Birth Day: 1912-01-11
Place of birth: Houston, Texas, USA
Donald Barry went from the stage to the screen. After four years of playing villains and henchmen at various studios, Barry got the role that changed his image: Red Ryder in the Republic Pictures serial Adventures of Red Ryder (1940). Although he had appeared in westerns for two years or so, this was the one that kept him there. He acquired the nickname "Red" from his association with the Red Ryder character. After the success of "Red Ryder" Barry starred in a string of westerns for Republic. Studio chief Herbert J. Yates got the idea that Barry could be Republic's version of James Cagney, as he was short and had the same scrappy, feisty nature that Cagney had. Unfortunately, while Barry could in fact be a good actor when he wanted to be -- as he showed in the World War II drama The Purple Heart (1944) -- his "feistiness", combative nature and oversized ego caused him to alienate many of the casts and crews he worked with at Republic (ace serial director William Witney detested him, calling him "the midget", and director John English worked with him once and refused to ever work with him again). Barry made a series of westerns at Republic throughout the 1940s, but by 1950 his career had pretty much come to a halt, and he was reduced to making cheaper and cheaper pictures for bottom-of-the-barrel companies like Lippert and Screen Guild. Barry continued to work and still appeared in westerns up through the 1970s, but they were often in small supporting roles, sometimes unbilled. In 1980 he committed suicide by shooting himself.
Credits
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As Pete -
As Virgil Hall -
As Radio Announcer -
As Ben Wright -
As Sheriff at Stagecoach -
As Bartender -
As Pete Harris -
As Helicopter Pilot -
As Devery's Foreman -
As Elliot (as Donald Barry) -
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As Warden Coley -
As Sheriff -
As Dock Worker -
As Marshal -
As (archive footage) -
As Red Roxy -
As Airport Bartender -
As Doctor in Morgue -
As (as Don Red Barry) -
As Sgt. Post -
As Mike Trask -
As Franz Butz / Delbert Clyde Butz -
As Miles Henderson -
As Bartender -
As Trainer -
As Homer Rutledge -
As Jody Simmons -
As Feeny - Bartender (uncredited) -
As Hank Phillips -
As Rusty -
As Jack Hawkins -
As Rev. Zachary Gant -
As Buffalo -
As Ed Johnson -
As Bly -
As Harris -
As Lt. Farrow -
As Grist -
As Captain Harvey -
As Tex -
As Sgt. Chaney -
As Marshal Jethro Karnin -
As Henry Belden -
As Reb -
As Red -
As Judson Elliot -
As Dockery -
As Murdock -
As Cabot -
As McCoy (uncredited) -
As Detective Sergeant -
As Edward Calhoun (uncredited) -
As Drake (as Donald Barry) -
As Douglas Row -
As MSgt. Hal Foster -
As Bill Okie -
As Larry -
As Clete -
As Jerry -
As Dawson -
As 'Spider' Mike Lawrence (as Donald Barry) -
As Jesse James -
As Bob Standish posing as the Rio Kid (as Don Barry) -
As Len Howard -
As Frank James / Bat Fenton -
As William H. Bonney / Billy the Kid (as Don Barry) -
As Don Blake -
As Mike O'Hara, "King Cobra" -
As Pecos Jones -
As Larry West -
As Dan Reilly -
As Slippy McGee -
As Stan Martin -
As Doug Forbes (as Donald Barry)
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As Tony French (as Donald Barry) -
As Benny Novak
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As Feisty -
As Tom Dwyer -
As Joe Ferrill -
As Don Barry -
As Eddie Ballinger (as Donald Barry) -
As Bob Conroy -
As Lt. Peter Vincent -
As Johnny April (as Donald Barry) -
As Tennessee Colby -
As Clint Ross -
As Gilbert Phalen -
As Lon Walker -
As Joe Weldon -
As Lee Grant -
As Parson Dave Winters / Ted Winters aka Keeno Phillips -
As Terry Reynolds posing as the Nevada Kid -
As Chips Barrett -
As Johnny Barrett -
As Dave Gregory -
As Jim Bradley -
As Johnny "Cyclone Kid" Dawson -
As Jerry Holden -
As Red Tracy -
As Sam Starr (as Donald M. Barry) -
As Pvt. Steve 'Lucky' Smith -
As Bill Gannon -
As Jim "Sundown Kid" McKinnon / Sheriff Bruce McKinnon -
As Jim Lawrence -
As Johnny Edwards -
As Jim Randall -
As Pete Dawson aka The Apache Kid -
As Cliff Dixon -
As Bob Crandall, Texas Ranger -
As Second Paymaster -
As Bryan (uncredited) -
As Red Ryder -
As Tim Brandon aka The Tolusa Kid (as Donald Barry) -
As Bob Millbourne aka Robert Mills -
As Tom Benton aka Tulsa Kid -
As Jack Summers -
As Jim Sanders -
As Tex -
As Jerry -
As Curly Parsons -
As 'Blackie' Cross -
As Collins - Intern (uncredited) -
As Will Parker -
As Loring -
As Collins -
As Jesse James -
As Grady -
As Babcock -
As Pete Mariola -
As Henchman -
As Jessup -
As Dr. Collins (uncredited) -
As Michel -
As Marty - Gunman (uncredited) -
As Dr. Flynn, Intern (Uncredited) -
As Mason (Southern Institute football player) (uncredited) -
As Mike, I.R.A. Patriot (Uncredited) -
As Mario Rigo -
As Movie Usher -
As Dancer (uncredited)