Barry Sullivan (actor)
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Patrick Barry Sullivan (August 29, 1912 – June 6, 1994) was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s, notably ''
The Bad and the Beautiful ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' is a 1952 American melodrama that tells the story of a film producer who alienates everyone around him. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by George Bradshaw (writer), George Bradshaw and Charles Sch ...
'' opposite
Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...
.
Ronald Bergan Ronald Bergan (né Ginsberg, 2 November 1937 – 23 July 2020) was a South African-born British writer and historian. He was contributor to ''The Guardian'' (from 1989) and lecturer on film and other subjects as well as the author (or co-author) ...
wrote in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' in 1994: "Second division Hollywood actors like Barry Sullivan ... are usually faintly praised for being reliable or solid. However, when given the chance, Sullivan was a powerful, often baleful presence on screen, providing more pleasure than many more touted stars. "Bergan, Ronald (June 10, 1994). "Personal: Highlighting the dark side Obituary: Barry Sullivan". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'': London.


Biography


Early years

Born in New York City, Sullivan was a law student at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
and
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
. He fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football. He was later a department store buyer.


Career


Broadway stage, film shorts and radio

Sullivan's first appearance on Broadway was in ''I Want a Policeman'' in 1936. That year he was also in R.C. Sheriff's ''St Helena''. Sullivan appeared in shorts such as ''Strike! You're Out'' (1936), ''Broker's Follies'' (1937), ''Dime a Dance'' (1937) (alongside
Imogene Coca Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on ''Your Show of Shows''. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and wishe ...
,
June Allyson June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress, dancer, and singer. Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She sign ...
and
Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...
), ''Dates and Nuts'' (1937), and ''Hi-Ho Hollywood'' (1937). He returned to Broadway with roles in ''All That Glitters'' (1938) and ''Eye on the Sparrow'' (1938) (with a young
Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...
). He received attention when he joined the cast of the long running ''
The Man Who Came to Dinner ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' is a comedy play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of N ...
'' (1939) as Bert Jefferson. He was also in ''Mr Big'' (1941), ''Ring Around Elizabeth'' (1941) and ''Johnny 2 X 4'' (1942). Sullivan appeared with Bette Davis on stage in 1960 in '' The World of Carl Sandburg'' as a substitute for her husband
Gary Merrill Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of television guest appearances. He starr ...
. In 1950, Sullivan replaced
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
in the role of
Leslie Charteris Leslie Charteris (born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, 12 May 1907 – 15 April 1993), was a British-Chinese author of adventure fiction, as well as a screenwriter.Simon Templar ''The Saint'' is the nickname of the fictional character Simon Templar, featured in a series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books un ...
on the
NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the NBC Blue Network it was one of the first t ...
show ''
The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
''. Sullivan lasted only two episodes before the show was cancelled.


