Gertrude Maud Barnes (25 March 1903 – 27 July 1998), known professionally as Binnie Barnes, was an English actress whose career in films spanned from 1923 to 1973.

Early life

Barnes was born in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ...

, London, the daughter of Rosa Enoyce and George Barnes, a policeman; 16 children were in her family. Before moving to Hollywood to become an actress, Barnes worked a series of jobs, such as

chorus girl A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed. Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms ...

, nurse, and dance hostess.

Career

Binnie Barnes in The Spanish Main trailer

Barnes began her acting career in films in 1923, appearing in a short film made by

Lee De Forest Lee de Forest (August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American inventor and a fundamentally important early pioneer in electronics. He invented the first electronic device for controlling current flow; the three-element " Audion" triode ...

in his

Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. Introduction In 1919 and 1920, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process ...

sound-on-film process. Her film career continued in Great Britain, most notably in ''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London Fi ...

'' (1933) as

Katherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542), also spelled Katheryn Howard, was Queen of England from 1540 until 1542 as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a cousin to Anne Boleyn (the s ...

, Henry's fifth wife. Barnes' main qualm in accepting roles as an actress was that she not play submissive roles. Barnes once remarked, "One picture is just like another to me, as long as I don't have to be a sweet woman". Later, her career continued in Hollywood, until 1973, when she appeared in the comedy ''

40 Carats ''Forty Carats'' is a play by Jay Presson Allen. Adapted from the French original by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy, the comedy revolves around a 40-year-old American divorcee who is assisted by a 22-year-old when her car breaks down dur ...

'', her last acting role.

Personal life

Barnes's first husband was London art dealer Samuel Joseph. Her second marriage was to film producer

Mike Frankovich Mitchell John "M. J." Frankovich (September 29, 1909 – January 1, 1992), best known as Mike Frankovich, was an American football player turned film actor and producer. Frankovich was the adopted son of actor Joe E. Brown and his wife, Kathry ...

, and later she was a naturalised United States citizen. The couple adopted three children. Binnie Barnes died on 27 July 1998 of natural causes, aged 95, in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

. She was interred in

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original and current flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, a chain of six cemeteries and four additional mortuaries in Southern Ca ...

.''The Archaeology of Hollywood''
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Hollywood Walk of Fame

For her contributions to the film industry, Barnes 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 1501

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into di ...

Complete filmography

* ''Phonofilm'' (1923) * ''

A Night in Montmartre ''A Night in Montmartre'' (sometimes written as ''Night in Montmartre'') is a 1931 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Horace Hodges, Franklin Dyall, Hugh Williams, Reginald Purdell and Austin Trevor. It was based o ...

'' (1931) – Therese * '' Love Lies'' (1931) – Junetta * ''

Doctor Josser K.C. ''Doctor Josser K.C.'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Ernie Lotinga, Jack Hobbs and Molly Lamont. Made at Elstree StudiosWood p.71 it was part of the Josser series of comedies featuring Lotinga. It is sometime ...

'' (1931) – Rosa Wopp * ''

Murder at Covent Garden ''Murder at Covent Garden'' is a 1932 British crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and i ...

'' (1932) – Girl * ''

The Innocents of Chicago ''The Innocents of Chicago'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Lupino Lane and starring Henry Kendall, Binnie Barnes and Margot Grahame. Production The film was made by British International Pictures at Elstree Studios.Wood p.72 It ...

'' (1932) – Peg Guinan * ''

Partners Please ''Partners Please'' is a 1932 British comedy film about an aristocrat who becomes a gigolo. It was shot at Cricklewood Studios as a quota quickie.Chibnall p.269 Cast * Pat Paterson as Angela Grittlewood *Tony Sympson as Archie Dawlish *Ronald W ...

'' (1932 short) – Billie * ''

Strip! Strip! Hooray!!! ''Strip! Strip! Hooray!!!'' is a 1932 British short comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Ken Douglas, Betty Norton and Albert E. Raynor. It was made by British International Pictures at Elstree Studios as a second feature.Chibnall p.2 ...

'' (1932 short) – Spanish Lady * ''

Down Our Street ''Down Our Street'' is a 1932 black and white British film directed by Harry Lachman. Plot This drama, set during the Depression, sees the character Charlie Stubbs trying to escape his poverty by becoming a criminal. When this course of actio ...

'' (1932) – Tessie Bernstein * ''

The Last Coupon ''The Last Coupon'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Frank Launder and starring Leslie Fuller, Mary Jerrold and Molly Lamont. It was based on a play by Ernest Bryan and was a success at the box office.Shafer p.153 It was shot at the El ...

