Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass, June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films ''

The Atomic City ''The Atomic City'' is a 1952 thriller film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Gene Barry and Lydia Clarke. The story takes place at Los Alamos, New Mexico, where a nuclear physicist (Barry) lives and works. Terrorists kidnap his son and ...

'' (1952) and ''

The War of The Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' (1953) and for his portrayal of the title characters in the TV series ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'' and '' Burke's Law'', among many roles.

Early life

Barry was born Eugene Klass on June 14, 1919, in New York City, the son of Eva (née Conn) and Martin Klass; all of his grandparents were

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish immigrants from Russia. Barry grew up in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

and attended

New Utrecht High School New Utrecht High School is a public high school located in Bensonhurst, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The school is operated by the New York City Department of Education under District 20, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. It is one of ...

. Barry exhibited early artistic skills with singing and playing violin as a child and later spent two years at the Chatham Square School of Music in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

on a scholarship awarded for his vocal ability.

Career

Barry chose his

professional name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

in honor of

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

and made his

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 ...

debut as Captain Paul Duval in the 1942 revival of

Sigmund Romberg Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly '' The Student Prince'' (1924), '' The Desert Song'' (1926) and '' The New Moon'' (1928). E ...

's ''

The New Moon ''The New Moon'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. The show was the third in a string of Broadway hits for Romberg (after ''The Student Prince'' (1924) ...

''. He later portrayed Falke in ''Rosalinda'' (1942), Nova Kovich in ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...

'' (1943), Lieutenant Bunin in ''

Catherine Was Great ''Catherine Was Great'' is a 1944 play written by and starring Mae West. The play was a dramatisation of the life of the Russian monarch Catherine the Great. The play ran for 191 performances and then went on tour. It was produced by theater and f ...

'' (1944), Dorante and Comte De Chateau-Gaillard in ''

The Would-Be Gentleman ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (, translated as ''The Bourgeois Gentleman'', ''The Middle-Class Aristocrat'', or ''The Would-Be Noble'') is a five-act '' comédie-ballet'' – a play intermingled with music, dance and singing – written by Moliè ...

'' (1946), The Doctor in ''Happy as Larry'' (1950), and played a variety of roles in the musical revue ''Bless You All'' (1950). In 1950 Barry began appearing on television with the '' NBC Television Opera Theatre''. In 1955 he appeared on the CBS Television

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

''Appointment with Adventure''. In 1951 Barry was hired for his first movie, in the role of Dr. Frank Addison in ''

'' (1952). In 1953 he was cast as Dr. Clayton Forrester in the science fiction film ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' (1953). (Much later, Barry also made a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

's remake of ''

War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...

'' (2005), along with his co-star

Ann Robinson Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1929) is a former American actress and stunt horse rider, perhaps best known for her work in the science-fiction classic ''The War of the Worlds'' (1953) and in the 1954 film '' Dragnet'', in which she starred as a L ...

from the film of 1953.) Gene Barry Bat Masterson 1958

When the situation comedy ''

Our Miss Brooks ''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became one of the medi ...

'' was given a change of format in 1955, Barry was cast in a recurring role as the physical education teacher Gene Talbot, the new romantic interest of series star

Eve Arden Eve Arden (born Eunice Mary Quedens, April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an American film, radio, stage and television actress. She performed in leading and supporting roles for nearly six decades. Beginning her film career in 1929 ...

. The show was canceled in 1956, but Barry's character—a ladies' man with expensive tastes—served as the model for three shows in which he later starred. ''Bat Masterson'', a fictionalized recounting of the life of the real-life

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

, gambler, and gunman ( Masterson's life as a writer and bon vivant occurred long after the time-frame featured in the series) was broadcast by

NBC-TV The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

from 1958 to 1961. (In 1990 Barry recreated the role of

for two episodes of ''

Guns of Paradise ''Paradise'' (later renamed ''Guns of Paradise'') is an American Western family television series, broadcast by CBS from October 27, 1988 to May 10, 1991. Created by David Jacobs and Robert Porter, the series presents the adventures of fictit ...

'' along with

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–196 ...

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which law ...

and the following year in '' The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw'', also with O'Brian as

.) In his next TV series, '' Burke's Law'', Barry played a millionaire homicide investigator who was chauffeured in his Rolls-Royce as he solved crimes. This series was broadcast on ABC-TV from September 20, 1963, to May 5, 1965. For his performance in it, Barry won the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Actor in 1965. In 1965–66, the final season of the series, the title of the show changed to ''Amos Burke, Secret Agent''. In 1994 a revival of the '' Burke's Law'' series returned to television for two seasons 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 ...

. Barry again played in the title role, this time as a widower working with his son Peter ( Peter Barton). According to his co-star

Gary Conway Gary Conway (born February 4, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. His notable credits include a co-starring role with Gene Barry in the detective series '' Burke's Law'' from 1963 to 1965. In addition, he starred in the Irwin Allen sci ...

