- Gene Barry
Infobox actor
caption =
birthname = Eugene Klass
birthdate = birth date and age|1919|6|14|mf=y
birthplace =New York City ,New York
occupation =Film , stage,television actor
spouse = Betty Barry (October 22 ,1944 -January 31 ,2003 )Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass;
June 14 ,1919 ) is an Americanactor .Biography
Career
Barry adopted his professional name in honor of
John Barrymore . He was trained in violin and voice and spent two years at the Chatham Square School of Music on a singing scholarship. He performed on Broadway in "Catherine Was Great" in 1944, and returned many years later to star in the 1983 musical "La Cage aux Folles " (based on the French film of the same name about a gay couple with a straight son) withGeorge Hearn as his life partner/spouse. For his contribution to live theater, Gene Barry has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6555 Hollywood Blvd.A prominent early
film role came in the 1953 production of the sci-fi classic "The War of the Worlds". He made an eyeblink-lengthcameo appearance inSteven Spielberg 's 2005 "War of the Worlds", along with his 1953 co-starAnn Robinson .Known for his suave manner, Barry was featured on
television in a recurring role in "Our Miss Brooks " and as the star of three of his own popular TV series -- "Bat Masterson", "The Name of the Game", and "Burke's Law ". He won the 1965 Golden Globe for "Burke's Law". The series, featuring homicide investigations by a millionaire police captain, returned in 1993-94 with Barry once again in the title role.He also starred in the 1973
ITV television series "The Adventurer", withBarry Morse andCatherine Schell . He recreated the role of the debonair Wild West lawmanBat Masterson for two episodes of "Guns of Paradise" in 1990 alongsideHugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp and again the following year in "", also with O'Brian as Earp.Barry portrayed the murderer in the original two-hour pilot for the television mystery series "Columbo", a psychiatrist who kills his wife in "Prescription: Murder".
Personal life
Barry was born Eugene Klass in
New York City ,New York , the son of Eva (née Conn) and Martin Klass; [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/42/Gene-Barry.html Gene Barry Biography (1919?-) ] ] all of his grandparents wereJew ish immigrants fromRussia .cite book | last =Boxer| first =Tim| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =The Jewish Celebrity Hall of Fame| publisher =Shapolsky| date =1987| location =New York| pages=| month =| url =| id =] He exhibited early skills with his singing andviolin playing. His wife of 58 years, Betty Clair Kalb, died in 2003. They met in 1944 while appearing on Broadway together in the musical "Catherine Was Great" withMae West . He has two sons, Michael and Frederick, and an adopted daughter, Elizabeth.References
External links
*imdb name|id=0058001|name=Gene Barry
*amg name|id=2:4257|name=Gene Barry
*tvtome person|id=6261
* [http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_of_the_worlds_pal.htm Review of The War Of The Worlds]
* [http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/barry.htm Gene Barry Fan Page]
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