'' (1932) – Mrs. Meredith * ''

Old Spanish Customers ''Old Spanish Customers'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Lupino Lane and starring Leslie Fuller, Binnie Barnes and Drusilla Wills. Plot British couple Bill and Martha (Leslie Fuller and Drusilla Wills) win a trip to Spain and enjoy ...

'' (1932) – Carmen * ''

Taxi to Paradise ''Taxi to Paradise'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Binnie Barnes, Garry Marsh and Henry Wilcoxon. It was made as a quota quickie at Wembley Studios.Wood p.76 Cast * Binnie Barnes as Joan Melhuish * Ga ...

'' (1933 short) – Joan Melhuish * ''

Counsel's Opinion ''Counsel's Opinion'' is a 1933 British romantic comedy film starring Henry Kendall and Binnie Barnes. It was one of three films directed in Britain in the early 1930s by Canadian-American Allan Dwan and was an early production from Alexande ...

'' (1933) – Leslie * ''

Heads We Go ''Heads We Go'' (U.S. title: ''The Charming Deceiver'') is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Constance Cummings, Frank Lawton and Binnie Barnes. It was made at Elstree Studios by British International Pictures. The ...

'' (1933) – Lil Pickering * ''

'' (1933) – Katherine Howard – The Fifth Wife * ''

The Silver Spoon ''The Silver Spoon'' is a 1933 British comedy crime film directed by George King and starring Ian Hunter, Garry Marsh and Cecil Parker. It was produced and distributed as a quota quickie by Warner Brothers and was shot at the company's Teddin ...

'' (1933) – Lady Perivale * ''

Their Night Out ''Their Night Out'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Claude Hulbert, Renee Houston and Gus McNaughton. It was made by British International Pictures at Elstree Studios.Wood p.76 The film's sets were designed by ...

'' (1933) – Lola * ''

Nine Forty-Five ''Nine Forty-Five'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by George King and starring Binnie Barnes, Donald Calthrop and Violet Farebrother. It was made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers.Wood p.79 A quota quick ...

'' (1934) – Ruth Jordan * '' No Escape'' (1934) – Myra Fengler * '' The Lady Is Willing'' (1934) – Helene Dupont * ''

One Exciting Adventure ''One Exciting Adventure'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Ernst L. Frank and starring Binnie Barnes, Neil Hamilton and Paul Cavanagh.Goble p.229 It is a remake of the 1933 German film '' What Women Dream''. Cast * Binnie Barnes as ...

'' (1934) – Rena Sorel * '' Gift of Gab'' (1934) – Maid * ''

The Private Life of Don Juan ''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. T ...

'' (1934) – Rosita, a Maid Pure and Simple * ''

Forbidden Territory ''Forbidden Territory'' is a 1934 British thriller film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Gregory Ratoff, Ronald Squire and Binnie Barnes. It was based on the 1933 novel ''The Forbidden Territory'' by Dennis Wheatley.Shaw p.15 The film, ...

'' (1934) – Valerie Petrovna * '' There's Always Tomorrow'' (1934) – Alice Vail * ''

Diamond Jim ''Diamond Jim'' is a 1935 biographical film based on the published biography ''Diamond Jim Brady'' by Parker Morell. It follows the life of legendary entrepreneur James Buchanan Brady, including his romance with entertainer Lillian Russell, and s ...

'' (1935) – Lillian Russell * '' Rendezvous'' (1935) – Olivia Kerloff * ''

La Fiesta de Santa Barbara ''La Fiesta de Santa Barbara'' is a 1935 American comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 9th Academy Awards in 1936 for Best Short Subject (Color). It features a young, pre-stardom 13-year-old Ju ...

'' (1935, Short) – Herself * ''

Sutter's Gold ''Sutter's Gold'' is a 1936 American Western film. It is a fictionalized version of the aftermath of the discovery of gold on Sutter's property, spurring the California Gold Rush of 1849. Edward Arnold plays John Sutter. The supporting cast in ...

'' (1936) – Countess Elizabeth Bartoffski * '' Small Town Girl'' (1936) – Priscilla Hyde * ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfind ...

'' (1936) – Alice Munro * '' The Magnificent Brute'' (1936) – Della Lane * ''

Three Smart Girls ''Three Smart Girls'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Barbara Read, Nan Grey, Deanna Durbin (her feature film debut), and Ray Milland. The film's screenplay was written by Adele Comandini and Austin ...

