[citation needed] Her screen debut came in College Rhythm (1934) and she went on to appear in films like Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935), It Couldn't Have Happened – But It Did (1936), Zaza (1939), and A New Kind of Love (1963).

La Rue went from high school to his first acting job in Otis Skinner's road company production of Blood and Sand.

According to La Rue, while appearing in Mae West's play Diamond Lil, he was spotted by Howard Hawks, who offered him a part in the film Scarface (1932), starring Paul Muni.

[3] Later, however, Raft turned down the role of the despicable villain in The Story of Temple Drake (1933), fearing it would damage his screen image, so the part went to La Rue.

However, director Frank Borzage atypically cast him as a priest in the 1932 version of A Farewell to Arms simply because, according to newspaper columnist Hubbard Keavy, he was "tired of seeing conventional characters".

[2] La Rue stated he turned down a role in The Godfather (1972) and many parts in the television series The Untouchables because of the way they portrayed Italian-Americans.

[6] La Rue died of a heart attack at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.