Walter Lee Barnes (January 26, 1918 – January 6, 1998) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

guard and actor who played in

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for four seasons. He played in the (NFL) for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

and in college at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

. Barnes was an actor in both American and European films. He appeared in several films with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

Lex Barker Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably as ...

, and

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

Sports career

Barnes earned his nickname of "Piggy" from catching a piglet when a boy. Playing football at

Parkersburg High School Parkersburg High School (PHS) is a secondary school located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, United States, that serves grades nine through twelve and is part of the Wood County School District. As of the 2018-2019 West Virginia Secondary School ...

, he was on the unbeaten 1938 team and played in the 1939 North-South Game. Following military service in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a sergeant, Barnes enrolled at

(LSU) where he became not only a football player but a college

weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift Weight training#Equipment, weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various t ...

champion. Following graduation he joined the

football team as a guard before retiring and becoming a coach of football teams of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

. While playing for the Eagles, Barnes made time to help his alma mater, LSU, by spying on the practices of the

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...

team prior to the 1950 Sugar Bowl. After being caught by members of the Oklahoma football staff and

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...

residents, Barnes fled to hide in the house of a former LSU teammate, Elbert Manuel. Both Barnes and Manuel refused Oklahoma coach

Bud Wilkinson Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson (April 23, 1916 – February 9, 1994) was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of ...

's offer to present themselves for identification to clear their names. The spying incident had little to do with the outcome of the game, as Oklahoma beat LSU easily, 35–0. Barnes was inducted into the Coaches' Association Hall in June 2010.

Acting career

Barnes entered acting after appearing several times on ''The Eagles Nest'', a local Philadelphia television show.

WCAU WCAU (channel 10) is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Mount Laurel, New Jerse ...

television placed him on several local shows. His contacts with Walt Silver, a producer for

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

, led him into several appearances on television and films. Some of his more notable appearances included ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Western series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number t ...

'' and ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

''.

got him a small role as Charlie the Bartender in '' Rio Bravo''. Tiring of small roles and seeing opportunities overseas, Barnes was one of the many American actors who moved to Italy in the early 1960s.

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 ...

recommended him for a role in his '' The Vikings'' television spinoff ''Tales of the Vikings'' that was filmed for Douglas's production company in Germany. From 1960 to 1969, he was first active in pirate movies, then

Karl May film adaptations Karl May film adaptations are films based on stories and characters by German author Karl May (1842–1912). The characters Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Kara Ben Nemsi are very famous in Central Europe. In most of the film versions the novels we ...

and

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s. Barnes returned to the United States in 1969 and appeared in more films and television series, which included ''

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 ...

''. His friendship with

on '' Rawhide'' later led him to several roles in Eastwood's films. He retired from acting in 1987 and became increasingly ill due to his

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. Barnes died on January 6, 1998. He was the father of German former actress

Lara Wendel Lara may refer to: Places * Lara (state), a state in Venezuela *Electoral district of Lara, an electoral district in Victoria, Australia * Lara, Antalya, an urban district in Turkey * Lara, Victoria, a township in Australia * Lara de los In ...

, who was born Daniela Barnes.

Other acting appearances

* 1957 ''

Oregon Passage ''Oregon Passage'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Paul Landres and starring John Ericson, Lola Albright, Toni Gerry and Edward Platt. Its plot follows a clash between an army lieutenant and Shoshoni natives in the Casca ...

'' - film as Sergeant Jed Erschick * 1957 ''

'' - TV series as Chris Barlow * 1958 ''

Revolt in the Big House ''Revolt in the Big House'' is a 1958 American film noir directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Gene Evans, Robert Blake and Timothy Carey. Portions of the film were shot on location at Folsom State Prison in California. Blacklisted screen ...

'' - film as Guard Captain Starkey * 1958 ''

'' - TV as Blacksmith Gil Calvin * 1959 ''

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 ...

'' - TV as Mr. Paulson * 1959 '' Westbound'' - film as Willis, Stage Depot Cook * 1959 '' Rio Bravo'' - film as Charlie (uncredited) * 1960 ''

Under Ten Flags ''Under Ten Flags'' ( it, Sotto dieci bandiere) is a 1960 Italian-American war film directed by Duilio Coletti and starring Van Heflin, Charles Laughton, and Mylène Demongeot. It was entered into the 10th Berlin International Film Festival. Pl ...

'' - film as Unknown * 1960 '' Il carro armato dell'8 settembre'' - film as Unknown * 1960 ''

Robin Hood and the Pirates ''Robin Hood and the Pirates'' ( it, Robin Hood e i pirati) is a 1960 Italian adventure film directed by Giorgio Simonelli, and starring Lex Barker and Jackie Lane. Plot Robin Hood, the protagonist, leaves Sherwood Forest, and joins the pirates ...

