Cast

Don 'Red' Barry

Acting

Cast

Don 'Red' Barry

Known for

Acting

Born

1912-01-11

From

Houston, Texas, USA

Died

1980-07-17

Also known as Donald Barry De Acosta, Donald Barry, Donald 'Red' Barry

Biography

Donald Barry went from the stage to the screen. After four years of playing villains and henchmen at various studios, Barry got the role that changed his image: Red Ryder in the Republic Pictures serial Adventures of Red Ryder (1940). Although he had appeared in westerns for two years or so, this was the one that kept him there. He acquired the nickname "Red" from his association with the Red Ryder character. After the success of "Red Ryder" Barry starred in a string of westerns for Republic. Studio chief Herbert J. Yates got the idea that Barry could be Republic's version of James Cagney, as he was short and had the same scrappy, feisty nature that Cagney had. Unfortunately, while Barry could in fact be a good actor when he wanted to be -- as he showed in the World War II drama The Purple Heart (1944) -- his "feistiness", combative nature and oversized ego caused him to alienate many of the casts and crews he worked with at Republic (ace serial director William Witney detested him, calling him "the midget", and director John English worked with him once and refused to ever work with him again). Barry made a series of westerns at Republic throughout the 1940s, but by 1950 his career had pretty much come to a halt, and he was reduced to making cheaper and cheaper pictures for bottom-of-the-barrel companies like Lippert and Screen Guild. Barry continued to work and still appeared in westerns up through the 1970s, but they were often in small supporting roles, sometimes unbilled. In 1980 he committed suicide by shooting himself.

Don 'Red' Barry

Don 'Red' Barry

Biography

Ocean's Eleven

Shalako

Bandolero!

Orca

Alvarez Kelly

Rio Lobo

Warlock

Johnny Got His Gun

7 Men from Now

Starsky & Hutch

Only Angels Have Wings

Back Roads

The Swarm

Hooper

Dead End

Undercover with the KKK

Ringside

Jack Pot

From Noon Till Three

Iron Angel

Hot Lead & Cold Feet

Walk on the Wild Side

Flying Down to Rio

Boss Nigger

One More Train to Rob

Remember Pearl Harbor

The Phantom Cowboy

Night Waitress

The Shakiest Gun in the West

Twilight of Honor

Incident on a Dark Street

I'll Cry Tomorrow

The Secret of Dr. Kildare

Outlaws of Pine Ridge

Train to Alcatraz

Sinners in Paradise

The Last Mile

The Magnificent Stranger

The Crash of Flight 401

Doctor Dracula

The Purple Heart

China Doll

Law of the Lawless

Red Tomahawk

Town Tamer

S.O.S Tidal Wave

Tough Assignment

Gun Duel in Durango

Death Valley Outlaws

The Last Crooked Mile

The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County

Apache Uprising

Adventures of Red Ryder

The Big Operator

Junior Bonner

The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West

Donovan's Kid

Blazing Stewardesses

The Eyes of Charles Sand

Hunters Are for Killing

The Crowd Roars

The Dalton Gang

Partners in Crime

Days of Jesse James

Navy Blue and Gold

Sailor's Lady

Fort Utah

Untamed Heiress

Calling Dr. Kildare

Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid

Think It Over

Hustle

Wyoming Outlaw

Punch and Jody

The Twinkle In God's Eye

Young Dr. Kildare

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch