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