Movies

Sullivan had a small role in the Universal serial ''
The Green Hornet Strikes Again! ''The Green Hornet Strikes Again!'' is a 1941 Universal black-and-white 15 chapter movie serial based on ''The Green Hornet'' radio series by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. It is a sequel to Universal's earlier serial ''The Green Hornet'' ...
'' (1941). Sullivan had a supporting part in ''
High Explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
'' (1943) for
Pine-Thomas Productions Pine-Thomas Productions was a prolific B-picture unit of Paramount Pictures from 1940–1957, producing 81 films. Co-producers William H. Pine (February 15, 1896 – April 29, 1955) and William C. Thomas (August 11, 1903 – April 2, 1984) were kno ...
, who released through Paramount, and he was the second male lead in ''
The Woman of the Town ''The Woman of the Town'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Aeneas MacKenzie. The film stars Claire Trevor, Albert Dekker, Barry Sullivan, Henry Hull, Porter Hall, Percy Kilbride and Clem Bevans. The ...
'' (1943) with
Claire Trevor Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...
. He was signed to a long term contract by Paramount, who gave him a good support role in an "A" film, the musical ''
Lady in the Dark ''Lady in the Dark'' is a musical with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book and direction by Moss Hart. It was produced by Sam Harris. The protagonist, Liza Elliott, is the unhappy female editor of a fictional fashion magazine ...
'' (1944) with
Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
. He supported
Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the '' Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing ...
in '' Rainbow Island'' (1944) and Alan Ladd and
Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...
in ''
And Now Tomorrow ''And Now Tomorrow'' is a 1944 American drama film based on the best-selling novel, published in 1942 by Rachel Field, directed by Irving Pichel and written by Raymond Chandler. Both center around one doctor's attempt for curing deafness. The fil ...
'' (1944), and was one of many Paramount names in ''
Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio situation comedy that ran for a decade on several networks ( CBS, 1941–42; NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The program often featured ...
'' (1945). He supported
Dennis O'Keefe Dennis O'Keefe (born Edward Vanes Flanagan, Jr., March 29, 1908 – August 31, 1968) was an American actor and writer. Early years Born in Fort Madison, Iowa, O'Keefe was the son of Edward Flanagan and Charlotte Flanagan, Irish vaudevill ...
and
Marie McDonald Marie McDonald (born Cora Marie Frye, July 6, 1923 – October 21, 1965) was an American singer and actress known as "The Body Beautiful" and later nicknamed "The Body". Early life Born in Burgin, Kentucky, McDonald was the daughter of Evert ...
in the comedy, '' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1945). Then he went to
Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
for ''
Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...
'' (1946), the most expensive film that studio had made to date, produced by the King Brothers; Sullivan was second billed to
Belita Belita Jepson-Turner (21 October 1923 – 18 December 2005), known professionally as Belita, was a British Olympic figure skater, dancer and film actress. Biography Born at Nether Wallop, Hampshire,Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...
and
Constance Bennett Constance Campbell Bennett (October 22, 1904 – July 24, 1965) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress and producer. She was a major Hollywood star during the 1920s and 1930s; during the early 1930s, she was the highest-paid ...
in '' Smart Woman'' (1948) for Bennett's company, releasing through Monogram (as Allied Artists). He received top billing for a Western from the King Brothers and Monogram, ''
Bad Men of Tombstone ''Bad Men of Tombstone'' is a 1949 American Western film from King Brothers Productions. It was co-written by Philip Yordan and stars Barry Sullivan and Broderick Crawford. King Brothers announced plans for a sequel, ''The Marshall of Tombsto ...
'' (1949). MGM signed Sullivan to a contract, and he played supporting roles in ''
Tension Tension may refer to: Science * Psychological stress * Tension (physics), a force related to the stretching of an object (the opposite of compression) * Tension (geology), a stress which stretches rocks in two opposite directions * Voltage or el ...
'' (1950), ''
The Outriders ''The Outriders'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Joel McCrea. Plot With the Civil War nearing an end, rebel soldiers Will Owen, Jesse Wallace, and Clint Priest escape from a Union stockade in Missouri. ...
'' (1950), '' Nancy Goes to Rio'' (1950), ''
A Life of Her Own ''A Life of Her Own'' is a 1950 American melodrama film directed by George Cukor and starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland. The screenplay by Isobel Lennart focuses on an aspiring model who leaves her small town in the Midwest to seek fame and ...
'' (1950), and '' Grounds for Marriage'' (1951). He was upped to leading man for ''
Cause for Alarm! ''Cause for Alarm!'' is a 1951 melodrama suspense film directed by Tay Garnett, written by Mel Dinelli and Tom Lewis, based on a story by Larry Marcus. Ellen (Loretta Young) narrates the tale of "the most terrifying day of my life", how she wa ...
'' (1951) with Young and ''
Payment on Demand ''Payment on Demand'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Bette Davis and Barry Sullivan. The screenplay by Bernhardt and Bruce Manning chronicles a marriage from its idealistic early days to its dissolution. P ...
'' (1951) with
