Walter Lee Barnes (January 26, 1918 – January 6, 1998), nicknamed Piggy, was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

and actor who played in

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for four seasons. He played in college at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, and in the

(NFL) for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

. He was a two-time

NFL Champion Throughout its history, the National Football league (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national ...

(1948, 1949). After retiring in 1951, he became a film and television actor, mainly in

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

. During the 1960's, he worked extensively in West German and Italian cinema.

Early life

Barnes was born in

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's List of municipalities in West Virginia ...

. He earned his nickname of "Piggy" from catching a piglet when a boy. Playing football at Parkersburg High School, he was on the unbeaten 1938 team and played in the 1939 North-South Game.

Sports career

Following military service in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a sergeant, Barnes enrolled at

(LSU) where he became not only a football player but a college

weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

champion. Following graduation he joined the

football team as a guard before retiring and becoming a coach of football teams of

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

and

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. While playing for the Eagles, Barnes made time to help his alma mater, LSU, by spying on the practices of the

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...

team prior to the 1950 Sugar Bowl. After being caught by members of the Oklahoma football staff and

Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...

residents, Barnes fled to hide in the house of a former LSU teammate, Elbert Manuel. Both Barnes and Manuel refused Oklahoma coach

Bud Wilkinson Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson (April 23, 1916 – February 9, 1994) was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of ...

's offer to present themselves for identification to clear their names. The spying incident had little to do with the outcome of the game, as Oklahoma beat LSU easily, 35–0. Barnes was inducted into the Coaches' Association Hall in June 2010.

Acting career

Barnes entered acting after appearing several times on ''The Eagles Nest'', a local Philadelphia television show.

WCAU WCAU (channel 10) is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned and operated by the NBC television network through its NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Mount Laurel, New Jersey–licensed ...

television placed him on several local shows. His contacts with Walt Silver, a producer for

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios, operating under the name Warner Bros. Television (abbreviated as WBTV; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division), is an American television production and distribution studio and the flagship studio o ...

, led him into several appearances on television and films. Some of his more notable appearances included ''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for ro ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Ri ...

''-as Mason Enfield in S1 E32 (1958) and ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

''.

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' ...

got him a small role as Charlie the Bartender in '' Rio Bravo''. Tiring of small roles and seeing opportunities overseas, Barnes was one of the many American actors who moved to Italy in the early 1960s.

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

recommended him for a role in his '' The Vikings'' television spinoff ''Tales of the Vikings'' that was filmed for Douglas's production company in Germany. From 1960 to 1969, he was first active in pirate movies, then Karl May film adaptations and

Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s. Barnes returned to the United States in 1969 and appeared in more films and television series, which included ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' is an American Western action-adventure drama television series that aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971, starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in association with NBC Produc ...

''. His friendship with

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

on ''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'' later led him to several roles in Eastwood's films.

Personal life

Barnes married German actress Britta Wendel in 1961. They had two children together, actress

Lara Wendel Lara Wendel (born Daniela Rachele Barnes; 29 March 1965) is a German-Italian retired actress, active in film and television between 1972 and 1993. Her father was American football player and actor Walt Barnes. Life and career Wendel is the daug ...

(b. 1965) and child actor Michel Barnes. The couple divorced in 1968, shortly before Barnes returned to the United States.

Health issues and death

He retired from acting in 1987 and became increasingly ill due to his

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

. He spent his final years in the Motion Picture & Television Retirement Home in

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...

. He died on January 6, 1998.

Partial filmography

* 1957 '' Oregon Passage'' - film as Sergeant Jed Erschick * 1957 ''

'' - TV series as Chris Barlow * 1957 & 1958 ''

'' - TV series as O’Dell & Haney * 1958 ''

Revolt in the Big House ''Revolt in the Big House'' is a 1958 American film noir directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Gene Evans, Robert Blake (actor), Robert Blake and Timothy Carey. Portions of the film were shot on location at Folsom State Prison in California. ...

