Barbara Britton (born Barbara Maurine Brantingham, September 26, 1920 – January 17, 1980) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her Western film roles opposite

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he beca ...

, and

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

and for her two-year tenure as inquisitive amateur sleuth Pam North on the television and radio series ''

Mr. and Mrs. North ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' are fictional American amateur detectives. Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, the couple was featured in a series of 26 Mr. and Mrs. North novels, a Broadway play, a motion picture and several radio and television ...

''.

Early life

Britton was born September 26, 1920, in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. Her involvement with stage productions began when she was 14. She attended Polytechnic High School and

Long Beach City College Long Beach City College (LBCC) is a public community college in Long Beach, California. It was established in 1927 and is divided into two campuses, the Liberal Arts Campus in Lakewood Village and the Pacific Coast Campus in central Long Beach ...

, majoring in speech with the intention of working as a speech and drama teacher. While in school, she began to show an interest in acting and working on local stage productions. Britton was a Republican, and she campaigned for

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

in both

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

and

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

Career

In 1941, while appearing in a Pasadena

Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

, a photo of Britton was used on the front page of a local newspaper. A talent scout took notice, and she was soon signed to a

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

contract. (Another source says that a talent scout spotted her as the lead in the production of '' The Old Maid'' at her college, and "three weeks later she was signed by Paramount Pictures as a stock player.")

Film

That same year, she appeared in her first two films: the William Boyd Western ''

Secret of the Wastelands ''Secret of the Wasteland'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Gerald Geraghty. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Brad King, Soo Yong, Barbara Britton, Douglas Fowley and Keith Richards. The ...

'' and ''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

'' starring

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

. Her first major film appearance was in a small role in the

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 ...

film ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Prest ...

'' (1942). In 1944, she gave a very affecting performance with

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

in '' Till We Meet Again''. During the 1940s Britton starred in three films for which she is most recognized today, two of which co-starred Randolph Scott. The first was the 1945 film ''

Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...

'' with Scott, followed by '' The Virginian'' in 1946 opposite Joel McCrea. The third was the 1947 Randolph Scott film '' Gunfighters''. She teamed with Scott again in the 1948 Western ''

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

'', and that same year she starred opposite

in '' Loaded Pistols''. In total, she starred or appeared in 26 films during that decade.

Television

Britton starred in the 1950s television show ''Mr. and Mrs. North'', a Thin Man-like mystery show, with

Richard Denning Richard Denning (March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998) was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including ''Unknown Island'' (1948), ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' (1954), '' Target Earth'' (1954), ''Day the ...

and

Francis De Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...

. She was probably best known for being the spokeswoman for

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brothe ...

products in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in advertisements and commercials that included live spots on ''

The $64,000 Question ''The $64,000 Question'' was an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals. Contestants answered general knowledge questions, earning money which doubled as the ...

''. She also portrayed Laura Petrie in

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

's ''

Head of the Family ''Head of the Family'' is an American 1996 B movie black comedy released by Full Moon Features. It concerns a Southern couple who blackmail a family of mutants to get money and revenge. Plot Howard (Gordon Jennison Noice) is the meanest nastie ...

'', the 1959 pilot for the later ''

Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

''. One of Britton's last roles was on the daytime television soap opera ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

'' in 1979.

Magazines

Over a 24-month span, Britton's picture appeared on more than 100 magazine covers, including those of ''

Ladies Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In 18 ...

Woman's Home Companion ''Woman's Home Companion'' was an American monthly magazine, published from 1873 to 1957. It was highly successful, climbing to a circulation peak of more than four million during the 1930s and 1940s. The magazine, headquartered in Springfield, O ...

'', and ''

McCall's ''McCall's'' was a monthly American women's magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-f ...

''. In 1949, a newspaper article reported, "Today, Barbara Britton's picture has appeared on more national magazine covers than any other motion picture actress in the world."

Personal life

Reportedly, in 1944, Britton suffered from nervous exhaustion due to overwork and was advised to seek the help of physician and psychoanalyst Dr. Eugene J. Czukor. Britton and Czukor, who was 22 years her senior, were married on April 2, 1945. At one time, the couple had a home on Victoria Drive in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservat ...

