Don 'Red' Barry profile
Actor profile

Don 'Red' Barry

11th January 1912 Houston, Texas, USA Acting

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.

142 Movies 84 TV Shows 226 Credits
Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

Orca poster
Orca 22nd July 1977 as Dock Worker
Hustle poster
Hustle 25th December 1975 as Airport Bartender
Whiffs poster
Whiffs 15th October 1975 as Sgt. Post
Rio Lobo poster
Rio Lobo 1st April 1970 as Feeny - Bartender (uncredited)
Shalako poster
Shalako 26th September 1968 as Buffalo
Warlock poster
Warlock 15th May 1959 as Edward Calhoun (uncredited)
Gunfire poster
Gunfire 12th August 1950 as Frank James / Bat Fenton
Ringside poster
Ringside 14th July 1949 as Mike O'Hara, "King Cobra"
My Buddy poster
My Buddy 12th October 1944 as Eddie Ballinger
Canyon City poster
Canyon City 24th November 1943 as Terry Reynolds posing as the Nevada Kid
Two Gun Sheriff poster
Two Gun Sheriff 9th April 1941 as Jim "Sundown Kid" McKinnon / Sheriff Bruce McKinnon
Jack Pot poster
Jack Pot 9th March 1940 as Bryan (uncredited)
Navy Blue and Gold poster
Navy Blue and Gold 19th November 1937 as Mason (Southern Institute football player) (uncredited)
Dead End poster
Dead End 27th August 1937 as Dr. Flynn, Intern (uncredited)
Beloved Enemy poster
Beloved Enemy 25th December 1936 as Mike, I.R.A. Patriot (Uncredited)
CHiPs poster
CHiPs 15th September 1977 as Marty Ballard
Adam-12 poster
Adam-12 21st September 1968 as Mr. Hobbs
Mannix poster
Mannix 16th September 1967 as Mr. Barlow
Ironside poster
Ironside 28th March 1967 as Capt. Dennis Barnes
Dragnet poster
Dragnet 12th January 1967 as James Fremont
Batman poster
Batman 12th January 1966 as Tarantula
Laredo poster
Laredo 16th September 1965 as Sam Dixie
F Troop poster
F Troop 14th September 1965 as Col. Donnely
Lawman poster
Lawman 5th October 1958 as Jess Schaeffer
Sugarfoot poster
Sugarfoot 17th September 1957 as Arkansas Ferguson
Cheyenne poster
Cheyenne 20th September 1955 as Shorty Jones
Dragnet poster
Dragnet 16th December 1951 as Mike Armstrong