Barbara Ann Brown (October 18, 1901 – July 7, 1975) was an American actress.

Early life

Barbara Brown was born in 1901 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, to Selma C. (née Teutschmann) and Edward Brown. Her mother was the daughter of German immigrants.

Career

Brown began acting on the stage in California. In 1922, she had leading roles in

Oliver Morosco Oliver Morosco (June 20, 1875 – August 25, 1945) was an American theatrical producer, director, writer, film producer, and theater owner. He owned the Morosco Photoplay Company. He brought many of his theater actors to the screen. Frank A. Garb ...

's productions ''Wait Till We're Married'' and ''

Abie's Irish Rose ''Abie's Irish Rose'' is a popular comedy by Anne Nichols, which premiered in 1922. Initially a Broadway play, it has become familiar through repeated stage productions, films and radio programs. The basic premise involves an Irish Catholic girl ...

''. She went on to act in

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

plays such as ''Relations'' (1928), ''Mother Lode'' (1934), ''Play, Genius, Play!'' (1935), ''Behind Red Lights'' (1937), ''Sun Kissed'' (1937), ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...

'' (1938), and ''Liberty Jones'' (1941). Brown began appearing in films in the early 1940s. She played Mrs. Delfina Acuña, the mother of

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

's character, in ''

You Were Never Lovelier ''You Were Never Lovelier'' is a 1942 American musical romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. The supporting cast also features Adolphe Menjou, Xavier Cugat and Adele Mara. The music was com ...

'' (1942), starring

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

and Hayworth. In 1944, she was cast in '' Janie'' and ''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servi ...

''. She and Ray Collins played

Ma and Pa Kettle Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by Universal Studios, in the late 1940s and 1950s. The hillbilly duo had their hands full with a ramshackle farm and a brood of rambunctious child ...

's in-laws in the comedies ''

Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm ''Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick. It is the third installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. It was also the last ...

'' (1951) and ''

Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation ''Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation'' is a 1953 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the sixth installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot In May 1953, Ma and ...

'' (1953). She had a supporting role in the

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

comedy ''

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...

'' (1952).

Personal life and death

She married Forrest Taylor Jr., son of actor

Forrest Taylor Edwin Forrest Taylor (December 29, 1883 – February 19, 1965) was an American character actor whose artistic career spanned six different decades, from silents through talkies to the advent of color films. Early years Taylor was born in Bl ...

, in 1939 in New York City. Taylor died in 1968. Brown died on July 7, 1975, in Los Angeles, aged 73, from undisclosed causes. Both were interred at

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills is one of the six Forest Lawn cemeteries in Southern California. It is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068, in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Histor ...

.Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

References

External links

* * *
1922 photograph of Barbara Brown
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Barbara 1901 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses American people of German descent Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)