This description of the ideal man is so old I certainly don’t think it refers to him being ethnic in any way. 
So what is it supposed to mean? Evenly tanned like George Hamilton?
I think Cary Grant is the ideal there (though I am not sure if he is that tall).
Goege Hamilton just looks…microwaved.
Actually, it’s “Tall, dark and handsome…with lots of money!!”, am I right?
Dark hair is what it means. Opposite of “fair”.
Dark eyes and hair. Apparently this is traditionally more attractive/masculine than a fair-haired guy with a florid complexion.
The word that came to mind was “swarthy”.
Cary Grant may be a better guess than anyone thought.
He could be the original of the phrase, according to this site:
The picture was She Done Him Wrong from 1933. Mae West:
Only one problem with this theory. They seem to be remembering the line incorrectly.
This other review page has a slightly different quote:
And it’s confirmed by this other site which actually has the original dialog in a .wav file.
So. Was West just parodying a current popular phrase? Or was her phrase corrupted into something more pleasing, as so many other famous phrases have been?
Damn… 
[SIZE=1]Well I think I’m a manly man…[SIZE]
Does that mean dark skin is out, then? I’ve got the other stuff (jury out on handsome)
What Manduck said. One specific meaning of “dark” is dark-haired.
Men’s hair color isn’t discussed as much as women’s hair color, but there is some degree of prejudice against blond men.
In 1932, a year before She Done Him Wrong, director Merian C. Cooper asked actress Fay Wray, “How would you like to star opposite the tallest, darkest leading man in Hollywood?” Which turned out to be King Kong.
“Dark” skin, in some people’s minds, is a sign of health and vigor. It definitely shows that the “dark” skinned person likes to be outdoors where the sun tans the skin.
By comparing the “tall, dark and handsome” against the opposite, “short, pale and ugly” you can see how “dark” skin is more appealing.
Plus, this quote comes from a time where Hollywood type folks were known for spending their leisure time around their own pools or at public pools in hotels and resorts. This applies particularly to the outdoorsy, swashbuckler types that drove the women wild like Cary Grant, Rock Hudson and Dash Riprock.
If you read popular fiction of a century ago, there was a distinct preference for dark-haired men. Blond-haired men were described as “towheads”, and there was a distinct impression that they were considered less manly than black-headed guys. At least one novel I read had the mother of a girl expressing concern that her intended was light-haired, and would thus be somehting of a disappointment.
Mmmmmmm, swarthy…
Anyway, I always pictured the “dark” to be the Latin leading men who seemed to be all the rage in the 40’s. Like Ricardo Montleban, Ricky Ricardo, and Rosemary Clooney’s husband whose name I have totally forgotten.
Jose Ferrer is considered a dapper, Latin leading man?
If you say so … :rolleyes:
A more contemporary example:
Orlando Bloom in “Lord of the Rings” - not dark.
Johnny Depp in “Sleepy Hollow” - not dark.
Orland Bloom in “Pirates of the Caribbean” - dark.
Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean” - Darker.
It could also make sense as ‘dark’ as in ‘brooding’ ie. bad boy
But yeah, I also always assumed ‘dark haired’ was the intended meaning.
OK, I just Googled Jose Ferrer (i’ve actually never seen his earlier stuff) and I concede that he is not the definition of tall, dark and handsome. Unfortunately, he resembles his son Miguel rather closely. I guess I just always assumed that he had been this leading man type in 40’s. :o
Hmmm, I know there seemed to be a lot of Latin leading men in the 40’s but I’m having a surprising difficult time locating any site for them…
Ricky Ricardo?? Lucy’s Ricky? Please tell me there is another “Ricky Ricardo” out there - 
Tall, dark and handsome = dark hair, dark eyes, but not necesseraly swarthy. Definitely not “microwaved”
I’ve always liked that type of looks myself - unfortunately it’s quite rare in Denmark