Patricia Barry

Patricia Barry (born Patricia Allen White, November 16, 1922 – October 11, 2016) was an American actress.

Although Barry has numerous credits performing in stage productions and in films, the majority of her work was in television between 1950 and 2005, when she appeared in over 100 series either in supporting roles or as a guest star.

Early life and education Barry was born in Davenport, Iowa. Her father was a physician. She attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she received her academic and practical training in acting in the school's drama department, which was administered by the distinguished Broadway actress and teacher Maude Adams. After Barry's graduation from college, she gained some professional experience on stage in 1944 before winning a Rita Hayworth look-alike contest. The resulting publicity from that contest led to Barry being signed to a Hollywood movie contract with Warner Bros.

Career Stage Barry's theatrical debut came in summer theater at Peterborough, New Hampshire. Her credits on Broadway include The Pink Elephant (1953) and Goodbye Again (1956). She also starred in productions in Los Angeles, California, and Flagstaff, Arizona.

From 1947 to 1950, Barry gained additional acting experience in 16 other movies with Paramount Pictures, Columbia, RKO, and Gene Autry Productions. As before, when credited for her performances in those films, she continued to be recognized by her maiden name. However, following her marriage to producer Philip Barry Jr. in 1950, she began to use her married name professionally. Her performance on the February 28, 2005, episode of All My Children was Barry's last acting appearance broadcast on television.

During her prolific television career, Barry received three Emmy Award nominations for her performances, in 1957 for her role as a dying socialite in "Dark Victory" on Matinee Theater, in 1958 as Miss Calhoun in Startime's episode "The Wicked Scheme of Jebal Deeks", and in 1959 as Lucille in Playhouse 90's presentation "Reunion".

In 2016, a documentary film about the life of Patricia Barry "Heartland to Hollywood" was produced by Barry's daughters Miranda Barry and Stephanie Agnew.

Activism Outside of her acting career, Barry supported and served in a variety of educational foundations, charities, professional organizations, and women's advocacy groups. She was a charter member and past president of Women in Film (WIF), a Los Angeles–based organization established in 1973 to promote equal opportunities for women in the film industry and later to supporting the work of women not only in films, but also "in all other forms of global media." With regard to expanding support for female directors, producers, actors, technicians, and writers, Barry helped to promote the establishment of other WIF chapters throughout the United States and then, in the 1990s, in other countries through the creation of Women in Film and Television International. In addition to her work on behalf of WIF, Barry was the founding president of the American Film Institute Associates and served on boards and committees for Stephens College, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the John Tracy Clinic, a diagnostic and educational center that provides assistance to children coping with hearing loss.

Personal life Patricia was married for 48 years to producer and writer Philip Barry, Jr., until his death in 1998. The couple had two daughters.

Death On October 11, 2016, Patricia Barry died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 93.

Filmography