Phyllis Barrington (February 7, 1904 – June 20, 1989) was an American actress. Born Clara Parry and raised in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Parley M. Parry. She was a graduate of Salt Lake's East High School. She danced with the Alexander Oumansky ballet company and then toured in stock companies, where she appeared in such plays as ''The Second Year'' and ''She Got What She Wanted''. She attended the Major School of Acting in Long Beach, California and studied voice. A 1931 interview reported her hobbies as landscape drawing and sculpture. Independent, low-budget producer

Willis Kent Willis Kent (June 8, 1878, Michigan – March 11, 1966, Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to th ...

was impressed by the young actress and signed her to a contract in 1930. Kent changed her professional name from the unpretentious Clara Parry to the more elegant Phyllis Barrington and tried to promote her as an important player. His trade advertisements singled out her starring films in large, bold type as "Phyllis Barrington Specials," the first being ''Golddiggers of Hollywood'', ultimately released as ''

Playthings of Hollywood ''Playthings of Hollywood'' is a 1930 American romantic drama film directed by William A. O'Connor and starring Phyllis Barrington, Rita La Roy, Sheila Bromley and Donald Reed.Pitts p.167 Made by the independent producer Willis Kent during t ...

'' and ''Chiselers of Hollywood'' (1930). Perhaps her most notable credit was '' Ten Nights in a Bar-Room'', the 1931 sound "rematch" of

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent cinema, and he became one of the highest-paid actors during this time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachuset ...

and

Tom Santschi Paul William "Tom" Santschi (October 24, 1880 – April 9, 1931) was an American leading man and character actor of the silent film era. Personal life Santschi was born in Missouri to Paul Santschi, a Swiss immigrant, and Margaret Kern, a nat ...

recreating their epic, barehanded fight scene from the 1914 silent feature '' The Spoilers''. Barrington also appeared in various Willis Kent melodramas, including ''

The Law of the Tong ''The Law of the Tong'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Phyllis Barrington, John Harron and Jason Robards Sr.Pitts p.394 Plot A dance hall hostess becomes mixed up in a gang smuggling illegal ...

'' (1931), with

John Harron John Harron (March 31, 1904 – November 24, 1939) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1918 and 1940. Born on March 31, 1904, in New York City, he was the brother of actor Robert Harron and of actress Mary ...

and Jason Robards, Sr., ''

Sinister Hands ''Sinister Hands'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Armand Schaefer. Plot A millionaire is murdered at a séance at a fortune-teller's home. Detective Capt Herbert Devlin and Detective Watkins investigate the crime only to discove ...

'' (1932) with

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

, ''

Sucker Money ''Sucker Money'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code film directed by Dorothy Davenport and Melville Shyer. The film is also known as ''Victims of the Beyond'' in the United Kingdom. Premise A phony spiritualist, Yomurda, uses fake seances and hypnotis ...

'' (1933), with

Mischa Auer Mischa Auer (born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky, ; 17 November 1905 – 5 March 1967) was a Russian-American actor who moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. He first appeared in film in 1928. Auer had a long career playing in many of the era's ...

, and her last picture, ''

The Murder in the Museum ''The Murder in the Museum'' is a 1934 American film directed by Melville Shyer. The film is also known as ''The Five Deadly Vices'' (American reissue title). Plot summary A city councilman is murdered while investigating allegations of drug ...

'' (1934), with

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

and John Harron. Barrington "appeared" in one last Willis Kent production, the 1936 western '' Gun Smoke'', in which only her photograph was seen. Barrington also appeared in plays. Her tenure with Willis Kent guaranteed her steady employment during the Depression years, but it didn't further her career or advance her to more important pictures at major studios. She worked in Willis Kent's minor-league productions exclusively. At some point before her father's death in 1938, she returned to her birth name and moved to New York City. She died in Los Angeles on June 20, 1989, aged 85.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1930) * ''

'' (1931) * '' Ten Nights in a Bar-Room'' (1931) * '' The Drifter'' (1932) * ''

'' (1932) * ''

The Reckless Rider ''The Reckless Rider'' is a 1932 American western film directed by Armand Schaefer and starring Lane Chandler, Phyllis Barrington and Neal Hart.Pits p.135 It was a loose remake of the 1928 FBO Pictures film '' When the Law Rides'' also written b ...

'' (1932) * ''

A Scarlet Week-End ''A Scarlet Week-End'' is a 1932 American mystery film directed by George Melford and starring Dorothy Revier, Theodore von Eltz and Phyllis Barrington. It was made as a second feature on Poverty Row by the independent producer Willis Kent.Pitts ...

'' (1932) * '' The Racing Strain'' (1932) * ''

'' (1933) * ''

Under Secret Orders ''Under Secret Orders'', also known as ''Mademoiselle Doctor'', is a 1937 British spy film directed by Edmond T. Gréville and starring Erich von Stroheim, John Loder, Dita Parlo and Claire Luce. It is an English-language version of the Fr ...

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1934)

References

External links

Phyllis Barrington
at IMDb American film actresses 1904 births 1989 deaths Actresses from Salt Lake City 20th-century American actresses {{US-screen-actor-1900s-stub