Barbara Britton
| Barbara Britton | |
|---|---|
Britton in 1953
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| Born |
Barbara Maurine Brantingham September 26, 1919 Long Beach, California, US |
| Died | January 17, 1980 (aged 60) New York City, US |
| Cause of death | pancreatic cancer |
| Occupation | Actress, Mayor of Hollywood (1952) |
| Years active | 1941–1980 |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Eugene Czukor (m. 1945–80) (her death) |
| Children | Theodore Britton (b. 1947) Christine Eugenia (b. 1951) Dwight Timothy (1953-53) |
Barbara Britton (September 26, 1919 – January 17, 1980) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her western film roles opposite Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Gene Autry and for her two-year tenure as inquisitive amateur sleuth Pam North on the television and radio series Mr. and Mrs. North.
Barbara Maurine Brantingham was born September 26, 1919, in Long Beach, California. Her involvement with stage productions began when she was 14. She attended Polytechnic High School and Long Beach City College, majoring in speech with the intention of working as a speech and drama teacher. While in school she began to show an interest in acting and began working on local stage productions.
In 1941, while appearing in a Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, a photo of Britton was used on the front page of a local newspaper. A talent scout took notice, and she was soon signed to a Paramount Pictures contract. (Another source says that a talent scout spotted her as the lead in the production of The Old Maid at her college, and "three weeks later she was signed by Paramount Pictures as a stock player.")
That same year, she appeared in her first two films: the William Boyd western Secrets of the Wasteland and Louisiana Purchase starring Bob Hope. Her first major film appearance was in a small role in the John Wayne film Reap the Wild Wind (1942).
During the 1940s Britton starred in three films for which she is most recognized today, two of which co-starred Randolph Scott. The first was the 1945 film Captain Kidd with Scott, followed by The Virginian in 1946 opposite Joel McCrea. The third was the 1947 Randolph Scott film Gunfighters. She teamed with Scott again in the 1948 western Albuquerque, and that same year she starred opposite Gene Autry in Loaded Pistols. In total, she starred or appeared in 26 films during that decade.
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