Don 'Red' Barry
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.
Acting
TV
Little House on the Prairie
as Larabee
1974
TV
Batman
as The Grand Vizier
1966
TV
Batman
as Tarantula
1966
TV
Bonanza
as Temple
1959
TV
Bonanza
as Bud Claggett
1959
TV
The Munsters
as Ted
1964
Movie
Orca
as Dock Worker
1977
TV
The Six Million Dollar Man
as Howie
1974
Movie
Johnny Got His Gun
as Jody Simmons
1971
Movie
Ocean's Eleven
as McCoy (uncredited)
1960
Movie
Rio Lobo
as Feeny - Bartender (uncredited)
1970
Movie
Only Angels Have Wings
as Tex
1939
TV
The Bionic Woman
1976
TV
Charlie's Angels
as Harry Silvers
1976
Movie
The Swarm
as Pete Harris
1978
Movie
Warlock
as Edward Calhoun (uncredited)
1959
Movie
Dead End
as Dr. Flynn, Intern (uncredited)
1937
TV
CHiPs
as Truck Driver
1977
TV
CHiPs
as Frank Taylor
1977
TV
CHiPs
as Marty Ballard
1977
Movie
Hooper
as Sheriff
1978
TV
Perry Mason
as Red Doyle
1957
Movie
Bandolero!
as Jack Hawkins
1968
TV
The Rockford Files
as Shorty McCall
1974
