republic Pictures but Darcy was somewhat overshadowed by her dashing leading man Reed Hadley and a tuneful score by William Lava. She stayed around for quite a few other programmers -- including yet another serial, the subpar Terry and the Pirates (1940) -- but is today remembered solely for her Volita in what is arguably the best of the Zorro serials.