Gene Barry(1919-2009)
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
With effortless class and elegant charm Gene Barry took '50s and '60s TV
by storm, after a rather lackluster start on the musical stage and in
films. Born Eugene Klass in New York City on June 14, 1919, to
Martin (an amateur violinist), and Eva (an amateur singer), he
showed a gift at an early age as a violin virtuoso,
obviously inherited from his father. After attending various public
schools, he graduated Valedictorian from New Utrecht High School
in Brooklyn, New York.
Possessing an impressive baritone voice, he concentrated on
singing after breaking his arm playing football in school ended any
thoughts of a symphonic career. At age 17 he earned a singing
scholarship awarded by David Sarnoff (the
head of RCA at the time), to the Chatham Square School of Music, and studied there
for two years. In the meantime Gene found work in nightclubs, choirs,
fairs and emceeing variety shows, and briefly appeared on the
vaudeville stage and on radio, winning a prize on
Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts"
program.
The young actor made it to Broadway in 1942 with the musical "New Moon",
and went on to appear in the 1944
Mae West vehicle "Catherine Was Great", where
he met and subsequently married chorus girl
Betty Barry, whose stage name was Julie Carson at the time.
For the rest of the decade, Gene appeared in a random
selection of plays and musicals, which did little to elevate his Broadway
standing. Hollywood finally beckoned in the 1950's, after gaining some
notice on the program "Hollywood Screen Test", and Paramount signed him
to a contract.
Gene had stoic co-starring roles in such dramatic "B" films as
The Atomic City (1952) (his debut movie), Those Redheads from Seattle (1953), and
Alaska Seas (1954), none of which
capitalized on his singing ability. The one movie in which he did sing,
Red Garters (1954), did not fare well with the public. His most
recognizable role during this period was as
Dr. Clayton Forrester, a scientist who finds himself in the midst of a
Martian invasion in the cult science-fiction classic The War of the Worlds (1953).
Television became his preferred medium after being offered the title
role in Bat Masterson (1958),
and he quickly established a very successful niche as a suave, dapper
gentleman in this and other TV productions. Despite the elegant,
globe-trotting typecast that befell him, his other TV characters proved just
as well-received: jet-setting detective Amos Burke in
Burke's Law (1963), for which he
won a Golden Globe, and the impeccably dressed publishing tycoon
Glenn Howard in
The Name of the Game (1968).
Gene revisited the stage and cabaret venues in the 1970's when his
on-camera career hit a lull, appearing frequently with his wife as his
leading lady.
The singer/actor made a triumphant return to Broadway in 1983, starring
as a wealthy gay socialite in the musical version of the
popular French film La Cage aux Folles (1978), earning him a Tony nomination - but he lost the award to his more
flamboyant co-star George Hearn. After a
year on Broadway, he joined the road company in San Francisco, and
played Los Angeles for a lengthy run. Other musicals included "On a
Clear Day You Can See Forever", "Watergate: The Musical" (as Nixon),
"Fiddler on the Roof" (with his wife) and "No, No, Nanette". Gene
also appeared in his one-man cabaret show entitled "Gene Barry in One"
from time to time.
In later years he made only occasional TV and stage appearances
(bringing back his famous characters Bat Masterson and Amos Burke, much
to the enjoyment of his fans), preferring to indulge in his favorite hobby -
painting. He made a very brief return to feature films, sharing a cameo
scene with one-time co-star Ann Robinson in Steven Spielberg's epic remake of
The War of the Worlds (2005), with both of them playing the Tom Cruise
character's mother and father in-law.
Gene was a political activist, a passion he shared
with his wife Betty, who died in 2003 after an almost 60 year marriage. The couple had two sons
of their own, and later in life they adopted a daughter. Gene passed
away on December 9, 2009 at the age of 90.
by storm, after a rather lackluster start on the musical stage and in
films. Born Eugene Klass in New York City on June 14, 1919, to
Martin (an amateur violinist), and Eva (an amateur singer), he
showed a gift at an early age as a violin virtuoso,
obviously inherited from his father. After attending various public
schools, he graduated Valedictorian from New Utrecht High School
in Brooklyn, New York.
Possessing an impressive baritone voice, he concentrated on
singing after breaking his arm playing football in school ended any
thoughts of a symphonic career. At age 17 he earned a singing
scholarship awarded by David Sarnoff (the
head of RCA at the time), to the Chatham Square School of Music, and studied there
for two years. In the meantime Gene found work in nightclubs, choirs,
fairs and emceeing variety shows, and briefly appeared on the
vaudeville stage and on radio, winning a prize on
Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts"
program.
The young actor made it to Broadway in 1942 with the musical "New Moon",
and went on to appear in the 1944
Mae West vehicle "Catherine Was Great", where
he met and subsequently married chorus girl
Betty Barry, whose stage name was Julie Carson at the time.
For the rest of the decade, Gene appeared in a random
selection of plays and musicals, which did little to elevate his Broadway
standing. Hollywood finally beckoned in the 1950's, after gaining some
notice on the program "Hollywood Screen Test", and Paramount signed him
to a contract.
Gene had stoic co-starring roles in such dramatic "B" films as
The Atomic City (1952) (his debut movie), Those Redheads from Seattle (1953), and
Alaska Seas (1954), none of which
capitalized on his singing ability. The one movie in which he did sing,
Red Garters (1954), did not fare well with the public. His most
recognizable role during this period was as
Dr. Clayton Forrester, a scientist who finds himself in the midst of a
Martian invasion in the cult science-fiction classic The War of the Worlds (1953).
Television became his preferred medium after being offered the title
role in Bat Masterson (1958),
and he quickly established a very successful niche as a suave, dapper
gentleman in this and other TV productions. Despite the elegant,
globe-trotting typecast that befell him, his other TV characters proved just
as well-received: jet-setting detective Amos Burke in
Burke's Law (1963), for which he
won a Golden Globe, and the impeccably dressed publishing tycoon
Glenn Howard in
The Name of the Game (1968).
Gene revisited the stage and cabaret venues in the 1970's when his
on-camera career hit a lull, appearing frequently with his wife as his
leading lady.
The singer/actor made a triumphant return to Broadway in 1983, starring
as a wealthy gay socialite in the musical version of the
popular French film La Cage aux Folles (1978), earning him a Tony nomination - but he lost the award to his more
flamboyant co-star George Hearn. After a
year on Broadway, he joined the road company in San Francisco, and
played Los Angeles for a lengthy run. Other musicals included "On a
Clear Day You Can See Forever", "Watergate: The Musical" (as Nixon),
"Fiddler on the Roof" (with his wife) and "No, No, Nanette". Gene
also appeared in his one-man cabaret show entitled "Gene Barry in One"
from time to time.
In later years he made only occasional TV and stage appearances
(bringing back his famous characters Bat Masterson and Amos Burke, much
to the enjoyment of his fans), preferring to indulge in his favorite hobby -
painting. He made a very brief return to feature films, sharing a cameo
scene with one-time co-star Ann Robinson in Steven Spielberg's epic remake of
The War of the Worlds (2005), with both of them playing the Tom Cruise
character's mother and father in-law.
Gene was a political activist, a passion he shared
with his wife Betty, who died in 2003 after an almost 60 year marriage. The couple had two sons
of their own, and later in life they adopted a daughter. Gene passed
away on December 9, 2009 at the age of 90.