HERBERT RAWLINSON
November 15th, 1885 -- July 12th, 1953

Above: Herbert Rawlinson, elderly but still distinguished, attends a premiere with Rosalind Russell in 1951.

While many serial fans would instantly recognize the tall, white-haired, English-accented gentleman who appeared, credited or uncredited, in more than a dozen sound serials, few of them know that his name was Herbert Rawlinson, and hardly any of them know that he was a serial hero himself, in the silent era. Indeed, Rawlinson was one of the most popular of silent cliffhanger heroes: he was suave, dashing, intelligent, and romantic. While he played only one starring role in the sound era, he still utilized these qualities in all his roles, big or small. Herbert never played a serial villain, and his characters in cliffhangers were always upright, dignified figures--statesmen, military officers, tycoons, or scientists. No matter what the situation, the serial fan knew that Herbert Rawlinson was a man completely worthy of the hero's trust, as well as a wise adviser in time of trouble.

Herbert Rawlinson was born in Brighton, England. He did extensive work on both the English and American stage before making his first film, THE NOVICE, in 1911. His urban presence and aristocratic good looks almost immediately made him a star, and through the teens and twenties he played heroes in both serials and features (among the latter was the 1914 version of THE SEA WOLF, in which Rawlinson played Humph). THE BLACK BOX, THE CARTER CASE, THE FLAME FIGHTER, TROOPER 77, and PHANTOM POLICE were only a few of the popular cliffhangers that Herbert starred in during this time; it is safe to say he was one of the kings of the silent serial. The advent of sound found Herbert in his mid-forties, and, though his cultured voice was perfect for the new medium, he was now considered too old to play leading roles. He dropped out of films in the late twenties, returning to the screen in 1933. Now he was a character actor, and he played father figures, doctors, editors, and even an occasional heavy, in movies of various importance. Two of his more notable pictures during this period were BULLETS OR BALLOTS, with Edward G. Robinson, and SHOW THEM NO MERCY, with Cesar Romero and Bruce Cabot.

Rawlinson's first serial was ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND (Republic, 1936). The cliffhanger, not generally considered one of Republic's best, dealt with a mysterious villain named HK, and his attempts to sabotage a dirigible corporation that was endangering his secret island hideout. (Ineffectual) leading man Ray Mala set out to track down the villain, and quickly learned that HK must be one of two members of the dirigible company. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Since one, Jackson (Herbert Rawlinson) was cranky, and one, Canfield (Selmer Jackson) was friendly and ready to help, the audience was not too surprised when Canfield proved to be HK in the last chapter. After tying up Mala, Rawlinson, and corporation head John Dilson and leaving them to be killed by an erupting volcano, the villain fled in his submarine, but Mala's animal friends Buck and Rex (a dog and a horse) freed the good guys, who escaped as HK's sub was crushed under falling volcanic rocks. Herbert's part in ROBINSON CRUSOE was one of his most unsympathetic serial roles, in that it called for him to grouch and grump at every one of the hero's suggestions, but he still turned out to be innocent of anything more than irritability in the end.

Above, from left to right: Ray Mala, John Dilson, Herbert Rawlinson, George Chesebro, and Selmer Jackson. Jackson and his henchman Chesebro have surprised Mala in the act of freeing Dilson and Rawlinson in this still from ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND (Republic, 1936).

Republic used Rawlinson again the same year, in SOS COAST GUARD. This serial was much better than ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND, and it gave Herbert a part more in keeping with his usual benevolent persona. He played Commander Boyle, understanding superior of star Lieutenant Terry Kent (Ralph Byrd). Rawlinson's share in the action was small, but he conferred with Byrd in nearly every episode and commanded the search when the hero was captured by villain Bela Lugosi towards the end. Rawlinson and Byrd teamed up a second time for BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD (Victory, 1937) and this time it was Herbert who got the lion's share of the screen time. In fact, it was Rawlinson's performance, in the title role of Sir James Blake, that made the serial worth watching, hampered as it was by producer Sam Katzman's non-existent production values. The character of Blake was every bit as brilliant and active as the heroes Herbert had played in silents. Rawlinson donned multiple disguises (his stage training came in handy in that area) and took part in multiple fist fights, as he tracked down the mysterious Scorpion, who had stolen a dangerous "death ray." BLAKE was carried off by Rawlinson alone, and it gives us an excellent idea of the great serial hero Herbert must have been in his heyday.