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
at RKO but was back down the cast list for ''
Three Guys Named Mike ''Three Guys Named Mike'' is a 1951 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Jane Wyman, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, and Barry Sullivan.
'' (1951), '' Mr. Imperium'' (1951), and '' Inside Straight'' (1951). He was given top billing in '' No Questions Asked'' (1951), a role originally meant for Gable. Sullivan played the lead in a series of lower budgeted films noir: ''
Loophole A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Originally, the word meant an arrowslit, a narrow verti ...
'' (1954) for Allied Artists, ''
Playgirl ''Playgirl'' was an American magazine that featured general interest articles, lifestyle and celebrity news, in addition to nude or semi-nude men. In the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine printed monthly and was marketed mainly to women, although i ...
'' (1954) at Universal, and ''
The Miami Story ''The Miami Story'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler and Adele Jergens. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. The film features an introdu ...
'' (1954) for
Sam Katzman Sam Katzman (July 7, 1901 – August 4, 1973) was an American film producer and director. Katzman produced low-budget genre films, including serials, which had disproportionately high returns for the studios and his financial backers. Ea ...
. He went back to MGM for a support role in ''
Her Twelve Men ''Her Twelve Men'' is a 1954 American comedy drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It stars Oscar-winning Greer Garson, and was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and written by William Roberts and Laura Z. Hobson. It was based on the best-sellin ...
'' (1954). In June 1954 he returned to Broadway to replace
Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and rai ...
in ''
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own 1951 novel, ''The Caine Mutiny''. Wouk's novel covered a long stretch of time ab ...
''. He went to Paramount to support James Stewart in ''
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
'' (1955) and guested on shows like ''
General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...
'', ''
Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Sept ...
'', ''
Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS progra ...
'' and ''
Ford Star Jubilee ''Ford Star Jubilee'' is an American anthology series that originally aired monthly on Saturday nights on CBS at 9:00 P.M., E.S.T. from the fall of 1955 to the fall of 1956 (With a summer hiatus). The series was approximately 90 minutes long, broa ...
'' (reprising his ''Caine Mutiny'' performance). Sullivan was leading man to
Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
in ''
Queen Bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...
'' (1955),
Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...
in ''
Texas Lady ''Texas Lady'' is a 1955 color American Western film directed by Tim Whelan in his final film before his death in 1957, and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It stars Claudette Colbert, Barry Sullivan and Ray Collins. The film tells the story ...
'' (1955),
Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...
in ''
The Maverick Queen ''The Maverick Queen'' is a 1956 American Western film in Trucolor starring Barbara Stanwyck as the title character and Barry Sullivan as an undercover Pinkerton detective out to stop outlaws Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the Wild Bunch ...
'' (1956) and
Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...
in ''
Julie Julie may refer to: * Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day * ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhava ...
'' (1956). In 1956 he was in ''Too Late the Phalarope'' on Broadway which had a short run. He had the lead in a low budget Western ''
Dragoon Wells Massacre ''Dragoon Wells Massacre'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope DeLuxe Color Western film directed by Harold D. Schuster starring Barry Sullivan, Dennis O'Keefe, Mona Freeman and Katy Jurado. The supporting cast features Sebastian Cabot, Jack Elam a ...
'' (1957), ''
The Way to the Gold ''The Way to the Gold'' is a 1957 drama film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North, and Barry Sullivan. It was released by 20th Century-Fox. Plot Joe Mundy (Hunter) is being released from prison and an old convict ...
'' (1957), and
Sam Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made ou ...
's ''
Forty Guns ''Forty Guns'' is a 1957 American Western film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, filmed in black-and-white CinemaScope and released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan and Gene Barry. Plot In t ...
'' (1957) with Stanwyck. He was
Lana Turner Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized per ...
's leading man in '' Another Time, Another Place'' (1958) and played star roles in some films for Allied Artists, '' Wolf Larsen'' (1958), an adaptation of ''
The Sea Wolf Seawolf, Sea wolf or Sea Wolves may refer to: Animals * Sea wolf, a wolf subspecies found in the Vancouver coastal islands * Seawolf (fish), a marine fish also known as wolffish or sea wolf * A nickname of the killer whale * South American sea ...
'' where Sullivan played the title role, and ''
The Purple Gang The Purple Gang, also known as the Sugar House Gang, was a criminal mob of bootleggers and hijackers comprised predominantly of Jewish gangsters. They operated in Detroit, Michigan, during the 1920s of the Prohibition era and came to be Detr ...
'' (1959), a gangster film. His last film was '' The Last Straw'' in 1987.


