Judith Barrett (born Lucille Kelley,
[ February 2, 1909 – March 10, 2000), also known as Nancy Dover, was an American film actress whose career spanned from the late 1920s until 1940.
]
Early life
Born and raised in Venus, Texas, Barrett was one of three children of a cattle rancher Sam Kelley.[ ]
Career
At sixteen, Barrett got on a train to Hollywood. Her first big chance came when she started in a lavish commercial film in 1928, ''The Sock Exchange'' opposite Bobby Vernon. In 1929, Barrett starred in five films, and made a successful transition to "talking films". From 1928 to 1933 she was billed as "Nancy Dover", and from 1930 to 1933 she appeared in nine films, all credited.
In 1933, Barrett appeared in only one film, ''Marriage Humor'' opposite Harry Langdon
Henry Philmore "Harry" Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American actor and comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', December 27 ...
and Vernon Dent, while doing stage work. She would not have another role until 1936, when she starred in the crime drama
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
''Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
'' opposite Henry Hunter, and alongside Ralph Morgan and Alan Hale. It was the first film that she was billed as "Judith Barrett". She appeared in two films that year, and five in 1937, one of which was her first uncredited role.
From 1938 to 1940, Barrett appeared in ten films, all credited, including ''Road to Singapore
''Road to Singapore'' is a 1940 American musical film, musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope. Based on a story by Harry Hervey, the film is about two playboys trying to avoid ...
'', the first "road" picture by the team of Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
and 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 ...
. Barrett retired from film acting following her appearance in the 1940 comedy '' Those Were the Days!'', starring William Holden
William Franklin Holden (né Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film '' Stalag 17'' (1953) and the Pri ...
and Bonita Granville
Bonita Gloria Granville Wrather (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was an American actress and producer.
The daughter of vaudevillians, Granville began her career on the stage at age three. She initially began as a child actress, making ...
.
Telegenic
Noted for her beauty, the October 16, 1939, edition of the ''Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news.
Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publish ...
'' said of her: "Judith Barrett, pretty and blonde actress, is the first Telegenic Girl to go on record. In other words, she is the perfect type of beauty for television. ... She is slated for the first television motion picture." ''The Salt Lake Tribune
''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871."
History ...
'' noted that Barrett was "selected after months of exhaustive tests by television experts, sound engineers, photographers and make-up specialists."[ ] 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 ...
followed up on the selection by featuring her in its film, '' Television Spy'' (1939).[
]
Personal life
In March 1940, Barrett married Lindsay C. Howard
Lindsay Coleman Howard (March 31, 1904 – September 6, 1971) was an American sportsman.
Early life
Lindsay was born on March 31, 1904, in San Francisco, California. He was the son of Fannie May Howard and Charles S. Howard, a prominent businessm ...
in Yuma, Arizona.[ ] They divorced on April 8, 1952.Cliff Edwards
Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American pop singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop sta ...
.[
She eventually settled in Palm Desert, California, where she was residing at the time of her death at the age of 91 on March 10, 2000.]
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Judith
American silent film actresses
American film actresses
People from Arlington, Texas
Actresses from Texas
1909 births
2000 deaths
20th-century American actresses