Viola Barry: Difference between revisions

Viola Barry
Viola Barry
	Harry Carey and Viola Barry in Ace of the Saddle (1919)
Born	Gladys Viola Wilson; March 4, 1894; Evanston, Illinois
Died	April 2, 1964 (aged 70); Hollywood, California
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	1911–1920
Spouse(s)	John Conway (1911–1918); F. McGrew Willis (1921–1957)

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Viola Barry (March 4, 1894 – April 2, 1964) was an American silent film actress.

Biography

Early ears

Gladys Viola Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois the daughter of Rev. J. Stitt Wilson, a Methodist minister.^[1] She moved with her family to Berkeley, California, where here father would gain prominence as a socialist lecturer and gain election as Mayor of Berkeley in 1910.

Acting career

In 1910, as Viola Barry she signed with the Belasco Theater Company to be their new ingénue. Prior to this, 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.

She was in motion pictures 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.

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

Death and legacy

Viola Barry Willis died in 1964 in Hollywood, California. She was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.

Selected filmography

References

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.

External links

Viola Barry at IMDb
‹The template AllMovie name is being considered for deletion.› Viola Barry at AllMovie
Viola Barry at the TCM Movie Database

Template:Persondata

^ "Returned Lecturer, J. Stitt Wilson, to Speak at Berkeley," Oakland Tribune, Feb 13, 1910, pg. 30.

[Returned-1] "Returned Lecturer, J. Stitt Wilson, to Speak at Berkeley," Oakland Tribune, Feb 13, 1910, pg. 30.

[1]

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 ==Biography==
+===Early ears===
-She was born '''Gladys Viola Wilson''' in [[Evanston, Illinois]] the daughter of [[Jackson Stitt Wilson]]. She moved with her family to [[Berkeley, California]].
+Gladys Viola Wilson was born in [[Evanston, Illinois]] the daughter of Rev. [[J. Stitt Wilson]], a Methodist minister.<ref name=Returned>[http://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 here father would gain prominence as a socialist lecturer and gain election as [[List of mayors of Berkeley, California|Mayor of Berkeley]] in 1910.
+===Acting career===
-In 1910, Barry signed with the Belasco Theater Company to be their new [[ingenue (stock character)|ingénue]]. Prior to this, 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]].
+In 1910, as Viola Barry she signed with the Belasco Theater Company to be their new [[ingenue (stock character)|ingénue]]. Prior to this, 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]].
 She was in motion pictures 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.
 In February 1911, Barry married John Conway (aka 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.  Barry subsequently married screenwriter Frank McGrew Willis with whom she had four more children: Virginia, Gloria, McGrew, and James.
+===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]].