Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

between 1949 and 1953 and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably as Old Shatterhand in a film series by the West German studio Rialto Film. At the height of his fame, he was one of the most popular actors in German-speaking cinema and received Bambi Award and Bravo Otto nominations for the honor.

Early life

Barker was born in

Rye, New York Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area. It received its charter as a city in 1942, making it the most recent such charter in the state. Its area of ...

, the second child of Alexander Crichlow Barker Sr., a wealthy Canadian-born building contractor and stockbroker, and his American wife, the former Marion Thornton Beals. He had an elder sister, Frederica Amelia "Freddie" Barlow (1917–1980). Of English and Spanish ancestry, Barker was a direct descendant of the founder of

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Roger Williams Roger Williams (March 1683) was an English-born New England minister, theologian, author, and founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Pl ...

, and of Sir William Henry Crichlow, historical governor-general of Barbados. Raised in New York City and

Port Chester, New York Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populati ...

, he attended the Fessenden School and graduated from

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

, where he played football and the oboe. He attended

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, but dropped out to join a theatrical stock company, much to his family's chagrin.

Career

Theatre

Barker made it to Broadway once, in a small role in a short run of Shakespeare's ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'' in 1938. He also had a small role in

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

's disastrous '' Five Kings'', which met with so many problems in Boston and Philadelphia that it never made it into New York City.

World War II

In February 1941, 10 months before the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

, Barker left his fledgling acting career and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He rose to the rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

during the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

. He was

wounded in action Wounded in action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing ...

(in the head and leg) fighting in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. He was awarded the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

twice.

Early film roles

Back in the US he recuperated at a military hospital in Arkansas, then upon his discharge from service traveled to Los Angeles. Within a short time he landed a small role in '' Doll Face'' (1945), his first film. A string of small roles followed in films such as '' Two Guys from Milwaukee'' (1945) and ''

Cloak and Dagger "Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common by the time of the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery. Over ...

'' (1946).

RKO

Barker signed a contract at RKO. He had small roles in '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947), ''

Crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...

'' (1947), and '' Under the Tonto Rim'' (1947). Barker went to

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio i ...

for '' Unconquered'' (1947). Back at RKO he was in '' Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome'' (1947), '' Berlin Express'' (1948), '' Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House'' (1948), '' The Velvet Touch'' (1948), and '' Return of the Bad Men'' (1948), playing

Emmett Dalton Emmett Dalton (May 3, 1871 – July 13, 1937) was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old West. Part of a gang that attempted to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, on October 5, 1892, he was the ...

Tarzan

In '' Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' (1949), Barker became the 10th official

of the movies. His blond, handsome, and intelligent appearance, as well as his athletic 6'4" frame, helped make him popular in the role Johnny Weissmuller had made his own for 16 years. His Jane was Brenda Joyce, who had been in Weissmuller's last three films. Barker's second Tarzan movie was '' Tarzan and the Slave Girl'' (1950), where Jane was played by Vanessa Brown. In '' Tarzan's Peril'' (1951), Barker's Jane was Virginia Huston, with African location footage. Dorothy Hart was Jane in '' Tarzan's Savage Fury'' (1952), directed by

Cy Endfield Cyril Raker Endfield (November 10, 1914 – April 16, 1995) was an American film director, who at times also worked as a writer, theatre director, and inventor. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he worked in the New York theatre in the late 1930s ...

. Barker got the chance to play a non-Tarzan role in '' Battles of Chief Pontiac'' (1952), a Western. He returned to the role one last time in '' Tarzan and the She-Devil'' (1953).

Westerns

Barker supported

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

in '' Thunder Over the Plains'' (1953). At Universal he starred in the Western '' The Yellow Mountain'' (1954) and ''

The Man from Bitter Ridge ''The Man from Bitter Ridge'' is a 1955 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Jack Arnold (director), Jack Arnold and starring Lex Barker, Mara Corday and Stephen McNally. Plot A special investigator, Jeff Carr (Lex Barker), is depl ...

'' (1955). He went to Columbia to make '' Duel on the Mississippi'' (1955). Barker had a rare non-Western role in '' The Price of Fear'' (1956), a film noir with Merle Oberon. He was in the war movie '' Away All Boats'' (1956) and the thriller '' The Girl in the Kremlin'' (1957). Barker made two films for Howard W. Koch: '' War Drums'' (1957) and '' Jungle Heat'' (1957),. He went to

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

for '' The Deerslayer'' (1957), then did '' The Girl in Black Stockings'' (1957).

Italy

In 1957, as he found it harder to find work in American films, Barker moved to Europe (he spoke French, Italian, Spanish, and some German), where he found popularity and starred in over 40 European films, including two movies based on the novels by Italian author

Emilio Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante ...

(1862–1911). He started his European career with a British thriller '' The Strange Awakening'' (1958). He went to Italy to star in '' Captain Falcon'' (1959), ''

Son of the Red Corsair ''The Son of the Red Corsair'' (original title: ''Il figlio del corsaro rosso'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1908. The novel was adapted for the silver screen in Italy in 1959. Plot summary ...

'' (1959), '' The Pirate and the Slave Girl'' (1959), and '' Terror of the Red Mask'' (1960). Barker had a short but compelling role as Anita Ekberg's fiancé in

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

's ''

La Dolce Vita ''La Dolce Vita'' (; Italian for 'the sweet life' or 'the good life'Kezich, 203) is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini and written by Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, and Brunello Rondi. The film stars M ...

'' (1960). He went back to swashbucklers: '' Knight of 100 Faces'' (1960), '' Pirates of the Coast'' (1960), '' Robin Hood and the Pirates'' (1960), and '' The Secret of the Black Falcon'' (1961).