, who played Det. Tilson in the original series, the two had a lot of fun, on and off camera, despite having some difficulties with each other. After Conway left the show, he remained friends with Barry until his acting mentor's death. Name of the Game cast 1968

Barry's third TV series was '' The Name of the Game'', in which he played the sophisticated publisher of a family of magazines, and was one of three lead characters. The other two lead actors were

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...

and

Tony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

, who rotated with Barry week by week as the primary character in each week's program. This series was shown by NBC from 1968 to 1971. One of the magazines that Barry's character published was called ''People'', several years before the actual ''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'' began publication. Shortly before the filming of ''The Name of the Game'' series began, Barry played the villain—a wealthy psychiatrist—in ''Prescription: Murder'', the two-hour TV movie that became the precursor of the TV series ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

.'' In 1972, Barry starred in the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

television series '' The Adventurer'', along with

Barry Morse Herbert Morse (10 June 19182 February 2008), known professionally as Barry Morse, was a British-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio, best known for his roles in the ABC television series '' The Fugitive'' and the British sci-fi drama '' ...

and

Catherine Schell Catherine Schell (born Katherina ''Freiin'' Schell von Bauschlott, 17 July 1944) is a Hungarian-born actress who came to prominence in British film and television productions from the 1960s. Her notable roles include the Bond girl Nancy in '' ...

. He played Gene Bradley, a government agent of independent means who posed as a glamorous American movie star. Barry returned to Broadway acting on two occasions—in 1962 in ''The Perfect Setup'' and in 1983 in the Broadway premiere of the musical '' La Cage aux Folles''. Barry was nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

for his portrayal of Georges in ''Cage''. For his contribution to live theatre, Gene Barry received a star 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 ...

at 6555 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1975 Barry bought a home in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

. A Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him in 1994.

Personal life

On October 22, 1944, at age 25, Barry married Betty Claire Kalb (1923–2003), whom he met on the set of ''Catherine Was Great''. Kalb was an actress known by the stage name Julie Carson.

Death

Barry died on December 9, 2009 at Sunrise Senior Living in Woodland Hills, California, at the age of 90. He was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...

, with his wife Betty, who died in 2003.''Distinguished Residents of Hillside Memorial Park''

Filmography

* ''

'' (1952) – Dr. Frank Addison * ''

'' (1953) – Dr. Clayton Forrester * ''

The Girls of Pleasure Island ''The Girls of Pleasure Island'' is a 1953 Technicolor comedy film directed by Alvin Ganzer and F. Hugh Herbert. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert is based on the novel ''Pleasure Island'' by former Marine William Maier. The original music score ...

'' (1953) – Capt. Beaton * ''

Those Redheads From Seattle ''Those Redheads from Seattle'' is a 1953 American musical western film produced in 3-D directed by Lewis R. Foster and starring Rhonda Fleming, Gene Barry and Agnes Moorehead, and released by Paramount Pictures. It was the first 3-D musical. Pl ...

'' (1953, filmed in 3-D) – Johnny Kisco * ''

Alaska Seas ''Alaska Seas'' is a 1954 American crime film noir directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Robert Ryan and Brian Keith. The supporting cast features Jan Sterling, Gene Barry and Aaron Spelling. The picture is a loose remake of the 1938 film '' Sp ...

'' (1954) – Verne Williams * '' Red Garters'' (1954) – Rafael Moreno * ''

Naked Alibi ''Naked Alibi'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame and Gene Barry. It was released on October 1, 1954 by Universal-International. Portions of the film were shot in Tijuan ...

'' (1954) – Al Willis * '' Soldier of Fortune'' (1955) – Louis Hoyt * '' The Purple Mask'' (1955) – Capt. Charles Laverne * ''

The Houston Story ''The Houston Story'' is a 1956 American crime film noir directed by William Castle and starring Gene Barry, Barbara Hale and Edward Arnold. Plot Frank Duncan (Barry), a shrewd oil driller from Galveston, Texas, conceives a plan to sneakily sip ...

'' (1956) – Frank Duncan * ''

Back from Eternity ''Back from Eternity'' is a 1956 American drama film about a planeload of people stranded in the South American jungle and subsequently menaced by headhunters. The film stars Robert Ryan, Rod Steiger, Anita Ekberg and Gene Barry. The film is a ...

'' (1956) – Jud Ellis * '' China Gate'' (1957) – Sgt. Brock * ''

The 27th Day ''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 ...