.. They moved to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

in 1957. For many years, Britton and her husband lived in a rambling, red-shingled farmhouse in

Bethel, Connecticut Bethel () is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Its population was 11,988 in 2022 according to World Population Review. The town includes the Bethel (CDP), Connecticut, Bethel Census Designated Place. Inte ...

. Sharing their love of antiques, they opened a shop in an early American barn in the antique-gallery enclave of

Woodbury, Connecticut Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,723 at the 2020 census. The town center, comprising the adjacent villages of Woodbury and North Woodbury, is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Woo ...

. They had two children, Ted and Christina. Their marriage lasted for 34 years until Britton's death. She died of pancreatic cancer at her Manhattan apartment on January 17, 1980, at the age of 59.

Honors and awards

In 1948, Britton was given a

key to the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

. On February 8, 1960, she received a star for television 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 ...

; her star is located at 1719 Vine Street.

Filmography

Films

* ''

Secrets of the Wasteland ''Secret of the Wasteland'' is a 1941 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by Gerald Geraghty. The film stars William Boyd (actor), William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Brad King (actor), Brad King, Soo Yong, Barb ...

'' (1941) - Jennifer Kendall * ''

'' (1941) - Louisiana Belle * ''

The Fleet's In ''The Fleet's In'' is a 1942 movie musical produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Victor Schertzinger, and starring Dorothy Lamour and William Holden. Although sharing the title of the 1928 Paramount film starring Clara Bow and Jack Oakie, ...

'' (1942) - Eileen Wright * ''

'' (1942) - Charleston Lady * ''

Beyond the Blue Horizon ''Beyond the Blue Horizon'' is a 1971 studio album by American jazz guitarist George Benson. It was his first album released by CTI Records, CTI and included organist Clarence Palmer, drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Ron Carter, and percussionis ...

'' (1942) - Pamela, Girl at Circus (uncredited) * ''

Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...

'' (1942) - Sally Cameron (uncredited) * '' Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1942) - Miss Lucy Olcott * '' Freedom Comes High'' (1943, Short) - Ellen Blanding * ''

Young and Willing ''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, and Susan Hayward. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp based on the play ''Out of the F ...

'' (1943) - Marge Benson Dennison * ''

So Proudly We Hail! ''So Proudly We Hail!'' is a 1943 American war film directed and produced by Mark Sandrich and starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard – who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance – a ...

'' (1943) - Lt. Rosemary Larson * '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944) - Ruth * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1944) - Sister Clothilde aka Louise Dupree * ''

The Great John L. ''The Great John L.'' is a 1945 American Biographical film, biographical Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by James Edward Grant. The film stars Linda Darnell, Barbara Britton, Greg McClure, Otto Kruger, ...

'' (1945) - Kathy Harkness * ''

'' (1945) - Lady Anne Dunstan * '' The Virginian'' (1946) - Molly Wood * ''

They Made Me a Killer ''They Made Me a Killer'' is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by William C. Thomas, and written by Daniel Mainwaring, Winston Miller and Kae Salkow, based on story by Owen Franes. It stars Barbara Britton and Robert Lowery (actor), ...

'' (1946) - June Reynolds * ''

The Fabulous Suzanne ''The Fabulous Suzanne'' is a 1946 American romantic comedy film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Barbara Britton, Rudy Vallee and Otto Kruger. A waitress inherits a fortune from one of her customers. Plot The young and beautiful Suzanne ...

'' (1946) - Suzanne * ''

The Return of Monte Cristo ''The Return of Monte Cristo'' may refer to: * ''The Return of Monte Cristo'' (1946 film), an American film * ''The Return of Monte Cristo'' (1968 film), a French film {{SIA, films, Return of Monte Cristo, The ...

'' (1946) - Angel Picard * '' Gunfighters'' (1947) - Bess Banner * ''

'' (1948) - Letty Tyler * ''

Mr. Reckless ''Mr. Reckless'' is a 1948 American adventure film directed by Frank McDonald. Cast *William Eythe as Jeff Lundy *Barbara Britton as Betty Denton *Walter Catlett as Joel Hawkins * Minna Gombell as Ma Hawkins *Lloyd Corrigan as Hugo Denton * N ...

'' (1948) - Betty Denton * ''

The Untamed Breed '' The Untamed Breed'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Sonny Tufts, Barbara Britton and George 'Gabby' Hayes.