Above: Herbert Rawlinson revives Ralph Byrd in BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD (Victory, 1937).

Above: Herbert Rawlinson, in disguise, overpowers a crooked boarding house owner (John Elliott), while dodging the outstretched hand of the old man's giant, half-witted son in BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD (Victory, 1937).

Herbert would never again get a starring role in sound serials, despite his fine showing in BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD. FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (Universal, 1940), featured him as Dr. Frohmann, one of the Earth scientists who seeks to discover a cure for Ming the Merciless's (Charles Middleton) Purple Death. He only appeared in the first chapter, but he still gave the part plenty of dignity and intelligence.

I still wonder how Republic overlooked Rawlinson when it came time to casting the role of Sir Denis Nayland Smith in their DRUMS OF FU MANCHU serial. Though William Royle, who was ultimately cast as Smith, did a superlative job, the role seemed tailor-made for Herbert. However, Republic did sign Herbert for a serial in 1940--not for FU MANCHU, but for the equally classic KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED. Allan Lane was cast as Sergeant King, and Rawlinson played his father, Inspector King. The interaction between Herbert and Lane made their characters one of the most believable father/son teams in serials. Both helped each other out on occasion, and when the Inspector died saving his son's life in Chapter Four, the audience realized that the hero had lost one of his best allies.

Above: Herbert Rawlinson (center) watches as Allan Lane (left) talks with Budd Buster in KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED (Republic, 1940).

Rawlinson was given high billing but limited screen time (three scenes, total) in KING OF THE TEXAS RANGERS (Republic, 1941), but his scenes were memorable if not extended. When the Texas Ranger father (Monte Blue) of hero Tom King (Sammy Baugh) was murdered by Nazi agents in Chapter One, it was Herbert, as Ranger Colonel Avery, who swore in Baugh and presented him with his father's badge, and in the end, when Baugh and his compadre Duncan Renaldo were being congratulated for their successful battle against the spies, it was Rawlinson who delivered the patriotic closing speech.

Herbert, after "serving" in both the RCMP and the Texas Rangers, next became an officer of the US Navy in DON WINSLOW OF THE NAVY (Universal, 1941). He played Admiral Warbuton, Don Winslow's (Don Terry) commanding officer, and again was there mainly to prepare the hero for his assignment and award praise at the end. PERILS OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED (Columbia, 1942) featured Rawlinson in a larger role, but a more undignified one. As Richard Winton, a railroad man whose attempts to lay track in Canada were blocked by Indian uprisings and outlaw raids. Mountie Sgt. MacLane (Robert Kellard) did his best to track down the man behind these violent activities (Kenneth MacDonald) but got no help from Rawlinson, who uncharacteristically blustered and complained at Kellard all the time, as well as continually provoked the Indians with his aggressive attitude. PERILS OF NYOKA (Republic, 1942), gave Herbert an undeservedly small part (he was not even listed in the cast) as Major Reynolds, member of an archeological expedition headed by Forbes Murray and Clayton Moore. He was killed off in the very first chapter by means of villainess Lorna Gray's poisoned ring, as he was the only expedition member who could expose Gray's impersonation of Nyoka Gordon (Kay Aldridge).

