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{{short description|American actress}}
{{More footnotes|date=July 2008}}
{{More footnotes|date=July 2008}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Viola Barry
| name = Viola Barry
| image = Ace of the Saddle (1919) - Carey & Barry.jpg
| image = Violabarry.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption =
| caption = [[Harry Carey (actor)|Harry Carey]] and Viola Barry in ''[[Ace of the Saddle]]'' (1919)
| birth_name = Gladys Viola Wilson
| birth_name = Gladys Viola Wilson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1894|3|4}}
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |19|1909|12|9|noage=1}}
| birth_place = [[Evanston, Illinois]]
| birth_place = [[Evanston, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|4|2|1894|3|5}}
| death_date = {{Death date|1964|4|2}}
| death_place = [[Hollywood, California]]
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| other_names =
| other_names =
| occupation = Film actress
| occupation = Film actress
| spouse = John Conway (1911&ndash;1918)<br>F. McGrew Willis (1921&ndash;1957)
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* John Conway (1911&ndash;1918)
* F. McGrew Willis (1921&ndash;1957)
}}
| years_active = 1911&ndash;1920
| years_active = 1911&ndash;1920
}}
}}


'''Viola Barry''' (March 4, 1894 – April 2, 1964) was an American [[silent film]] actress who starred in a number of films during the 1910s.
'''Viola Barry''' ({{birth based on age as of date |19|1909|12|9|noage=1}}<ref name=sfc/> – April 2, 1964) was an American [[silent film]] actress who starred in a number of films during the 1910s.


==Biography==
==Early years==
⚫
Gladys Viola Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Rev. [[J. Stitt Wilson]], a Methodist minister.<ref name=Returned>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2390484/returned_lecturer_j_stitt_wilson_to/ "Returned Lecturer, J. Stitt Wilson, to Speak at Berkeley,"] ''Oakland Tribune,'' Feb 13, 1910, pg. 30.</ref> She moved with her family to Berkeley, California, where her father was a socialist lecturer and was mayor of Berkeley in 1911.{{Citation needed |date=June 2021}} She attended [[Berkeley High School (California)|Berkeley High School]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Minister's girl proves a clever play writer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4365862/oakland-tribune/ |access-date=June 3, 2021 |work=Oakland Tribune |date=August 5, 1906 |page=13|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>


She studied under [[Herbert Beerbohm Tree]] while she spent more than two years in England, returning to California in December 1909.<ref name="sfc">{{cite news |title=Young girl wins honors abroad |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4365818/the-san-francisco-call/ |access-date=June 3, 2021 |work=The San Francisco Call |date=December 8, 1908 |page=9wpn}}</ref>
===Early years===
⚫
Gladys Viola Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Rev. [[J. Stitt Wilson]], a Methodist minister.<ref name=Returned>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2390484/returned_lecturer_j_stitt_wilson_to/ "Returned Lecturer, J. Stitt Wilson, to Speak at Berkeley,"] ''Oakland Tribune,'' Feb 13, 1910, pg. 30.</ref> She moved with her family to Berkeley, California, where her father became prominent as a socialist lecturer and gained election as mayor of Berkeley in 1911.


===Acting career===
==Acting career==


In 1910, under her stage name Viola Barry,<ref>Although she used it for the rest of her life, Viola Barry was actually a stage name. See: [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2390852/actress_daughter_of_well_known/ "Actress, Daughter of Well Known Socialist, Marries,"] ''Oakland Tribune,'' Feb. 28, 1911, pg. 11.</ref> Wilson signed with the Belasco Theater Company to be their new [[ingenue (stock character)|ingénue]]. Previously, she had four years of stage experience, two of these with Benson's Shakespearean Company in England. Among the heroines she played were Viola, Juliet, Portia, and Rosalind. Her first appearance with the Belasco company was in ''The Test'' by [[Jules Eckert Goodman]].
Before December 1909, Barry was leading woman at Ye Liberty Theater in Oakland, California.<ref name="sfc" /> In 1910, under her stage name Viola Barry,<ref>Although she used it for the rest of her life, Viola Barry was actually a stage name. See: [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2390852/actress_daughter_of_well_known/ "Actress, Daughter of Well Known Socialist, Marries,"] ''Oakland Tribune,'' Feb. 28, 1911, pg. 11.</ref> Wilson signed with the Belasco Theater Company in Los Angeles to be its new [[ingenue (stock character)|ingénue]]. Previously, she had four years of stage experience, two of these with F. H. Benson's Shakespearean Company in England. Among the heroines she played were Desdemona, Juliet, Ophelia, and Portia.<ref name="lah">{{cite news|date=December 6, 1910|title=Actress Viola Barry a Socialist? Sure! Stitt Wilson's her father|page=4wpn|work=Los Angeles Herald|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78866683/viola-barry/|access-date=June 3, 2021}}</ref> Her first appearance with the Belasco company was in ''The Test'' by [[Jules Eckert Goodman]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Viola Barry at Belasco |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78868087/viola-barry/ |access-date=June 3, 2021 |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=November 24, 1910 |page=16|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>