'' - film as Guercio / Orbo * 1961 '' The Secret of the Black Falcon'' - film as Jack 'Calico Jack' * 1961 ''El secreto de los hombres azules'' - film as Matthias * 1961 '' Romulus and the Sabines'' - film as Stilicone * 1961 ''

Queen of the Seas ''Queen of the Seas'' ( it, Le avventure di Mary Read) is a 1961 adventure film directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Lisa Gastoni and Jerome Courtland. Plot Cast * Lisa Gastoni as Mary Read * Jerome Courtland as Peter Goodwin * Walter ...

'' - film as Captain Poof * 1961 ''

Revenge of the Conquered ''Revenge of the Conquered'' ( it, Drakut il vendicatore, literally "Drakut the Avenger") is a 1961 Italian epic adventure film directed by Luigi Capuano and starring Burt Nelson and Wandisa Guida. It grossed 244 million lire at the Italian box ...

'' - film as Unknown * 1962 ''

Avenger of the Seven Seas ''Avenger of the Seven Seas'' ( it, Il giustiziere dei mari, french: Le Boucanier des îles), also known as ''The Executioner of the Seas'', is a 1962 Italian epic adventure film directed by Domenico Paolella and starring Richard Harrison and ...

'' - film as Van Artz * 1963 ''Il segno di Zorro'' - film as Mario * 1963 ''

Captain Sindbad ''Captain Sindbad'' is a 1963 independently made fantasy and adventure film, produced by Frank King and Herman King, directed by Byron Haskin, that stars Guy Williams and Heidi Brühl. The film was shot at the Bavaria Film studios in Germany an ...

'' - film as Rolf * 1963 ''

Slave Girls of Sheba ''Slave Girls of Sheba'' ( it, Le verdi bandiere di Allah, lit=The Green Flag of Allah) is a 1963 adventure film directed by Giacomo Gentilomo and Guido Zurli. Cast * José Suárez: Omar * Linda Cristal: Olivia * Cristina Gaioni: Ursula * ...

'' - film as Unknown * 1963 ''

Apache Gold ''Apache Gold'' (german: Winnetou, later retitled to ''Winnetou – 1. Teil''), also known as ''Winnetou the Warrior'', is a 1963 Western film directed by Harald Reinl. It is based on the story of Winnetou, a fictional Native-American Apache he ...

'' as Bill Jones * 1964 '' Revenge of the Musketeers'' as Porthos * 1964 ''

Among Vultures ''Among Vultures'' (German: ''Unter Geiern'') is a 1964 Western film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice, Elke Sommer and Götz George. It was also released as ''Frontier Hellcat''. The film was a co-production ...

'' - film as Martin Bauman Sr. * 1965 '' Challenge of the Gladiator'' - film as Terenzo * 1965 ''

The Oil Prince The Oil Prince (German: ''Der Ölprinz'') is a 1965 West German-Yugoslav western film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice and Harald Leipnitz. It was also known as ''Rampage at Apache Wells''. The screenplay is ...

'' - film as Bill Campbell * 1965 '' Duel at Sundown'' - film as 'Old' McGow * 1966 ''

Winnetou and the Crossbreed ''Winnetou and the Crossbreed'' (German: ''Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi'') is a 1966 West German Western film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, Götz George and Uschi Glas. It is part of the series of Kar ...

'' - film as Mac Haller * 1966 ''

The Big Gundown ''The Big Gundown'' ( it, La resa dei conti, lit=The Settling of Scores) is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian. Plot Possessing a reputation for bringing criminals to justice, r ...

'' - film as Brokston * 1967 ''

Clint the Stranger ''Clint the Stranger'', also known as ''Clint the Nevada's Loner'', ''Nevada Clint'' and ''Clint, the Lonely Nevadan'' (in original Italian, ''Clint il solitario''), is a 1967 Italian Spaghetti Western starring George Martin (Spanish actor), Geo ...

'' - film as Walter Shannon * 1967 ''Feuer frei auf Frankie'' - film as Colonel O'Connor * 1967 ''

Love Nights in the Taiga ''Love Nights in the Taiga'' (German: ''Liebesnächte in der Taiga'') is a 1967 West German thriller film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Thomas Hunter, Marie Versini and Stanislav Ledinek.Cowie & Elley p.148 It is also known by the alte ...

'' - film as Jurij * 1967 ''

Halleluja for Django ''La più grande rapina del West'' (released as ''Halleluja for Django'' in the US and as ''The Greatest Kidnapping in the West'' in Great Britain) is a 1967 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Maurizio Lucidi. It was referred as a film ...