Television

In the 1953-1954 television season, Sullivan appeared with other celebrities as a musical judge on ''Jukebox Jury''. His first starring television role was a syndicated adaptation of the radio series ''
The Man Called X ''The Man Called X'' is an espionage radio drama that aired on CBS and NBC from July 10, 1944, to May 20, 1952. The radio series was later adapted for television and was broadcast for one season, 1956–1957. People Herbert Marshall had the lead ...
'' for Ziv Television in 1956-1957 as secret agent Ken Thurston. In the 1957-1958 season, Sullivan starred in the adventure/drama television series ''
Harbormaster A harbourmaster (or harbormaster, see spelling differences) is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct opera ...
''. He played a commercial ship's captain, David Scott, and Paul Burke played his partner Jeff Kittridge in five episodes of the series, which aired first on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
and then
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
under the revised title ''Adventure at Scott Island''. He directed some episodes as well as episodes of ''
Highway Patrol A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...
'', which was made by Ziv, who did ''Harbourmaster''. He continued to make guest appearances on shows like ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'', '' Pursuit'', ''
Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...
'', ''
The DuPont Show with June Allyson ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961. The series was ...
'', ''
The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the U.S. Steel, United States Steel Corpor ...
'' and ''
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television ...
'', and he was in a TV adaptation of '' My Three Angels''. Barry Sullivan starred in a western TV show, The Tall Man ...(1960-1962) Sullivan starred in the television series ''
The Road West The Road West is an American television Western series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1966, to May 1, 1967. Overview Ben Pride moves with his children Timothy, Midge, and Kip, his new wife Elizabeth, his father Tom, and his brother-in-law C ...
'', as family patriarch Ben Pride. He guest starred on '' Mission: Impossible'', ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
'', ''
Garrison's Gorillas ''Garrison's Gorillas'' is an American Broadcasting Company, ABC Television program, TV series originally broadcast from 1967 to 1968; a total of 26 hour-long episodes were produced. It was inspired by the 1967 film ''The Dirty Dozen'', which fea ...
'', ''
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...
'', ''
That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...
'', and '' It Takes a Thief''. Barry Sullivan also appeared in the first season of Barnaby Jones; episode titled, "A Little Glory, A Little Death" which initially aired April 29, 1973. He has two stars on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
: one at 1500 Vine St. for his work in television, and another at 6160 Hollywood Blvd. for motion pictures.


Personal life

Sullivan was a Democratic Party activist and an advocate for the mentally disabled. He was married three times and had three children. Marie Brown (married 1937, divorced 1957), a Broadway actress, was mother to both Jenny and John Sullivan. He married model and actress
Gita Hall Gita Hall (6 September 1933 – 13 August 2016) was a Swedish-American model and actress who was the second wife of actor Barry Sullivan and a member of the jet set in the 1950s and 1960s. Early years Hall was born Birgitta Wetterhall in Link ...
in 1958, and they were divorced June 1961. The couple's daughter, Patsy, became the youngest model ever, at 12 years old, to sign a contract with a cosmetic company. Patsy provided her parents with six grandchildren via her romance and marriage to songwriter
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst ...
. Sullivan's third marriage to Desiree Sumara produced no children and ended in divorce in 1965. Sullivan's last public romance was with actress Irene Kelly. His daughter Jenny Sullivan wrote the play ''J for J'' (''Journals for John'') after she found a packet of unsent letters (in 1995) written by Barry decades earlier to her older brother Johnny, who was mentally disabled. The play premiered on October 20, 2001.
John Ritter Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor. Ritter was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is known for playing Jack Tripper on the ...
, who in real life had a handicapped brother, played Johnny, Jenny played herself, and actor
Jeff Kober Jeff Kober (born December 18, 1953) is an American actor, known for his television roles as Dodger in ''China Beach'', Jacob Hale Jr. in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Joe in the fourth season of '' The Walking Dead''. He is also known his movie role ...
portrayed Sullivan.


Death

Sullivan died at age 81 of
respiratory failure Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a rise ...
on June 6, 1994.