She was in movies from 1911 through 1920. Her early screen credits include ''The Totem Mask'', ''The Voyager: A Tale of Old Canada'', ''McKee Rankin's '49'', ''John Oakhurst, Gambler'', ''An Indian Vestal'', ''Coals of Fire'', ''A Painter's Idyl'', ''The Chief's Daughter'', ''George Warrington's Escape'', and ''Evangeline''. All these were completed in her first year in movies.
She was in movies from 1911 through 1920. Her early screen credits include ''The Totem Mask'', ''The Voyager: A Tale of Old Canada'', ''McKee Rankin's '49'', ''John Oakhurst, Gambler'', ''An Indian Vestal'', ''Coals of Fire'', ''A Painter's Idyl'', ''The Chief's Daughter'', ''George Warrington's Escape'', and ''Evangeline''. All these were completed in her first year in movies.


===Personal life===
==Personal life==


In February 1911, Barry married actor and film director [[Jack Conway (filmmaker)|Jack Conway]] of the Bison Moving Picture Company in [[Santa Ana, California]]. They had one daughter, Rosemary. The couple divorced in 1918.
In February 1911, Barry married actor and film director [[Jack Conway (filmmaker)|Jack Conway]] of the Bison Moving Picture Company<ref>{{cite news |title=Viola Barry, former Liberty favorite, weds motion picture man |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78872504/viola-barry/ |access-date=June 3, 2021 |work=The Evening Times-Star |date=February 28, 1911 |location=California, Alameda |page=8|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> in Santa Ana, California. They had one daughter, Rosemary. The couple divorced in 1918. Barry later married screenwriter [[Frank McGrew Willis]], with whom she had four children: Virginia, Gloria, McGrew, and James.


Barry was a suffragette and, like her father, a [[Socialism|Socialist]].<ref name="lah" />
Barry subsequently married screenwriter [[Frank McGrew Willis]], with whom she had four more children: Virginia, Gloria, McGrew, and James.


===Death and legacy===
==Death and legacy==


Viola Barry Willis died in 1964 in [[Hollywood, California]]. She was buried at the [[Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)|Mountain View Cemetery]] in [[Oakland, California]].
Barry died in 1964 in Hollywood, California. She was buried at the [[Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)|Mountain View Cemetery]] in Oakland, California.{{Citation needed |date=June 2022}}


==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==
Line 51: Line 54:
* ''[[Twixt Love and Fire]]'' (1914)
* ''[[Twixt Love and Fire]]'' (1914)
* ''[[His Favourite Pastime]]'' (1914)
* ''[[His Favourite Pastime]]'' (1914)
* ''[[John Barleycorn (film)|John Barleycorn]]'' (1914) *Lost film
* ''[[John Barleycorn (film)|John Barleycorn]]'' (1914), lost film
* ''[[Martin Eden (1914 film)|Martin Eden]]'' (1914) *Incomplete film
* ''[[Martin Eden (1914 film)|Martin Eden]]'' (1914), incomplete film
* ''[[The Flying Torpedo]]'' (1916) *Lost film
* ''[[The Flying Torpedo]]'' (1916), lost film
* ''[[Ace of the Saddle]]'' (1919) *Lost film
* ''[[Sex (film)|Sex]]'' (1920)


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
Line 64: Line 65:


*''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', "Viola Barry at Belasco", November 24, 1910, Page II6.
*''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', "Viola Barry at Belasco", November 24, 1910, Page II6.
*''Los Angeles Times'', "No Failure For Them", February 27, 1911, Page II3.
*''Los Angeles Times'', "No Failure for Them", February 27, 1911, Page II3.
*''Los Angeles Times'', "Rites Held for Star of Silent Films", April 7, 1964, Page 32.
*''Los Angeles Times'', "Rites Held for Star of Silent Films", April 7, 1964, Page 32.