'' (1957) – Jonathan Clark * ''

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) – Wes Bonell * '' Thunder Road'' (1958) – Troy Barrett * '' Hong Kong Confidential'' (1958) – Agent Casey Reed * ''

Maroc 7 ''Maroc 7'' is a 1967 British thriller film directed by Gerry O'Hara and starring Gene Barry, Elsa Martinelli, Leslie Phillips and Denholm Elliott. The screenplay concerns an international jewel thief who hatches a plan to go to Morocco and ste ...

'' (1967) – Simon Grant * '' Subterfuge'' (1968) – Michael A. Donovan * ''

The Second Coming of Suzanne ''The Second Coming of Suzanne'' (also known as ''Suzanne'') is a 1974 American drama film directed by Michael Barry. It stars Jared Martin as an obsessed San Francisco indie film maker who hires a beautiful young woman called Suzanne (played by S ...

'' (1974) – Jackson Sinclair, the TV Commentator * '' Guyana: Crime of the Century'' (1979) – Congressman Leo Ryan * ''

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

'' (1983) – R.J. Gordon * ''

'' (2005) – Grandfather (final film role)

Television credits

* ''

Science Fiction Theatre ''Science Fiction Theatre'' was an American science fiction anthology television series that was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv and originally aired in syndication. It premiered on April 9, 1955 and ended on April 6, 1957, with a total of ...

'' (1955) – Joe Ferguson * ''

'' (1955–1956) – Gene Talbot * ''

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 ...

'' (1955–1958) * ''

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 ...

'' – ''Ain't No Time for Glory'' (1957) – Lt. Roy Koalton * ''

The Walter Winchell File ''The Walter Winchell File'' is a television crime drama series that initially aired from 1957 to 1958, dramatizing cases from the New York City Police Department that were covered in the ''New York Daily Mirror''. The series featured columnist an ...

'' "The Witness" (1957) – Billy Peterson * ''

'' (1958–1961) – Bat Masterson * ''

Pete and Gladys ''Pete and Gladys'' is an American sitcom television series starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams that aired on CBS on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was b ...

'' as himself in "Crossed Wires" (1961) – Himself * '' Burke's Law'' (

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

–1966) – Amos Burke, Secret Agent / Snooky Martinelli * '' Columbo: Prescription: Murder'' (1968) * ' (1968) – Michael London * '' The Name of the Game'' (1968–1971) – Glenn Howard / Will Manning * ''Do You Take This Stranger?'' (1971) – Murray Jarvis * ''The Devil and Miss Sarah'' (1971) – Rankin * '' The Adventurer'' (1972–1973) – Gene Bradley * ''Ransom for Alice!'' (1977) – Harry Darew * ''Aspen'' (1977) (miniseries) – Carl Osborne * ''

The Feather and Father Gang ''The Feather and Father Gang'' is a 1976–1977 American crime-drama television series starring Stefanie Powers and Harold Gould, which centers on an attorney who enlists her con-man father and his team of bunco artists to help her solve crime ...

'' – "The Apology" (March 7, 1977) – Generalis * ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

– Angels In The Wings'' (November 23, 1977) – Frank Jason * ''A Cry for Love'' (1980) – Gordon Harris * '' The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite'' (1981) – Andrew Stovall * ''

The Adventures of Nellie Bly ''The Adventures of Nellie Bly'' is a 1981 American made-for-television drama film starring Linda Purl as 19th century journalist Nellie Bly and human rights crusader. The film was directed by Henning Schellerup. It was filmed in 1979 and aired on ...

'' (1981) – John Cockerill * ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...

'' (1982) – Ted Anderson * ''Crazy Like a Fox'' (1984-1986) – Nicholas Roland * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' (1987) – Prince of Darkness * '' Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love'' (1987) – Glenn Robertson * ''

My Secret Identity ''My Secret Identity'' is a television series starring Jerry O'Connell and Derek McGrath. Originally broadcast from October 9, 1988 to May 25, 1991 on CTV in Canada, the series also aired in syndication in the United States. It was later shown ...

'' (1988) – Fred Cooper / Captain Noble * ''Turn Back the Clock'' (1989) – John Forrest * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (1989) – Henry Reynard * '' The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw'' (1991) – Bat Masterson * '' Burke's Law'' (1994–1995) – Chief Amos Burke * ''

These Old Broads ''These Old Broads'' is a 2001 American comedy television film directed by Matthew Diamond, written by Carrie Fisher and Elaine Pope, and starring Fisher's mother Debbie Reynolds, as well as Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, and Elizabeth Taylor i ...

'' (2001) – Mr. Stern

References

External links

* * *
Gene Barry
– Daily Telegraph

obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Gene 1919 births 2009 deaths Male actors from New York City Male actors from Palm Springs, California American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors Western (genre) television actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent Jewish American male actors 20th-century American male actors Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery New York (state) Democrats California Democrats 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers New Utrecht High School alumni American Ashkenazi Jews 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews