Born Eugene Klass on June 14, 1921 in New York City, he changed
his name to Gene Barry in honor of his idol, John Barrymore.
Although Barry possessed prolific musical talents, particularly
with the violin and his baritone register, Barry’s love for
acting would not be reconciled. It seemed Gene was bound for
a career in the Fine Arts no matter how the pie was sliced.
After graduating from high school Barry found work via the
vaudeville stage and radio. After spending some time honing
his skills, Barry eventually made his way into Broadway. There
he received his big break for in the 1944 production/Mae West
vehicle, "Catherine was Great". While performing
for the play Barry met his wife-to-be, Betty.
It wasn’t until the 1950’s however that Barry debuted on
the big screen. Compiling a filmography with roles in 1952’s
“The Atomic City'’, 1953’s “Those Redheads from Seattle'', and
1954’s “Alaska Seas”, Barry was able to prove his acting skills.
But the roles’ lack of song-and-dance regimen began to concern
to theatric Barry. It wasn’t until 1954 when he starred in
“Red Garters” that Barry was able to finally bring his Broadway
flare to the silver screen. But it was his role in the 1953
original production of “War
of the Worlds” that Barry is best remembered for.
In 1958 Barry took on the Western TV series, “Bat Masterson”,
which sparked Barry’s love for the television medium. Barry remained
a part of the show until 1961, and in 1963 Gene played the
television detective "Amos Burke" in “Burke’s Law”, for which
he won a Golden Globe. In the 1980s Gene Barry made a triumphant
return to Broadway with the musical “La Cage Aux Folles”,
earning him a Tony nomination in 1983. Gene Barry's other
notable credits include.
Gene Barry's other notable credits include...
Gene Barry - MovieActors.com
