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Formerly a journalist, David Farrar took to the stage in 1932, then to the movies in 1937. Handsome and authoritative, Farrar flourished as a dashing romantic lead in the 1940s. He moved effortlessly from the "B"-picture intrigues of Sherlock Holmes-clone Sexton Blake to the more prestigious environs of Black Narcissus (1946) and The Wild Heart (1950). In Hollywood from 1951 to 1959, he was generally cast as a sardonic villain; a rare exception was his anguished portrayal of Alfred Dreyfus' justice-seeking brother in I Accuse (1958). In the 1960s, he showed up in such crusty character roles as Emperor Xerxes in Rudolph Mate's The 300 Spartans (1962). Shortly after this film, he retired from acting, resettling in South Africa. In 1948, he published his autobiography, No Royal Road. David Farrar was married to actress Irene Elliot.