Mona Barrie (born Mona Barlee Smith; 18 December 1909 – 27 June 1964) was an English-born actress, active on stage in Australia before establishing a career in the US, and in Hollywood films.

Career

Born Mona Barlee Smith in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to comedian Phil Smith and variety performer Jessie Barlee, she lived in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

from 1913, and made her professional debut as Mona Barlee on stage in a 1922 J. C. Williamson production of ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...

''. For the next ten years she performed for J.C. Williamson's, mostly in musical comedies and earning a popular reputation, appearing with numerous Australian based variety stars including

Roy Rene Roy Rene (born Henry van der Sluys, 15 February 189122 November 1954) was an Australian comedian and vaudevillian. As the bawdy character Mo McCackie, Rene was one of the most well-known and successful Australian comedians of the 20th century. ...

. She also appeared in her first film, ''

His Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it t ...

'', with Australian comedian

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist a ...

. In 1933 she emigrated to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, was given a test for films and this led to signing with

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

. She made her first US film ''

Sleepers East ''Sleepers East'' is a 1934 American crime film directed by Kenneth MacKenna and written by Lester Cole. It is based on the 1933 novel ''Sleepers East'' by Frederick Nebel. The film stars Wynne Gibson, Preston Foster, Mona Barrie, Harvey Stephe ...

'' using the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Mona Barrie. While her lack of a glamorous beauty resulted in her generally being cast in important but secondary roles, during a film career spanning almost twenty years she appeared in more than fifty films. She co-starred in 1942's '' Dawn on the Great Divide'', the last film

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

made before he died in the Cocoanut Grove fire in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. Barrie also performed at various playhouses across the U.S, debuting on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1937 as Lady Agatha in

Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Nov ...

's ''

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

''. For her contributions to the film industry, Barrie received a motion pictures star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

in 1960. Her star is located at 6140

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

Personal life

She married Charles Harold Rayson in Melbourne, Australia, in July 1928, however the marriage was not a success and a divorce was granted in 1931. In 1938 she married

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Paul Macklin Bolton. Both unions were childless. Barrie died in 1964 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, aged 54, from undisclosed causes. She and Bolton are interred together in the Knox United Church Cemetery in

Agincourt, Toronto Agincourt () is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Agincourt is located in northeast Toronto, along Sheppard Avenue between Kennedy and Markham Roads (north-south includes lands between Highway 401 and Finch Av ...

Family

Barrie's sister, Rene Barlee, was a variety artist in Australia in the 1920s, while her brother, Roly Barlee, was chief announcer for Melbourne radio station 3UZ.Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic.: 1869-1954), 25 October 1941, Page 9, "The Voice Behind the 'Mike'"
accessed 10 January 2017.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1932) * '' Carolina'' (1934) - Virginia Buchanan * ''

'' (1934) - Ada Robillard * ''

All Men Are Enemies ''All Men Are Enemies'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and written by Lenore J. Coffee. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Mona Barrie, Hugh Williams, Herbert Mundin, Henry Stephenson and Walter Byron. T ...

'' (1934) - Margaret Scrope * ''

Such Women Are Dangerous ''Such Women Are Dangerous'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by James Flood, written by Oscar M. Sheridan, Jane Storm and Lenore Coffee, and starring Warner Baxter, Rosemary Ames, Rochelle Hudson, Mona Barrie, Herbert Mundin and Henriett ...

'' (1934) - Wanda Paris * '' One Night of Love'' (1934) - Rosa Lally * '' Charlie Chan in London'' (1934) - Lady Mary Bristol * ''

I'll Fix It ''I'll Fix It'' is a 1934 American romantic comedy film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Jack Holt, Mona Barrie and Winnie Lightner. An extremely powerful machine politics fixer is frustrated when his attempts to secure his younger bro ...

'' (1934) - Anne Barry * '' Mystery Woman'' (1935) - Margaret Benoit * '' Storm Over the Andes'' (1935) - Theresa * '' The Unwelcome Stranger'' (1935) - Madeline Chamberlain * ''

Ladies Love Danger ''Ladies Love Danger'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and written by Samson Raphaelson, Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. The film stars Mona Barrie, Gilbert Roland, Donald Cook, Adrienne Ames, Hardie Albright a ...

'' (1935) - Rita Witherspoon * '' The Melody Lingers On'' (1935) - Sylvia Turina * '' King of Burlesque'' (1936) - Rosalind Cleve * '' Here Comes Trouble'' (1936) - Evelyn Howard * '' A Message to Garcia'' (1936) - Spanish Spy * '' Love on the Run'' (1936) - Baroness Hilda * '' Mountain Justice'' (1937) - Evelyn Wayne * ''

I Met Him in Paris ''I Met Him in Paris'' is a 1937 film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Wesley Ruggles, written by Claude Binyon, and starring Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, and Robert Young. It was the first film shown at Washington, D.C.'s Newton ...

'' (1937) - Helen Anders * ''

Something to Sing About "Something to Sing About" (actual title: "This Land of Ours") is one of Canada's national songs, a patriotic song written by folk singer Oscar Brand that sings the praises of the many different regions of Canada. It has some similarities to "Sc ...

'' (1937) - Stephanie 'Steffie' Hajos * ''

Love, Honor and Behave ''Love, Honor and Behave'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Stanley Logan and starring Wayne Morris and Priscilla Lane. The supporting cast includes John Litel, Thomas Mitchell, Dick Foran and Dickie Moore. " Bei Mir Bist Du Sc ...