'' - film as Guard Captain Starkey * 1958 ''

'' - TV as Blacksmith Gil Calvin * 1959 ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'' - TV as Mr. Paulson * 1959 '' Westbound'' - film as Willis, Stage Depot Cook * 1959 '' Rio Bravo'' - film as Charlie (uncredited) * 1960 ''

Under Ten Flags ''Under Ten Flags'' () is a 1960 Italian-American war film directed by Duilio Coletti and starring Van Heflin, Charles Laughton, and Mylène Demongeot. It was entered into the 10th Berlin International Film Festival. Plot Loosely based on act ...

'' - film as Unknown * 1960 ''

Il carro armato dell'8 settembre ''Il carro armato dell'8 settembre'' is a 1960 Italy, Italian film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti. Cast * Gabriele Ferzetti: Tommaso * Elsa Martinelli: Mirella * Dorian Gray (actress), Dorian Gray: soubrette * Marisa Merlini: Palmira * Yvonne ...

'' - film as Unknown * 1960 ''

Robin Hood and the Pirates ''Robin Hood and the Pirates'' () is a 1960 Italian adventure film directed by Giorgio Simonelli, and starring Lex Barker and Jackie Lane. Plot Robin Hood, the protagonist, leaves Sherwood Forest, and joins the pirates. After several fights and ...

'' - film as Guercio / Orbo * 1961 ''

The Secret of the Black Falcon ''The Secret of the Black Falcon'' () is a 1961 Italian swashbuckler film co-written and directed by Domenico Paolella and starring Lex Barker and Livio Lorenzon. Plot Cast * Lex Barker as Captain Don Carlos de Herrera * Livio Lorenzon as ...

'' - film as

John Rackham John Rackham (hanged 18 November 1720), perhaps known as Calico Jack, was a pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and Jamaica during the early 18th century. Rackham was active in 1720, towards the end of the "Golden Age of Piracy". He is mos ...

* 1961 ''El secreto de los hombres azules'' - film as Matthias * 1961 '' Romulus and the Sabines'' - film as Stilicone * 1961 ''

Queen of the Seas Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

'' - film as Captain Poof * 1961 '' Revenge of the Conquered'' - film as Unknown * 1962 '' Avenger of the Seven Seas'' - film as Van Artz * 1963 ''Il segno di Zorro'' - film as Mario * 1963 ''

Captain Sindbad ''Captain Sindbad'' is a 1963 independently made fantasy and adventure film, produced by Frank King and Herman King, directed by Byron Haskin, that stars Guy Williams and Heidi Brühl. The film was shot at the Bavaria Film studios in Germany a ...

'' - film as Rolf * 1963 '' Slave Girls of Sheba'' - film as Unknown * 1963 '' Apache Gold'' as Bill Jones * 1964 '' Revenge of the Musketeers'' as Porthos * 1964 ''

Among Vultures ''Among Vultures'' (German: ''Unter Geiern'') is a 1964 Red Western film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice, Elke Sommer and Götz George. It was also released as ''Frontier Hellcat''. The film was a co-product ...

'' - film as Martin Bauman Sr. * 1965 ''

Challenge of the Gladiator ''Challenge of the Gladiator'' () is a 1965 Italy, Italian peplum film directed by Domenico Paolella. Plot Treacherous Roman senator Lucius Quintilius plans a secret journey into Thrace to recover a legendary treasure. He is accompanied by his ...

'' - film as Terenzo * 1965 ''

The Oil Prince The Oil Prince (German: ''Der Ölprinz'') is a 1965 West German-Yugoslav western film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice and Harald Leipnitz. It was also known as ''Rampage at Apache Wells''. The screenplay is ...

'' - film as Bill Campbell * 1965 '' Duel at Sundown'' - film as 'Old' McGow * 1966 ''

Winnetou and the Crossbreed ''Winnetou and the Crossbreed'' () is a 1966 West German Western film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, Götz George and Uschi Glas. It is part of the series of Karl May adaptations produced by Rialto Film durin ...

'' - film as Mac Haller * 1966 ''

The Big Gundown ''The Big Gundown'' () is a 1967 spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian. It was followed by Run, Man, Run in 1968. Plot Possessing a reputation for bringing criminals to justice, ready-to- ...