Line 72: Line 73:
*{{Amg name|4280}}
*{{Amg name|4280}}
*{{Tcmdb name}}
*{{Tcmdb name}}
*{{FAG|142365027}}


{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}
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[[Category:Actresses from California]]
[[Category:Actresses from California]]
[[Category:Actresses from Evanston, Illinois]]
[[Category:Actresses from Evanston, Illinois]]
[[Category:1894 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:Actresses from Berkeley, California]]
[[Category:Actresses from Berkeley, California]]

Latest revision as of 19:27, 6 January 2024

Viola Barry
Born
Gladys Viola Wilson

1889 or 1890
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Died(1964-04-02)April 2, 1964
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1911–1920
Spouses
  • John Conway (1911–1918)
  • F. McGrew Willis (1921–1957)

Viola Barry (1889 or 1890[1] – April 2, 1964) was an American silent film actress who starred in a number of films during the 1910s.

Early years

[edit]

Gladys Viola Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Rev. J. Stitt Wilson, a Methodist minister.[2] She moved with her family to Berkeley, California, where her father was a socialist lecturer and was mayor of Berkeley in 1911.[citation needed] She attended Berkeley High School.[3]

She studied under Herbert Beerbohm Tree while she spent more than two years in England, returning to California in December 1909.[1]

Acting career

[edit]

Before December 1909, Barry was leading woman at Ye Liberty Theater in Oakland, California.[1] In 1910, under her stage name Viola Barry,[4] Wilson signed with the Belasco Theater Company in Los Angeles to be its new ingénue. Previously, she had four years of stage experience, two of these with F. H. Benson's Shakespearean Company in England. Among the heroines she played were Desdemona, Juliet, Ophelia, and Portia.[5] Her first appearance with the Belasco company was in The Test by Jules Eckert Goodman.[6]

She was in movies from 1911 through 1920. Her early screen credits include The Totem Mask, The Voyager: A Tale of Old Canada, McKee Rankin's '49, John Oakhurst, Gambler, An Indian Vestal, Coals of Fire, A Painter's Idyl, The Chief's Daughter, George Warrington's Escape, and Evangeline. All these were completed in her first year in movies.

Personal life

[edit]

In February 1911, Barry married actor and film director Jack Conway of the Bison Moving Picture Company[7] in Santa Ana, California. They had one daughter, Rosemary. The couple divorced in 1918. Barry later married screenwriter Frank McGrew Willis, with whom she had four children: Virginia, Gloria, McGrew, and James.

Barry was a suffragette and, like her father, a Socialist.[5]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Barry died in 1964 in Hollywood, California. She was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.[citation needed]

Selected filmography

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Young girl wins honors abroad". The San Francisco Call. December 8, 1908. p. 9wpn. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "Returned Lecturer, J. Stitt Wilson, to Speak at Berkeley," Oakland Tribune, Feb 13, 1910, pg. 30.
  3. ^ "Minister's girl proves a clever play writer". Oakland Tribune. August 5, 1906. p. 13. Retrieved June 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Although she used it for the rest of her life, Viola Barry was actually a stage name. See: "Actress, Daughter of Well Known Socialist, Marries," Oakland Tribune, Feb. 28, 1911, pg. 11.
  5. ^ a b "Actress Viola Barry a Socialist? Sure! Stitt Wilson's her father". Los Angeles Herald. December 6, 1910. p. 4wpn. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "Viola Barry at Belasco". The Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1910. p. 16. Retrieved June 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Viola Barry, former Liberty favorite, weds motion picture man". The Evening Times-Star. California, Alameda. February 28, 1911. p. 8. Retrieved June 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

Other sources consulted

[edit]
  • Los Angeles Times, "Viola Barry at Belasco", November 24, 1910, Page II6.
  • Los Angeles Times, "No Failure for Them", February 27, 1911, Page II3.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Rites Held for Star of Silent Films", April 7, 1964, Page 32.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Viola Barry.
  • Viola Barry at IMDb
  • ‹The template AllMovie name is being considered for deletion.› Viola Barry at AllMovie
  • Viola Barry at the TCM Movie Database Edit this at Wikidata
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