'' (1938) - Lisa Blake * ''

Men Are Such Fools ''Men are Such Fools'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy directed by Busby Berkeley and written by Norman Reilly Raine and Horace Jackson. The film stars Wayne Morris, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Hugh Herbert, Johnnie Davis, and Penny Si ...

'' (1938) - Beatrice Harris * '' Say It in French'' (1938) - Lady Westover * '' I Take This Woman'' (1940) - Sandra Mayberry * '' Love, Honor, and Oh Baby!'' (1940) - Deedee Doree * ''

Who Killed Aunt Maggie? ''Who Killed Aunt Maggie?'' is a 1940 American mystery film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring John Hubbard, Wendy Barrie and Mona Barrie. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures. Plot Radio-mystery script writer Sally Ambler is ...

'' (1940) - Eve Benedict * ''

Lady with Red Hair ''Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) is an American historical drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains and Richard Ainley. Released by Warner Brothers it stars Hopkins as the nineteenth century actress Mrs. Le ...

'' (1940) - Mrs. Brooks * '' Murder Among Friends'' (1941) - Clair Turk * '' When Ladies Meet'' (1941) - Mabel Guiness * '' Never Give a Sucker an Even Break'' (1941) - The Producer's Wife * ''

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring ''Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring'' is a 1941 American mystery film directed by James P. Hogan and written by Eric Taylor and Gertrude Purcell. It is based on the 1931 novel '' The Dutch Shoe Mystery'' by Ellery Queen. The film stars Ralph Be ...

'' (1941) - Nurse Marian Tracy * ''

Skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...

'' (1941) - Charlette Gorell * '' Road to Happiness'' (1941) - Millie Rankin * ''

Today I Hang Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Today (1930 film), ''Today'' (19 ...

'' (1942) - Martha Courtney * ''

A Tragedy at Midnight ''A Tragedy at Midnight'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Isabel Dawn. The film stars John Howard, Margaret Lindsay, Roscoe Karns, Mona Barrie, Keye Luke and Hobart Cavanaugh. The film was released on ...

'' (1942) - Alta Wilton * ''

The Strange Case of Doctor Rx ''The Strange Case of Doctor Rx'' is a 1942 black-and-white murder mystery/ horror B film by Universal Studios directed by William Nigh and starring Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Anne Gwynne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Samuel S. Hinds. Although ...

'' (1942) - Eileen Crispin * ''

Syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "place ...

'' (1942) - Lillian * ''

Lady in a Jam ''Lady in a Jam'' is a 1942 film comedy directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Irene Dunne, Patric Knowles, Ralph Bellamy, and Eugene Pallette. It was made and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1942) - Woman (uncredited) * ''

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Morrison * '' Dawn on the Great Divide'' (1942) - Sadie Rand * ''

One Dangerous Night ''One Dangerous Night'' (1943) (also known as ''The Lone Wolf Goes to a Party'') is the tenth Lone Wolf film produced by Columbia Pictures. It features Warren William Warren William (born Warren William Krech; December 2, 1894 – September 24 ...

'' (1943) - Jane Merrick * '' Storm Over Lisbon'' (1944) - Evelyn * '' Just Before Dawn'' (1946) - Harriet Travers * ''

The Devil's Mask ''The Devil's Mask'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Henry Levin and starring Anita Louise, Jim Bannon and Michael Duane. The film was the second of three B pictures based on the popular radio series '' I Love a Mystery''. As well a ...

'' (1946) - Louise Mitchell * '' The Secret of the Whistler'' (1946) - Linda Vail * ''

I Cover Big Town ''I Cover Big Town'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by William C. Thomas and written by Maxwell Shane. The film stars Phillip Reed, Hillary Brooke, Robert Lowery, Robert Shayne, Mona Barrie and Vince Barnett. It was released on Februa ...

'' (1947) - Dora Hilton * ''

When a Girl's Beautiful ''When a Girl's Beautiful'' is a 1947 musical comedy directed by Frank McDonald from a script by Brenda Weisberg. Actress Joi Lansing made her film debut on this film. Plot An advertising man begins a search for the "perfect woman" for a new ...

'' (1947) - Cordova * ''

Cass Timberlane ''Cass Timberlane'' is a 1947 romantic drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner and Zachary Scott and directed by George Sidney. It was based on the 1945 novel ''Cass Timberlane: A Novel of Husbands and Wives'' by Sinclair Lewis, which was ...

'' (1947) - Avis Elderman * ''

My Dog Rusty ''My Dog Rusty'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring Ted Donaldson, John Litel and Ann Doran. It was part of the eight-film Rusty series of films produced by Columbia Pictures, about a boy and his valiant German S ...

'' (1948) - Dr. Toni Cordell * '' The First Time'' (1952) - Cassie Mayhew * ''

Strange Fascination ''Strange Fascination'' is a 1952 American film noir directed by Hugo Haas, starring Cleo Moore, himself and Mona Barrie.. This was the first of six films pairing Haas and Moore. Plot The life of Paul Marvan (Haas), a world-famous concert piani ...

'' (1952) - Diana Fowler * ''

Plunder of the Sun ''Plunder of the Sun'' is a 1949 novel written by David F. Dodge about a hunt for ancient Peruvian treasure. It was adapted for the November 8, 1949 episode of the radio series ''Escape'' and later into the 1953 film noir of the same title, starr ...

'' (1953) - Tourist (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * *
Photographs of Mona Barrie
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrie, Mona 1909 births 1964 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London British expatriate actresses in Australia British emigrants to the United States English film actresses English stage actresses