tall, dark, and handsome

Supposedly what a woman wants in a man’s appearance. This standard description of the romantic hero found in women’s fiction of the first half of the 1900s was given further currency by the 1941 film, Tall, Dark, and Handsome. It starred dark-haired, good-looking Cesar Romero as an underworld boss who is really a softie at heart. See also strong silent type.