'' - film as Brokston * 1967 '' Clint the Stranger'' - film as Walter Shannon * 1967 ' - film as Colonel O'Connor * 1967 '' Love Nights in the Taiga'' - film as Jurij * 1967 '' Halleluja for Django'' - film as Jarret / Clay Thomas * 1968 ''

The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield ''The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield'' is a 1968 Cinema of Germany, German crime film directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber and starring Götz George, Werner Pochath and Anthony Steel (actor), Anthony Steel. It was one of a number of movies Steel made i ...

'' - film as Inspector Fred Lancaster * 1968 '' Garter Colt'' - film as General * 1968 '' The Moment to Kill'' - film as 'Bull' * 1968 '' The Magnificent Tony Carrera'' - film as Barnes * 1969 ''Colpo di stato'' - film as Unknown * 1969–1971 ''

'' - TV as Sheriff Truslow / Weatherby / Emmett J. Whitney / Will Griner * 1970 '' The Traveling Executioner'' - film as Sheriff * 1971 '' The Christian Licorice Store'' - film as P.C. Stayne * 1972 '' Daddy's Deadly Darling'' - film as Doctor * 1972–1973 '' Mission: Impossible'' - TV as Homer Chill / Al * 1973 ''

High Plains Drifter ''High Plains Drifter'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who ...

'' - film as Sheriff Sam Shaw * 1973 ''

Cahill U.S. Marshal ''Cahill U.S. Marshal'' is a 1973 American Western (genre), Western film in Technicolor starring John Wayne as a driven lawman in a black hat. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and filmed on location in Durango, Mexico. The supportin ...

'' - film as Sheriff Grady * 1975 ''

Escape to Witch Mountain ''Escape to Witch Mountain'' is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' in 1975 which spawned the ''Witch Mountain'' franchise. The novel was illustrated by L ...

'' - film as Sheriff Purdy * 1975 ''

Mackintosh and T.J. ''Mackintosh and T.J.'' is a 1975 American modern day Western film starring Roy Rogers in his last feature film appearance in a film that was specifically written for him. Prior to this film his most recent feature film appearances were in the ...

'' as Jim Webster * 1977 ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'' - TV as Mike Gold * 1977 '' Day of the Animals'' - film as Ranger Tucker * 1977 '' Another Man, Another Chance'' - film as Foster * 1977 '' Pete's Dragon'' - film as Captain * 1978 ''

Every Which Way but Loose ''Every Which Way but Loose'' is a 1978 American action comedy film released by Warner Bros. starring Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role. It was produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. Eastwood plays ...

'' - film as 'Tank' Murdock * 1980 ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'' - TV as Jeb McCobb * 1980 ''

Bronco Billy ''Bronco Billy'' is a 1980 American Western comedy-drama film starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. It was directed by Eastwood and written by Dennis Hackin. The film focuses on the financially struggling owner of a traditional Wild West s ...

'' - film as Sheriff Dix * 1981 '' Walking Tall'' - TV as Carl Pusser * 1981 ''

Smokey Bites the Dust ''Smokey Bites the Dust'' is a 1981 car chase film from New World Pictures directed by Charles B. Griffith. Despite the title, the film is not connected to the ''Smokey and the Bandit'' series. Plot The stock plot deals with Roscoe Wilton, a tee ...

'' - film as Sheriff Turner * 1982 ''

Father Murphy ''Father Murphy'' is an American Western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership w ...

'' - TV as Unknown * 1985 '' North and South'' - TV miniseries as Benny Haven * 1986 ''

Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...

'' - TV as Daniel Coleman * 1987 '' Boon'' - TV as JCB Driver (final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Walter Lee 1918 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American male actors American expatriates in Italy American football guards American male film actors American male television actors American male weightlifters United States Army personnel of World War II Arizona State Sun Devils football coaches Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery Columbia Lions football coaches Deaths from diabetes in California Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players Male Spaghetti Western actors Male Western (genre) film actors LSU Tigers football players Military personnel from Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg High School alumni Philadelphia Eagles players Sportspeople from Parkersburg, West Virginia Third Air Force Gremlins football players United States Army soldiers Players of American football from West Virginia