Partial filmography

*''
The Green Hornet Strikes Again! ''The Green Hornet Strikes Again!'' is a 1941 Universal black-and-white 15 chapter movie serial based on ''The Green Hornet'' radio series by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. It is a sequel to Universal's earlier serial ''The Green Hornet'' ...
'' (1940) as Thug in Back Seat *''
High Explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
'' (1943) as Mike Douglas *''
The Woman of the Town ''The Woman of the Town'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Aeneas MacKenzie. The film stars Claire Trevor, Albert Dekker, Barry Sullivan, Henry Hull, Porter Hall, Percy Kilbride and Clem Bevans. The ...
'' (1943) as King Kennedy *''
Lady in the Dark ''Lady in the Dark'' is a musical with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book and direction by Moss Hart. It was produced by Sam Harris. The protagonist, Liza Elliott, is the unhappy female editor of a fictional fashion magazine ...
'' (1944) as Dr. Brooks *'' Rainbow Island'' (1944) as Ken Masters *''
And Now Tomorrow ''And Now Tomorrow'' is a 1944 American drama film based on the best-selling novel, published in 1942 by Rachel Field, directed by Irving Pichel and written by Raymond Chandler. Both center around one doctor's attempt for curing deafness. The fil ...
'' (1944) as Jeff Stoddard *''
Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio situation comedy that ran for a decade on several networks ( CBS, 1941–42; NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The program often featured ...
'' (1945) as Danny Murphy *'' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1945) as Ted Dalton *''
Suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...
'' (1946) as Joe Morgan *'' Framed'' (1947) as Steve Price *'' The Gangster'' (1947) as Shubunka *'' Smart Woman'' (1948) as Frank McCoy *''
Bad Men of Tombstone ''Bad Men of Tombstone'' is a 1949 American Western film from King Brothers Productions. It was co-written by Philip Yordan and stars Barry Sullivan and Broderick Crawford. King Brothers announced plans for a sequel, ''The Marshall of Tombsto ...
'' (1949) as Tom Horn *'' Any Number Can Play'' (1949) as Tycoon *''
The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts First-person narrative, first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious mil ...
'' (1949) as Tom Buchanan *''
Tension Tension may refer to: Science * Psychological stress * Tension (physics), a force related to the stretching of an object (the opposite of compression) * Tension (geology), a stress which stretches rocks in two opposite directions * Voltage or el ...
'' (1950) as Lt. Collier Bonnabel *''
The Outriders ''The Outriders'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Roy Rowland and starring Joel McCrea. Plot With the Civil War nearing an end, rebel soldiers Will Owen, Jesse Wallace, and Clint Priest escape from a Union stockade in Missouri. ...
'' (1950) as Jesse Wallace *'' Nancy Goes to Rio'' (1950) as Paul Berten *''
A Life of Her Own ''A Life of Her Own'' is a 1950 American melodrama film directed by George Cukor and starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland. The screenplay by Isobel Lennart focuses on an aspiring model who leaves her small town in the Midwest to seek fame and ...
'' (1950) as Lee Gorrance *'' Grounds for Marriage'' (1951) as Chris Bartlett *''
Payment on Demand ''Payment on Demand'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Bette Davis and Barry Sullivan. The screenplay by Bernhardt and Bruce Manning chronicles a marriage from its idealistic early days to its dissolution. P ...
'' (1951) as David Anderson Ramsey *''
Three Guys Named Mike ''Three Guys Named Mike'' is a 1951 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Jane Wyman, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, and Barry Sullivan.
'' (1951) as Mike Tracy *'' Inside Straight'' (1951) as Johnny Sanderson *'' Mr. Imperium'' (1951) as Paul Hunter *''
Cause for Alarm! ''Cause for Alarm!'' is a 1951 melodrama suspense film directed by Tay Garnett, written by Mel Dinelli and Tom Lewis, based on a story by Larry Marcus. Ellen (Loretta Young) narrates the tale of "the most terrifying day of my life", how she wa ...
'' (1951) as George Z. Jones *'' No Questions Asked'' (1951) as Steve Keiver *''
The Unknown Man ''The Unknown Man'' is a 1951 American courtroom drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Walter Pidgeon, Ann Harding and Barry Sullivan. Plot Defense attorney Dwight Bradley Masen ( Walter Pidgeon) is successful in seeking the acqui ...
'' (1951) as Joe Bucknor *''
Skirts Ahoy! ''Skirts Ahoy!'' is a 1952 MGM musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Esther Williams, Vivian Blaine and Joan Evans. It was shot in Technicolor. The film follows the adventures of several women who join the WAVES with sequences fil ...
'' (1952) as Lt. Cmdr. Paul Elcott *''
