Gene Barry
| Gene Barry | |
|---|---|
Barry in 1959.
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|
| Born |
Eugene Klass June 14, 1919 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 2009 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park, Culver City |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2005 |
| Spouse(s) | Betty Claire Kalb (1944–2003; her death) |
Gene Barry (June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City (1952) and The War of The Worlds (1953) and for his portrayal of the title characters in the TV series Bat Masterson and Burke's Law, among many roles.
Barry was born Eugene Klass on June 14, 1919, in New York City, the son of Eva (née Conn) and Martin Klass; all of his grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. Barry grew up in Brooklyn and attended New Utrecht High School. Barry exhibited early artistic skills with singing and playing violin as a child and later spent two years at the Chatham Square School of Music in Greenwich Village on a scholarship awarded for his vocal ability.
On October 22, 1944, at age 25, Barry married Betty Claire Kalb (February 12, 1923 – January 31, 2003), whom he met on the set of Catherine Was Great. Kalb was an actress known by the stage name Julie Carson.
Barry chose his professional name in honor of John Barrymore and made his Broadway debut as Captain Paul Duval in the 1942 revival of Sigmund Romberg's The New Moon. He later portrayed Falke in Rosalinda (1942), Nova Kovich in The Merry Widow (1943), Lieutenant Bunin in Catherine Was Great (1944), Dorante and Comte De Chateau-Gaillard in The Would-Be Gentleman (1946), The Doctor in Happy as Larry (1950), and played a variety of roles in the musical revue Bless You All (1950).
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