'' (1936) – Donna Lyons * ''

Breezing Home ''Breezing Home'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Milton Carruth and starring Binnie Barnes, William Gargan, and Wendy Barrie. Plot A racehorse trainer, Steve Rowan, is forced to sell one of his favorites, Galaxy, to a crooked bo ...

'' (1937) – Henrietta Fairfax * ''

Broadway Melody of 1938 ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical traditi ...

'' (1937) – Caroline Whipple * ''

Out of the Blue Out of the Blue may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Out of the Blue'' (1931 film), a British musical by Gene Gerrard * ''Out of the Blue'' (1947 film), an American comedy directed by Leigh Jason *'' Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley'', a ...

'' (1937) – Rosa * ''

The Divorce of Lady X ''The Divorce of Lady X'' is a 1938 British Technicolor romantic comedy film produced by London Films; it stars Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and Binnie Barnes. It was directed by Tim Whelan and produced by Alexander Korda fro ...

'' (1938) – Lady Mere * ''

The First Hundred Years ''The First Hundred Years'' is the first ongoing TV soap opera in the United States that began as a daytime serial, airing on CBS from December 4, 1950 until June 27, 1952. A previous daytime drama on NBC, ''These Are My Children'', aired in 19 ...

'' (1938) – Claudia Weston * ''

The Adventures of Marco Polo ''The Adventures of Marco Polo'' is a 1938 adventure film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Gary Cooper, Sigrid Gurie, and Basil Rathbone. It was one of the most elaborate and costly of Samuel Goldwyn's productions. Plot Nicolo Polo shows t ...

'' (1938) – Nazama * ''

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...

'' (1938) – Mrs. Laura Cram * ''

Three Blind Mice "Three Blind Mice" is an English-language nursery rhyme and musical round.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 306. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of ...

'' (1938) – Miriam Harrington * '' Always Goodbye'' (1938) – Harriet Martin * ''

Tropic Holiday ''Tropic Holiday'' is a 1938 American musical film directed by Theodore Reed and starring Bob Burns, Dorothy Lamour and Ray Milland. The film was nominated for the Academy Award's Best Original Score. Cast * Bob Burns as Breck Jones * Doro ...

'' (1938) – Marilyn Joyce * '' Gateway'' (1938) – Mrs. Fay Sims * ''

Thanks for Everything Thanks for Everything may refer to: * ''Thanks for Everything'' (1938 film), a 1938 film by William A. Seiter, * ''Thanks for Everything'' (2019 film), a 2019 film by Louise Archambault, * ''Thanks for Everything'' (EP), a 2018 EP by Third Eye ...

'' (1938) – Kay Swift * ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'' (1939) – Milady De Winter * ''

Wife, Husband and Friend ''Wife, Husband and Friend'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Loretta Young, Warner Baxter and Binnie Barnes in the three title roles, respectively. The film, based on a script by Nunnally Johnson, tell ...

'' (1939) – Cecil Carver * '' Man About Town'' (1939) – Lady Arlington * '' Frontier Marshal'' (1939) – Jerry * ''

Day-Time Wife ''Day-Time Wife'' is a 1939 comedy directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell. Darnell and Power play Jane and Ken Norton, a married couple approaching their second anniversary. This was Linda Darnell's second film. ''Day ...

'' (1939) – Blanche * ''

'Til We Meet Again ''Til We Meet Again'' is a 1940 romance film directed by Edmund Goulding and Anatole Litvak and starring Merle Oberon and George Brent as two doomed, star-crossed lovers. It is a remake of the 1932 film '' One Way Passage'' and itself was re ...

'' (1940) – Comtesse de Bresac * '' This Thing Called Love'' (1940) – Charlotte Campbell * ''

Angels with Broken Wings ''Angels with Broken Wings'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and starring Jane Frazee and Binnie Barnes. It was released by Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, ...

'' (1941) – Sybil Barton * ''

Tight Shoes ''Tight Shoes'' is the ninth studio album by the band Foghat. It was released in 1980 on Bearsville Records. It was also the last release Rod Price participated on until 1994's '' Return of the Boogie Men''. Track listing All tracks by Dave Pev ...

'' (1941) – Sybil Ash * ''

The Great Awakening ''The Great Awakening'' is the fourth studio album from the Christian rock band Leeland, released on September 20, 2011. ''The Great Awakening'' received a nomination to the 54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on Februar ...

'' (1941, aka ''New Wine'') – Countess Marie Duvarre * '' Three Girls About Town'' (1941) – Faith Banner * ''

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) – Myrtle Vantine * ''

Call Out the Marines ''Call Out the Marines'' is a 1942 military comedy released by RKO in February 1942. It stars Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe playing the same characters with different names that they played in '' What Price Glory?'' and several sequels; howev ...