'' - film as Jarret / Clay Thomas * 1968 '' The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield'' - film as Inspector Fred Lancaster * 1968 '' Garter Colt'' - film as General * 1968 '' The Moment to Kill'' - film as 'Bull' * 1968 '' The Magnificent Tony Carrera'' - film as Barnes * 1969 ''Colpo di stato'' - film as Unknown * 1969–1971 ''

'' - TV as Sheriff Truslow / Weatherby / Emmett J. Whitney / Will Griner * 1970 ''

The Traveling Executioner ''The Traveling Executioner'' is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed by Jack Smight and starring Stacy Keach, Bud Cort, Stefan Gierasch and Marianna Hill. The musical '' The Fields of Ambrosia'' is based on the film. Plot Jonas Candide ...

'' - film as Sheriff * 1971 ''

The Christian Licorice Store ''The Christian Licorice Store'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by James Frawley and starring Beau Bridges and Maud Adams. The title of the film is based on lyrics from the song "Pleasant Street" by Tim Buckley who makes a cameo in the ...

'' - film as P.C. Stayne * 1972 ''

Daddy's Deadly Darling ''Pigs'' is a 1973 American psychological horror film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Marc Lawrence and currently distributed by Troma Entertainment. The film stars Toni Lawrence. ''Pigs'' premiered on May 23, 1973 in Detroit, Michigan ...

'' - film as Doctor * 1972–1973 '' Mission: Impossible'' - TV as Homer Chill / Al * 1973 ''

High Plains Drifter ''High Plains Drifter'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who ...

'' - film as Sheriff Sam Shaw * 1973 ''

Cahill U.S. Marshal ''Cahill U.S. Marshal'' is a 1973 American Western film in Technicolor starring John Wayne as a driven lawman in a black hat. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and filmed on location in Durango, Mexico. The supporting cast features G ...

'' - film as Sheriff Grady * 1975 ''

Escape to Witch Mountain ''Escape to Witch Mountain'' is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' in 1975 which spawned the ''Witch Mountain'' franchise. The novel was illustrated by ...

'' - film as Sheriff Purdy * 1975 '' Mackintosh and T.J.'' as Jim Webster * 1977 ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situatio ...

'' - TV as Mike Gold * 1977 ''

Day of the Animals ''Day of the Animals'' (re-released as ''Something Is Out There'') is a 1977 American natural horror film directed by William Girdler, based on a story by producer Edward L. Montoro. The film reunited Girdler and Montoro with stars Christopher Ge ...

'' - film as Ranger Tucker * 1977 ''

Another Man, Another Chance ''Another Man, Another Chance'' (''Un autre homme, une autre chance'', UK title: ''Another Man, Another Woman'') is a 1977 French western film directed by Claude Lelouch. Plot France in 1870: Napoleon III has just lost the war against Prussia ...

'' - film as Foster * 1977 '' Pete's Dragon'' - film as Captain * 1978 ''

Every Which Way but Loose ''Every Which Way but Loose'' is a 1978 American action comedy film released by Warner Bros., produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. It stars Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role as Philo Beddoe, a tr ...

'' - film as 'Tank' Murdock * 1980 ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television series ...

'' - TV as Jeb McCobb * 1980 ''

Bronco Billy ''Bronco Billy'' is a 1980 American Western comedy-drama film starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. It was directed by Eastwood and written by Dennis Hackin. Plot Bronco Billy McCoy (Clint Eastwood) is a stuntman performing in front of a mea ...

'' - film as Sheriff Dix * 1981 '' Walking Tall'' - TV as Carl Pusser * 1981 ''

Smokey Bites the Dust ''Smokey Bites the Dust'' is a 1981 car chase film from New World Pictures directed by Charles B. Griffith. Despite the title, the film is not connected to the ''Smokey and the Bandit'' series. Plot The stock plot deals with Roscoe Wilton (Jimmy ...

'' - film as Sheriff Turner * 1982 ''

Father Murphy ''Father Murphy'' is an American western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership wi ...

'' - TV as Unknown * 1985 ''

North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...

'' - TV miniseries as Benny Haven * 1986 ''

Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...

'' - TV as Daniel Coleman * 1987 ''

Boon Boon may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Boon (game), a trick-taking card game * ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells * ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick * The Ultimate Boo ...

'' - TV as JCB Driver (final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Walter Lee 1918 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American male actors American expatriates in Italy American football guards American male film actors American male television actors American male weightlifters United States Army personnel of World War II Arizona State Sun Devils football coaches Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery Columbia Lions football coaches Deaths from diabetes Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Male Spaghetti Western actors Male Western (genre) film actors LSU Tigers football players Military personnel from West Virginia Parkersburg High School alumni Philadelphia Eagles players Sportspeople from Parkersburg, West Virginia Third Air Force Gremlins football players United States Army soldiers Players of American football from West Virginia 20th-century American people