The close of 1942 saw Herbert signing on to play a major supporting role in LOST CANYON, a William Boyd "Hopalong Cassidy" Western. This would have a great influence on Rawlinson's later career, as he formed a friendship with Boyd and became one of the Hoppy "stock company" appearing in nearly every Cassidy film from this point on. Before dropping out of cliffhangers to concentrate on the B-westerns, he turned in three more uncredited but energetic performances at Republic. In G-MEN VS. THE BLACK DRAGON (Republic, 1943) he was a British intelligence official who briefed hero Rod Cameron on some important aspects of his mission; in DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST (also 1943), with Allan Lane and Kay Aldridge, he was a land-office representative named T. J. Sawyer; and in THE MASKED MARVEL (again 1943) he was Kellering, chairman of the wartime American Industrial Production Board, and nearly became the victim of an explosive device created by Japanese spy Mura Sakima (Johnny Arthur).

Above: Herbert Rawlinson (far left) receives a phoned warning that the box on the table before him is booby-trapped, while Richard Clarke, David Bacon (standing) and an unidentified player (seated) watch in THE MASKED MARVEL (Republic, 1943).

When production ceased on the Hopalong Cassidy films in 1948 (the last one was STRANGE GAMBLE, which featured Herbert in a major role as a kidnapped engraver) Rawlinson teamed up with BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD producer Sam Katzman for one last serial: SUPERMAN (Columbia, 1948). Fortunately for all concerned, SUPERMAN was, overall, a much better serial than BLAKE had been. Indeed, I would call it one of Columbia's very best cliffhangers--though I don't know if anyone else would. Kirk Alyn starred as Superman, supported by Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen, Pierre Watkin as Perry White, and Carol Forman as the supremely evil Spider Lady. The Spider Lady was after the Reducer Ray, developed by Dr. Arnold Graham (Herbert), and the government called Superman in to protect it. Thanks to a kryptonite sample stolen from a laboratory, the Spider Lady was able to get the better of Superman and capture Graham. With the help of her scientific cohort Dr. Hackett (Charles Quigley) the Spider Lady destroyed the government's copy of the ray and drugged Dr. Graham into helping her build another one. Superman, by donning a protective suit, was able to defy the kryptonite after gaining access to the villainess' hideout, and withstood the blast of the ray when it was turned on him. The Spider Lady then tried to escape, but Graham, who had snapped out of the effects of Hackett's drug, turned the ray on her, blasting her to oblivion. SUPERMAN provided Rawlinson with a wonderfully varied part to close out his cliffhanger career. The role of Graham allowed him to show dignified concern that his machine not fall into the wrong hands, courageously defy the Spider Lady, do a brief villainous turn when Quigley "disguised" as his character, behave like a zombie when under the influence of the drug, and heroically administer justice to Forman at the end. It was a tour-de-force farewell that did Rawlinson proud.

Above: Charles Quigley and Carol Forman stand over the drugged Herbert Rawlinson in the largest inset photo on this lobby card for SUPERMAN (Columbia, 1948). Superman (Kirk Alyn) is featured in the other two photos.

Above: Emmett Vogan (far left) asks Superman (Kirk Alyn) to take on the job of guarding Dr. Arnold Graham's (Herbert Rawlinson) Reducer Ray. Rawlinson himself is seated between Vogan and Alyn in this still from SUPERMAN (Columbia, 1948).

Rawlinson virtually retired after SUPERMAN, but he kept his hand in the movie business till he died, making brief appearances in A-westerns like BRIMSTONE, FIGHTING MAN OF THE PLAINS, and STRANGER WORE A GUN. His last really notable role was in GENE AUTRY AND THE MOUNTIES, in which he donned a red coat once again to play RCMP Inspector Wingate. Herbert's final film, the ludicrous Ed Wood cheapie JAIL BAIT, came out in 1954; before its release, Herbert Rawlinson passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 68.

Herbert Rawlinson must have been possessed of true humility and an innate love of acting. Not every man would willingly switch from starring roles to character parts--in serials, yet!--but Herbert made the change with ease. Nor did the former leading man regard his serial roles as something to be slurred through without care or concern; on the contrary, he put every ounce of sincerity and dignity he possessed into each role, and gave countless serial stars a staunch mentor to turn to for advice. Herbert Rawlinson was the type of man that serial heroes--and serial fans--liked and trusted almost instinctively.

Above: A portrait of Herbert, taken in the days when he was a serial hero himself.