'' (1942) – Violet 'Vi' Hall * '' In Old California'' (1942) – Lacey Miller * ''

I Married an Angel ''I Married An Angel'' is a 1938 musical comedy by Rodgers and Hart. It was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary, entitled ''Angyalt Vettem Felesegul''. The book was by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with music by Rodge ...

'' (1942) – Peggy * ''

The Man from Down Under ''The Man from Down Under'' is an American 1943 drama film starring Charles Laughton as a man who raises two war orphans. It was called "Hollywood's first full-length film dealing exclusively with Australia and Australians". Plot After the end ...

'' (1943) – Aggie Dawlins * '' Up in Mabel's Room'' (1944) – Alicia Larchmont * ''

The Hour Before the Dawn ''The Hour Before the Dawn'' is a 1944 American drama war film directed by Frank Tuttle starring Franchot Tone and Veronica Lake. It was based on the 1942 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Plot In 1923 in England, General Hetherton is instructing h ...

'' (1944) – May Heatherton * ''

Barbary Coast Gent ''Barbary Coast Gent'' is a 1944 American Western comedy film set in 1880s San Francisco's Barbary Coast and Nevada starring Wallace Beery. The movie was directed by Roy Del Ruth and features Binnie Barnes, Beery's brother Noah Beery, Sr., Joh ...

'' (1944) – Lil Damish * '' It's in the Bag!'' (1945) – Eve Floogle * ''

The Spanish Main ''The Spanish Main'' is a 1945 American adventure film starring Paul Henreid, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak and Binnie Barnes, and directed by Frank Borzage. It was RKO's first all-Technicolor film since ''Becky Sharp'' ten years before. Cinem ...

'' (1945) – Anne Bonney * '' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1945) – Barbara * ''

The Time of Their Lives ''The Time of Their Lives'' is a 1946 American fantasy-comedy film starring the comedic duo Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Barton. Plot In 1780, master tinker Horatio Prim arrives at the Kings Point estate of Tom Danbury. Although ...

'' (1946) – Mildred Dean * ''

If Winter Comes ''If Winter Comes'' is a 1947 drama film released by MGM. The movie was directed by Victor Saville and based on the 1921 novel by A.S.M. Hutchinson. The film tells the story of an English textbook writer who takes in a pregnant girl. The novel ...

'' (1947) – Natalie Bagshaw * ''

The Dude Goes West ''The Dude Goes West'' is a 1948 American comedy western film starring Eddie Albert and Gale Storm. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and released by Monogram Pictures. The film was originally known as ''Tombstone''. Plot Gunsmith and marksman ...

'' (1948) – Kiki Kelly * ''

My Own True Love ''My Own True Love'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Compton Bennett and written by Arthur Kober, Josef Mischel and Theodore Strauss. The film stars Phyllis Calvert, Melvyn Douglas, Wanda Hendrix, Philip Friend, Binnie Barnes and Al ...

'' (1948) – Geraldine * ''

The Pirates of Capri ''The Pirates of Capri'' ( it, I pirati di Capri), released in the United Kingdom as ''The Masked Pirate'', is a 1949 Italian/American international co-production swashbuckler film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer starring Louis Hayward. It was filmed o ...

'' (1949, aka ''The Masked Pirate'') – Queen Maria Carolina * '' Fugitive Lady'' (1950) – Esther Clementi * '' Shadow of the Eagle'' (1950) – Catherine, Empress of Russia * ''

Decameron Nights ''Decameron Nights'' is a 1953 anthology Technicolor film based on three tales from ''The Decameron'' by Giovanni Boccaccio, specifically the ninth and tenth tales of the second day and the ninth tale of the third. It stars Joan Fontaine and, a ...

'' (1953) – Contessa di Firenze / Nerina the Chambermaid / The Old Witch * '' Malaga'' (1954) – Frisco * '' The Trouble with Angels'' (1966) – Sister Celestine * ''

Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows ''Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by James Neilson and starring Rosalind Russell, Stella Stevens and Binnie Barnes. Written by Blanche Hanalis, the film is based on a story by Jane Trahey about an old-l ...

'' (1968) – Sister Celestine * ''

'' (1973) – Maud Ericson

References

External links

* *
Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Binnie 1903 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from London American film actresses American television actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) English film actresses British emigrants to the United States English television actresses People from Islington (district) 20th-century English actresses 20th-century British businesspeople