Stage and Screen Star Gene Barry dies
Gene Barry, an actor and singer who is perhaps best described only as “dapper,” died Wednesday of undetermined causes in a California assisted-living facility. He was 90.
The legendary actor of stage, film, and television spent more than 60 years performing, and he is probably best known for his title role as “Bat Masterson” on the television series of the same name.
Born in 1919 in New York, Barry’s given name was Eugene Klass. While attending his Brooklyn high school, Barry won a singing contest that included a scholarship to the Chatham Square School of Music. It was while studying there that he first began singing on the radio.
In 1951, Barry signed a Hollywood contract and found himself starring in “War of the Worlds,” another of his most notable roles, in 1953. Barry went on to make more than 20 movies, a couple of which included “Soldier of Fortune” and “Thunder Road.”
In addition to his roles in film, Barry also appeared in a number of television programs including “The Twilight Zone,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Love Boat,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
Barry’s wife, Betty, died in 2003 after 58 years of marriage. Barry is survived by two sons, a daughter, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
[photo: Probert Encyclopedia]
Tags: actor, Bat Masterson, Gene Barry, Hollywood, singer, War of the Worlds