The Bad and the Beautiful ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' is a 1952 American melodrama that tells the story of a film producer who alienates everyone around him. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by George Bradshaw (writer), George Bradshaw and Charles Sch ...
'' (1952) as Fred Amiel *''
Jeopardy ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
'' (1953) as Doug Stilwin *''
Cry of the Hunted ''Cry of the Hunted'' is a 1953 American crime film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis. The drama features Vittorio Gassman, Barry Sullivan and Polly Bergen. Plot An obsessive lawman (Barry Sullivan) who works for the state chases an escaped fug ...
'' (1953) as Lt. Tunner *'' A Slight Case of Larceny'' (1953) as Radio Stock Quoter (voice, uncredited) *''
China Venture ''China Venture'' is a 1953 American adventure war film directed by Don Siegel. The plot concerns an American patrol sent into South China during World War II to rescue an important prisoner held by Chinese guerrillas. Plot Cast *Edmond O'Bri ...
'' (1953) as Cmdr. Bert Thompson *''
Loophole A loophole is an ambiguity or inadequacy in a system, such as a law or security, which can be used to circumvent or otherwise avoid the purpose, implied or explicitly stated, of the system. Originally, the word meant an arrowslit, a narrow verti ...
'' (1954) as Mike Donovan *''
Playgirl ''Playgirl'' was an American magazine that featured general interest articles, lifestyle and celebrity news, in addition to nude or semi-nude men. In the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine printed monthly and was marketed mainly to women, although i ...
'' (1954) as Mike Marsh *''
The Miami Story ''The Miami Story'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler and Adele Jergens. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. The film features an introdu ...
'' (1954) as Mick Flagg aka Mike Pierce *''
Her Twelve Men ''Her Twelve Men'' is a 1954 American comedy drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It stars Oscar-winning Greer Garson, and was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and written by William Roberts and Laura Z. Hobson. It was based on the best-sellin ...
'' (1954) as Richard Y. Oliver, Sr. *''
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
'' (1955) as Lt. Col. Rocky Samford *''
Queen Bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...
'' (1955) as Avery Phillips *''
Texas Lady ''Texas Lady'' is a 1955 color American Western film directed by Tim Whelan in his final film before his death in 1957, and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It stars Claudette Colbert, Barry Sullivan and Ray Collins. The film tells the story ...
'' (1955) as Chris Mooney *''
The Maverick Queen ''The Maverick Queen'' is a 1956 American Western film in Trucolor starring Barbara Stanwyck as the title character and Barry Sullivan as an undercover Pinkerton detective out to stop outlaws Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the Wild Bunch ...
'' (1956) as Jeff Younger *''
Julie Julie may refer to: * Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day * ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhava ...
'' (1956) as Cliff Henderson *''
Forty Guns ''Forty Guns'' is a 1957 American Western film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, filmed in black-and-white CinemaScope and released by the 20th Century Fox studio. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan and Gene Barry. Plot In t ...
'' (1957) as Griff Bonell *''
The Way to the Gold ''The Way to the Gold'' is a 1957 drama film directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North, and Barry Sullivan. It was released by 20th Century-Fox. Plot Joe Mundy (Hunter) is being released from prison and an old convict ...
'' (1957) as Marshal Hannibal *''
Dragoon Wells Massacre ''Dragoon Wells Massacre'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope DeLuxe Color Western film directed by Harold D. Schuster starring Barry Sullivan, Dennis O'Keefe, Mona Freeman and Katy Jurado. The supporting cast features Sebastian Cabot, Jack Elam a ...
'' (1957) as Link Ferris *'' Another Time, Another Place'' (1958) as Carter Reynolds *'' Wolf Larsen'' (1958) as Wolf Larsen *''
The Purple Gang The Purple Gang, also known as the Sugar House Gang, was a criminal mob of bootleggers and hijackers comprised predominantly of Jewish gangsters. They operated in Detroit, Michigan, during the 1920s of the Prohibition era and came to be Detr ...
'' (1959) as Police Lt. William P. Harley *''
Seven Ways from Sundown ''Seven Ways from Sundown'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by Harry Keller and starring Audie Murphy and Barry Sullivan. It is based on the novel of the same name by Clair Huffaker, who also wrote the script. Young cast member Teddy R ...
