Barbara Bates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbara Bates
Bates in Quicksand (1950)
Born	Barbara Jane Bates (1925-08-06)August 6, 1925 Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Died	March 18, 1969(1969-03-18) (aged 43) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Resting place	Crown Hill Cemetery, Jefferson County, Colorado
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1945–1962
Spouse(s)	Cecil Coan ​ ​ (m. 1945; died 1967)​ William Reed ​ ​ (m. 1968)​

Barbara Jane Bates (born August 6, 1925 – died March 18, 1969) was an American actress. She was well-known for playing Phoebe in the 1950 movie All About Eve. She also starred as Katy Morgan in the TV show It's a Great Life from 1954 to 1956.

Early Life in Denver

Barbara Bates was the oldest of three sisters. She was born in Denver, Colorado. As she grew up, Barbara studied ballet and worked as a fashion model.

Even though she was shy, she entered a local beauty contest. Barbara won the contest! Her prize was two train tickets to Hollywood, California. While in Hollywood, she met Cecil Coan. He was a publicist for United Artists. Barbara and Cecil would later get married.

Starting Her Acting Career

In September 1944, when Barbara was 19, she signed a contract with Universal Pictures. Cecil Coan helped her meet a movie producer. Soon after, she appeared in the 1945 drama Salome Where She Danced.

Barbara spent the next few years taking small parts in movies. She also posed for magazines like Yank, the Army Weekly and Life. Executives at Warner Bros. saw her photos. They signed her to a contract in 1947. Warner Bros. promoted her as a "girl-next-door." Her acting career then really took off. She worked with big stars like Bette Davis and Danny Kaye.

In 1949, Barbara's contract with Warner Bros. ended. This happened because she did not want to go to New York City. She was supposed to promote her movie The Inspector General. Even after leaving Warner Bros., she signed with 20th Century-Fox later that year.

Becoming Phoebe in All About Eve

In late 1949, Barbara tried out for a small role in Fox's movie All About Eve. She was competing against other actresses for the part of Phoebe. Barbara impressed the producers and got the role.

She had a short but important scene at the end of the film. Her character, Phoebe, was a clever schemer. Barbara's image is famous from the movie's last scene. She poses in front of a three-way mirror. She holds an award won by her idol, Eve Harrington. This scene made critics and audiences curious about Barbara. They thought she would star in a sequel to All About Eve. The Hollywood Reporter praised her performance. They said she summed up the whole story.

More Movies and TV Shows

After All About Eve, Barbara co-starred in Cheaper by the Dozen. She also appeared in its sequel, Belles on Their Toes. She acted alongside Jeanne Crain and Myrna Loy.

In 1951, she got a role in the comedy Let's Make It Legal. She acted with MacDonald Carey and Claudette Colbert. In 1953, she co-starred with Donna Reed. They played the girlfriends of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in the hit comedy The Caddy.

Challenges in Her Career

Even though her career seemed successful, Barbara faced many challenges. She had strong mood swings and felt very insecure. In 1954, she got the role of Cathy on the NBC sitcom It's a Great Life. She acted with Frances Bavier and James Dunn.

After 26 episodes, she was written out of the show. This was due to her behavior and emotional struggles. Barbara tried to keep her career going. She traveled to England to find work. She signed with the Rank Organisation. However, she was replaced in two main roles before filming started. Barbara was too emotionally unstable to work. In 1957, her contract with the Rank Organisation was canceled.

Final Appearances

Barbara returned to the United States in 1957. She made her last movie, Apache Territory, which came out in 1958. She then appeared in two TV commercials. One was for floor wax, and another was with Buster Keaton.

In 1960, Barbara's husband, Cecil Coan, became very ill. Barbara stopped acting to care for him. Her final TV appearance was in an episode of The Saint in November 1962.

Later Life and Passing

In January 1967, Barbara's husband, Cecil, passed away. She was very sad after his death. Later that year, she moved back to Denver, Colorado. She stopped being in the public eye. For a while, Barbara worked as a secretary, a dental assistant, and a hospital aide.

In December 1968, she married for a second time. She married William Reed, a childhood friend. Despite her new marriage, Barbara remained very sad.

On March 18, 1969, Barbara Bates was found in her mother's garage. She was 43 years old. She is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County, Colorado.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Barbara Bates para niños

• List of American film actresses
• List of people from Denver, Colorado