Barbara Britton (born Barbara Maurine Brantingham; September 26, 1920 – January 17, 1980) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her Western film roles opposite

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

, and

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

and for her two-year tenure as inquisitive amateur sleuth Pam North on the television and radio series '' Mr. and Mrs. North''.

Early life

Britton was born September 26, 1920, in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

. 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 working on local stage productions.

Career

In 1941, while appearing in a Pasadena

Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

, 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 Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

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.")

Film

That same year, she appeared in her first two films: the William Boyd Western '' Secret of the Wastelands'' and ''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase () was the acquisition of the Louisiana (New France), territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River#Watershed, Mississipp ...

'' starring

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

. Her first major film appearance was in a small role in the

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

film ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...

'' (1942). In 1944, she gave a very affecting performance with

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

in '' Till We Meet Again''. 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 William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in Ne ...

'' 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 Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

'', and that same year she starred opposite

in '' Loaded Pistols''. In total, she starred or appeared in 26 films during that decade.

Television

Britton starred in the 1950s television show ''Mr. and Mrs. North'', a Thin Man-like mystery show, with Richard Denning and

Francis De Sales Francis de Sales, Congregation of the Oratory, C.O., Order of Minims, O.M. (; ; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Savoyard state, Savoyard Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He became n ...

. She was probably best known for being the spokeswoman for

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it remains. Revlon was founded by brothers Charle ...

products in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in advertisements and commercials that included live spots on ''

The $64,000 Question ''The $64,000 Question'' is an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals. Contestants answered general knowledge questions, earning money which doubled as the ...

''. She also portrayed Laura Petrie in

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...

's '' Head of the Family'', the 1959 pilot for the later '' Dick Van Dyke Show''. One of Britton's last roles was on the daytime television soap opera ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

'' in 1979.

Magazines

Over a 24-month span, Britton's picture appeared on more than 100 magazine covers, including those of ''

Ladies Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine that ran until 2016 and was last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century ...

Woman's Home Companion ''Woman's Home Companion'' was an American monthly magazine, published from 1873 to 1957. It was highly successful, climbing to a circulation peak of more than four million during the 1930s and 1940s. The magazine, headquartered in Springfield, O ...

'', and ''

McCall's ''McCall's'' was a monthly United States, American women's magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. The publication ...

''. In 1949, a newspaper article reported, "Today, Barbara Britton's picture has appeared on more national magazine covers than any other motion picture actress in the world."

Personal life

Reportedly, in 1944, Britton suffered from nervous exhaustion due to overwork and was advised to seek the help of physician and psychoanalyst Dr. Eugene J. Czukor. Britton and Czukor, who was 22 years her senior, were married on April 2, 1945. At one time, the couple had a home on Victoria Drive in

Laguna Beach, California Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Located in Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, this seaside resort city has a mild year-round climate, scenic c ...

.. They moved to

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

in 1957. For many years, Britton and her husband lived in a rambling, red-shingled farmhouse in

Bethel, Connecticut Bethel () is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the town was 20,358. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connect ...

. Sharing their love of antiques, they opened a shop in an early American barn in the antique-gallery enclave of

Woodbury, Connecticut Woodbury is a New England town, town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The population was 9,72 ...

. They had two children, Ted and Christina. Their marriage lasted for 34 years until Britton's death. She died of pancreatic cancer at her Manhattan apartment on January 17, 1980, at the age of 59. Britton was a Republican, and she campaigned for

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

in both

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

and

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

Honors and awards

In 1948, Britton was given a key to the City of

. On February 8, 1960, she received a star for television on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

; her star is located at 1719 Vine Street.

Filmography

Films

* '' Secrets of the Wasteland'' (1941) - Jennifer Kendall * ''

'' (1941) - Louisiana Belle * '' The Fleet's In'' (1942) - Eileen Wright * ''

'' (1942) - Charleston Lady * '' Beyond the Blue Horizon'' (1942) - Pamela, Girl at Circus (uncredited) * ''

Wake Island Wake Island (), also known as Wake Atoll, is a coral atoll in the Micronesia subregion of the Pacific Ocean. The atoll is composed of three islets – Wake, Wilkes, and Peale Islands – surrounding a lagoon encircled by a coral reef. The neare ...