'' (1960) as Jim Flood *'' Light in the Piazza'' (1962) as Noel Johnson *'' A Gathering of Eagles'' (1963) as Col. Bill Fowler *'' Pyro... The Thing Without a Face'' (1964) as Vance Pierson *'' Man in the Middle'' (1964) as Gen. Kempton *''
Stage to Thunder Rock ''Stage to Thunder Rock'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by William F. Claxton, written by Charles A. Wallace, and featuring Barry Sullivan, Marilyn Maxwell, Scott Brady, Lon Chaney Jr., Keenan Wynn, Anne Seymour, John Agar, Wanda ...
'' (1964) as Sheriff Horne *''
My Blood Runs Cold ''My Blood Runs Cold'' is a 1965 American neo noir dark thriller film starring Troy Donahue, Joey Heatherton and Barry Sullivan. It was directed by William Conrad. It was the second of three thrillers Conrad made for Warner Bros. A young woman fa ...
'' (1965) as Julian Merriday *''
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
'' (1965) as Marino Bello *''
Planet of the Vampires ''Planet of the Vampires'' ( it, Terrore nello Spazio, lit=Terror in Space) is a 1965 Italian-Spanish science fiction horror film, produced by Fulvio Lucisano, directed by Mario Bava, that stars Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell. The screenplay ...
'' (1965) as Capt. Mark Markary *''
The Poppy Is Also a Flower ''The Poppy Is Also a Flower'' is a 1966 American-French-Austrian made-for-television spy and anti-drug film. It was originally made under the auspices of the United Nations as part of a series of television specials designed to promote the org ...
'' (1966) as Chasen *''
That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...
'' (1966, TV Series) as Himself *''
Intimacy An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...
'' (1966) as Walter Nicholson *'' An American Dream'' (1966) as Police Lt. G. Roberts *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1967) as Alex Lowell *'' Buckskin'' (1968) as Chaddock *''
How to Steal the World ''How To Steal the World'' is a 1968 American Action film, action–adventure film, taken from a two-part episode of the TV series ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin ...
'' (1968) as Dr. Robert Kingsley *'' It Takes All Kinds'' (1969) as Orville Benton *'' Shark!'' (1969) as Prof. Dan Mallare *''
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here ''Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here'' is a 1969 American Western film based on the true story of a Chemehuevi–Paiute Native American named Willie Boy and his run-in with the law in 1909 in Banning, California, United States. The film is an adap ...
'' (1969) as Ray Calvert *'' The Arrangement'' (1969) as Chet Collier (uncredited) *'' The Immortal'' (1969–1970, TV Series) as Jordan Braddock *''
The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in ...
'' (1970) as Dan Casement *''
Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
'' (1972) pilot movie, as Dillon *''
Savage Savage may refer to: Places Antarctica * Savage Glacier, Ellsworth Land * Savage Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Savage Ridge, Victoria Land United States * Savage, Maryland, an unincorporated community * Savage, Minnesota, a city * Savage, Mi ...
'' (1973) as Judge Daniel Stern *''
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason ...
'' (1973) as Chisum *''
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
'' (1974) as Hank Stoddard *''
Earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
'' (1974) as Stockle *''
Take a Hard Ride ''Take a Hard Ride'' is a 1975 Italian-American Spaghetti Western film directed by Anthony Dawson and starring Jim Brown, Lee Van Cleef, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly. This was the second of three films Brown, Williamson, and Kelly would star i ...
'' (1975) as Kane *''
The 'Human' Factor ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1975) as Edmonds *''
Violent Naples ''Violent Naples'' ( it, Napoli violenta) is a 1976 ''poliziottesco'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi. It starred Maurizio Merli, John Saxon and Barry Sullivan, and was the first sequel to ''Violent Rome''. Saxon appeared in several such movies. Pl ...
'' (1976) as 'O' Generale *''Survival'' (1976) as Barry *''Grand Jury'' (1976) as Don Bentine *'' Oh, God!'' (1977) as Bishop Reardon *''The Washington Affair'' (1977) as Walter Nicholson *'' The Bastard'' (1978) as Abraham Ware *'' Caravans'' (1978) as Richardson *''The Last Straw'' (1987) (final film role)


Radio appearances

In 1950 Barry Sullivan filled in for Vincent Price (delayed in Paris) as The Saint (The Ghost that Giggled, Sept 17, 1950)


References


External links

* * *
Barry Sullivan as The Saint
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Barry 1912 births 1994 deaths Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male stage actors American male radio actors Temple University alumni New York University School of Law alumni 20th-century American male actors Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Western (genre) television actors