'' (1948) - Cherry Lucas * '' Loaded Pistols'' (1948) - Mary Evans * ''

I Shot Jesse James ''I Shot Jesse James'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Samuel Fuller about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards. The story is built around a fictional rivalry between Ford and his eventual kill ...

'' (1949) - Cynthy * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to :wikt:conceal, conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassment, embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own ...

'' (1949) - Anita Weatherby * ''

Champagne for Caesar ''Champagne for Caesar'' is a 1950 American comedy film about a quiz show contestant. It was directed by Richard Whorf and written by Fred Brady and Hans Jacoby. The movie stars Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, Barbara Britton and A ...

'' (1950) - Gwenn Bottomley * '' The Bandit Queen'' (1950) - Zara Montalvo aka Lola Belmont * '' The Raiders'' (1952) - Elizabeth Ainsworth * ''

Ride the Man Down ''Ride the Man Down'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane, written by Mary C. McCall, Jr., and starring Brian Donlevy, Rod Cameron, Ella Raines, Forrest Tucker, Barbara Britton, Chill Wills and J. Carrol Naish. The film wa ...

'' (1952) - Lottie Priest * ''

Bwana Devil ''Bwana Devil'' is a 1952 American adventure film, adventure B movie written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and starring Robert Stack, Barbara Britton, and Nigel Bruce. ''Bwana Devil'' is based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters an ...

'' (1952) - Alice Hayward * ''

Dragonfly Squadron ''Dragonfly Squadron'' is a 1954 American war film directed by Lesley Selander and starring John Hodiak, Barbara Britton and Bruce Bennett. The film is set in the period shortly before and during the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops. ...

'' (1954) - Donna Cottrell * '' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1955) - Pat Beaton * ''

Night Freight ''Night Freight'' is a 1955 American drama film directed by Jean Yarbrough and written by Steve Fisher. The film stars Forrest Tucker, Barbara Britton, Keith Larsen, Thomas Gomez, Michael Ross and Myrna Dell. The film was released on August 28, ...

'' (1955) - Wanda * '' The Spoilers'' (1955) - Helen Chester * ''Majeok'' (1967)

Television series

* ''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, ...

'' (1950–1951) * ''

Pulitzer Prize Playhouse ''Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' is an American television anthology drama series which offered adaptations of Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, novels, and stories. The distinguished journalist Elmer Davis was the host and narrator of this 1950-1952 A ...

'' (1951) * ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' (1951) - Hilda * '' Lights Out'' (1951) * ''

Cameo Theatre ''Cameo Theatre'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1950 to 1955. Television in the round The live series, produced by Albert McCleery, introduced to television the concept of theater-in- ...

'' (1951) * ''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse' ...

'' (1952) - Pamela * ''

'' (1952–1954) - Pamela North / Kitty Pomeroy * ''

Danger Danger is a lack of safety and may refer to: Places * Danger Cave, an archaeological site in Utah * Danger Island, Great Chagos Bank, Indian Ocean * Danger Island, alternate name of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean * Danger Isla ...

'' (1954) * ''

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 programs ...

'' (1955) - Duana Clarke * ''Appointment with Adventure'' (1955) * ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...

'' (1950–1955) - Liz * ''The Christophers'' (1955) * ''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'' (1955) - Alice / Kathy Collins * ''

'' (Pilot for what would become ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

'') (1959) * ''The Comedy Spot'' (1960) - Laura Petrie * ''

'' (1968) - Fran Craig Gordon #1 (1979-1980) (final appearance)

Radio

* ''Stars in the Air'' (1952) Episode: ''

Weekend for Three ''Week-End for Three'' is a 1941 comedy film directed by Irving Reis and starring Dennis O'Keefe and Jane Wyatt. Cast *Dennis O'Keefe as Jim Craig *Jane Wyatt as Ellen *Phillip Reed as Randy *Edward Everett Horton as Stonebraker *ZaSu Pitts as An ...

'' * ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1953-1955)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Britton, Barbara American television actresses American film actresses Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from pancreatic cancer Long Beach City College alumni 1920 births 1980 deaths 20th-century American actresses Paramount Pictures contract players Actresses from Long Beach, California Long Beach Polytechnic High School alumni