'' (1942) - Sally Cameron (uncredited) * '' Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1942) - Miss Lucy Olcott * '' Freedom Comes High'' (1943, Short) - Ellen Blanding * ''

Young and Willing ''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, and Susan Hayward. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp based on the play ''Out of th ...

'' (1943) - Marge Benson Dennison * '' So Proudly We Hail!'' (1943) - Lt. Rosemary Larson * '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944) - Ruth * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1944) - Sister Clothilde aka Louise Dupree * '' The Great John L.'' (1945) - Kathy Harkness * ''

'' (1945) - Lady Anne Dunstan * '' The Virginian'' (1946) - Molly Wood * '' They Made Me a Killer'' (1946) - June Reynolds * '' The Fabulous Suzanne'' (1946) - Suzanne * '' The Return of Monte Cristo'' (1946) - Angel Picard * '' Gunfighters'' (1947) - Bess Banner * ''

'' (1948) - Letty Tyler * '' Mr. Reckless'' (1948) - Betty Denton * '' The Untamed Breed'' (1948) - Cherry Lucas * '' Loaded Pistols'' (1948) - Mary Evans * '' I Shot Jesse James'' (1949) - Cynthy * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own misdeeds) from relational co ...

'' (1949) - Anita Weatherby * ''

Champagne for Caesar ''Champagne for Caesar'' is a 1950 American comedy film about a quiz show contestant directed by Richard Whorf from an original screenplay by Hans Jacoby and Fred Brady. It stars Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, Barbara Britton, and ...

'' (1950) - Gwenn Bottomley * '' The Bandit Queen'' (1950) - Zara Montalvo aka Lola Belmont * '' The Raiders'' (1952) - Elizabeth Ainsworth * '' Ride the Man Down'' (1952) - Lottie Priest * ''

Bwana Devil ''Bwana Devil'' is a 1952 American adventure B movie written, directed, and produced by Arch Oboler, and starring Robert Stack, Barbara Britton, and Nigel Bruce. ''Bwana Devil'' is based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters and filmed wi ...

'' (1952) - Alice Hayward * '' Dragonfly Squadron'' (1954) - Donna Cottrell * '' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1955) - Pat Beaton * '' Night Freight'' (1955) - Wanda * '' The Spoilers'' (1955) - Helen Chester * ''Majeok'' (1967)

Television series

* ''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with '' The United States Steel Ho ...

'' (1950–1951) * '' Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' (1951) * ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' (1951) - Hilda * '' Lights Out'' (1951) * '' Cameo Theatre'' (1951) * '' Schlitz Playhouse'' (1952) - Pamela * '' Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1952–1954) - Pamela North / Kitty Pomeroy * ''

Danger Danger is a lack of safety and may refer Places * Danger Cave, an archaeological site in Utah * Danger Island, Great Chagos Bank, Indian Ocean * Danger Island, alternate name of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean * Danger Island ...

'' (1954) * ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'' (1955) - Duana Clarke * ''Appointment with Adventure'' (1955) * ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The Live television, live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run ...

'' (1950–1955) - Liz * ''The Christophers'' (1955) * '' The Ford Television Theatre'' (1955) - Alice / Kathy Collins * '' Head of the Family'' (Pilot for what would become ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions"Calv ...

'') (1959) * ''The Comedy Spot'' (1960) - Laura Petrie * ''

'' (1968) - Fran Craig Gordon #1 (1979-1980) (final appearance)

Radio

* ''Stars in the Air'' (1952) Episode: '' Weekend for Three'' * ''Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1953-1955)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Britton, Barbara American television actresses American film actresses Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New York (state) Long Beach City College alumni 1920 births 1980 deaths 20th-century American actresses Paramount Pictures contract players Actresses from Long Beach, California Long Beach Polytechnic High School alumni