Don "Red" Barry | |
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"Red" Barry in 1979
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Born |
Houston, Texas, U.S. |
January 11, 1912
Died | July 17, 1980 North Hollywood, California, U.S. |
(aged 68)
Cause of death | Suicide by firearm |
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California |
Occupation | Actor, writer |
Years active | 1933–1980 |
Spouse(s) |
Peggy Stewart (1940–44; divorced) Barbara (1963-80; his death); 2 children |
Donald Barry de Acosta (January 11, 1912 – July 17, 1980), known as Red Barry, was an American film and television actor. He was nicknamed "Red" after appearing as the first Red Ryder in the highly successful 1940 film Adventures of Red Ryder; the character was played in later films by "Wild Bill" Elliott and Allan Lane. Barry went on to bigger budget films following Red Ryder, but none reached his previous level of success.
By the 1950s, Barry was a supporting actor instead of playing leads in westerns. Early in 1955, he appeared as the bandit Milt Sharp in an episode of the syndicated series, Stories of the Century, starring and narrated by Jim Davis.
Barry played "Clete" in the 1956 western film Seven Men from Now, starring Randolph Scott. He guest starred as Tanner in the 1958 episode "Bullet Proof" of the ABC/Warner Brothers series Sugarfoot, starring Will Hutchins; he was cast as Arkansas in the 1959 Sugarfoot episode "The Return of the Canary Kid". Barry appeared four times in the ABC/WB western Colt .45. Barry was cast as black-clad gunfighter in a 1961 episode, "Last Stop: Oblivion", of the ABC/WB western series, Maverick with Jack Kelly and fellow guest star Buddy Ebsen.