West Germany

Barker had his greatest success in West Germany. There, he starred in movies based on the " Doctor Mabuse" stories (formerly filmed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

), in the movies '' The Return of Doctor Mabuse'' (1961). He was in '' Doctor Sibelius'' (1962). Barker then played Old Shatterhand in an adaptation of the novel by popular German author Karl May (1842–1912), '' Treasure of the Silver Lake'' (1962). It was a huge hit, and 11 movies adapting stories by Karl May followed until 1968. Barker did the comedy ''

Breakfast in Bed "Breakfast in Bed" is a soul–R&B song written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Eddie Hinton and Donnie Fritts for Dusty Springfield. It takes a knowing spin on the line " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", the title of a song that had previousl ...

'' (1962), then the adventure movie '' Storm Over Ceylon'' (1963). He returned to Italy for '' The Executioner of Venice'' (1963) and '' Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance'' (1963). Barker reprised his role as Old Shatterhand in '' Apache Gold'' (1964), '' Old Shatterhand'' (1964), and ''

Last of the Renegades ''Last of the Renegades'' ( and also known as ''Winnetou: Last of the Renegades'') is a 1964 German-Italian Western film directed by Harald Reinl and starring Pierre Brice, Lex Barker, and Anthony Steel. It is based on a Karl May novel, and w ...

'' (1965). He went to South Africa for

Harry Alan Towers Harry Alan Towers (19 October 1920 – 31 July 2009) was a British radio and independent film producer and screenwriter. He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. He produced over 80 f ...

' West German-British

international co-production A co-production is a joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint vent ...

'' Victim Five'' (1964), then returned to West Germany for other adaptations of May books: '' The Treasure of the Aztecs'' (1965) and '' The Pyramid of the Sun God'' (1965) . '' 24 Hours to Kill'' (1965) was a British movie. '' The Hell of Manitoba'' (1965) and '' The Desperado Trail'' (1966) were Westerns. Though Barker did speak German, he was almost always dubbed in his West German films. His go-to dubber was Gert Günther Hoffmann, whose distinctive voice contributed to Barker's success. In 1966, Barker was awarded the " Bambi Award" as Best Foreign Actor in West Germany, where he was a very popular star. He even recorded two songs in German: "Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir" ("I'll be on the way to you tomorrow", composed by Martin Böttcher, the composer of some of the soundtracks of the Karl May movies) and "Mädchen in Samt und Seide" ("Girl in Silk and Velvet", composed by Werner Scharfenberger). His later films included '' Killer's Carnival'' (1966), and '' Winnetou and the Crossbreed'' (1967). In the same year, he starred in a Eurospy film '' Spy Today, Die Tomorrow'' and a horror film '' The Blood Demon'', and appeared in the anthology film '' Woman Times Seven'' (1967). He returned to the United States occasionally and made a handful of guest appearances on American television episodes, but Europe, and especially West Germany, was his professional home for the remainder of his life.

Personal life

Barker was married five times: * Constance Rhodes Thurlow (1918–1975) (married June 27, 1942–divorced 1950), a daughter of Leon Rhodes Thurlow, a vice president of the Decorated Metal Manufacturing Company."Mrs. Barker's Nuptials", ''The New York Times'', September 12, 1952 They had one daughter, Lynn Thurlow Barker (April 11, 1943 – 2010), and a son, Alexander "Zan" Crichlow Barker III (March 25, 1947 – October 2, 2012). In 1952, Constance Barker married her second husband, John Lawrence Adams, a descendant of

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

. * Actress Arlene Dahl (married 1951–divorced 1952) * Actress

Lana Turner Julia Jean "Lana" Turner ( ; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. ...

(married September 8, 1953–divorced July 22, 1957). Turner's daughter

Cheryl Crane Cheryl Christina Crane (born July 25, 1943) is an American former model (person), model, retired real estate broker, author, and the only child of actress Lana Turner. Her father was Turner's second husband, actor-turned-restaurateur Joseph Step ...

later accused Barker of having repeatedly raped her when she was between the ages of 10 ½ and 13. and that this was the reason for the breakup of the marriage. According to Crane, to avoid public scandal, no charges were ever filed. * Irene Labhardt (married 1957–1962; her death from leukemia), a Swiss actress. They had one son, Christopher (born 1960), who became an actor and singer. * Tita Cervera (married 1965–divorced 1972, although divorce not deemed legally valid), a Spanish beauty-pageant winner. Voted Miss Spain in 1962, she later became the wife of movie producer Espartaco Santoni in 1975 (the marriage turned out to be bigamous) and later still, in 1985, the fifth and final wife of billionaire art collector Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza.

Death

Barker died on May 11, 1973, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

, three days after his 54th birthday, while walking down

Lexington Avenue Lexington Avenue, often colloquially abbreviated as "Lex", is an avenue on the East Side (Manhattan), East Side of Manhattan in New York City. The avenue carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street (Manhattan), 131st Street to Gra ...

on New York City's

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded approximately by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the e ...

to meet his fiancée, actress Karen Kondazian. The funeral was held in New York. He was cremated and the ashes were taken by his estranged wife Tita to Spain.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

* "Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir" / "Mädchen in Samt und Seide" 1965, Single, Decca D 19 725 * ''Winnetou du warst mein Freund'' 1966, CD, Bear Family Records

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
Official site in English and German

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Lex 1919 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American male actors Actors from Westchester County, New York American expatriate male actors in Germany American male film actors American people of Canadian descent American people of English descent American people of Spanish descent Deaths from coronary artery disease Fessenden School alumni Male actors from New York (state) Military personnel from New York (state) People from Port Chester, New York People from Rye, New York Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Princeton University alumni United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War II