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 Sheriff at Stagecoach -
As Virgil Hall -
As Ben Wright -
As Radio Announcer -
As Elliot -
As Devery's Foreman -
As Pete Harris -
As Sheriff -
As Warden Coley -
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As Bartender -
As Helicopter Pilot -
As Dock Worker -
As (archive footage) -
As Red Roxy -
As Marshal -
As Airport Bartender -
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As Doctor in Morgue -
As Sgt. Post -
As Mike Trask -
As Franz Butz / Delbert Clyde Butz -
As Bartender -
As Miles Henderson -
As Trainer -
As Homer Rutledge -
As Charlie -
As Jody Simmons -
As Hank Phillips -
As Feeny - Bartender (uncredited) -
As Rusty -
As Buffalo -
As Rev. Zachary Gant -
As Jack Hawkins -
As Bly -
As Ed Johnson -
As Harris -
As Lt. Farrow -
As Grist -
As Sgt. Chaney -
As Captain Harvey -
As Henry Belden -
As Marshal Jethro Karnin -
As Tex -
As Reb -
As Red -
As Judson Elliot -
As Dockery -
As Murdock -
As McCoy (uncredited) -
As Cabot -
As Detective Sergeant -
As Edward Calhoun (uncredited) -
As Drake -
As MSgt. Hal Foster -
As Douglas Row -
As Bill Okie -
As Larry -
As Clete -
As Jerry -
As Dawson -
As Jesse James -
As Mike Lawrence -
As Billy the Kid -
As Bob Standish -
As Frank James / Bat Fenton -
As Len Howard -
As Dan Reilly -
As Mike O'Hara, "King Cobra" -
As Don Blake -
As Larry West -
As Pecos Jones -
As Doug Forbes
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As Tony French -
As Slippy McGee -
As Stan Martin -
As Benny Novak
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As Feisty -
As Tom Dwyer -
As Joe Ferrill -
As Don Barry -
As Bob Conroy -
As Lt. Peter Vincent -
As Eddie Ballinger -
As Dave Winters / Ted Winters -
As Tennessee Colby -
As Clint Ross -
As Joe Weldon -
As Gilbert Phalen -
As Lee Grant -
As Lon Walker -
As Johnny April -
As Terry Reynolds posing as the Nevada Kid -
As Pvt. Steve 'Lucky' Smith -
As Jim Bradley -
As Red Tracy -
As Jerry Holden -
As Johnny "Cyclone Kid" Dawson -
As Chips Barrett -
As Sam Starr -
As Johnny Barrett -
As Dave Gregory -
As Pete Dawson aka The Apache Kid -
As Jim Lawrence -
As Jim Randall -
As Jim "Sundown Kid" McKinnon / Sheriff Bruce McKinnon -
As Bob Crandall, Texas Ranger -
As Bill Gannon -
As Cliff Dixon -
As Johnny Edwards -
As Bob Millbourne aka Robert Mills -
As Tom Benton aka Tulsa Kid -
As Tim Brandon -
As Jack Summers -
As Second Paymaster -
As Jim Sanders -
As Bryan (uncredited) -
As Red Ryder -
As Jerry -
As Tex -
As Curly Parsons -
As Loring -
As Jesse James -
As Collins -
As Will Parker -
As Collins - Intern (uncredited) -
As 'Blackie' Cross -
As Jessup -
As Grady -
As Babcock -
As Dr. Collins (uncredited) -
As Henchman -
As Pete Mariola -
As Mason (Southern Institute football player) (uncredited) -
As Marty - Gunman (uncredited) -
As Dr. Flynn, Intern (uncredited) -
As Michel -
As Mario Rigo -
As Mike, I.R.A. Patriot (Uncredited) -
As Movie Usher -
As Dancer (uncredited)