Barry Sullivan (American actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barry Sullivan
Barry Sullivan in Harbormaster (1957)
Born	Patrick Barry Sullivan (1912-08-29)August 29, 1912 New York City, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1994(1994-06-06) (aged 81) Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1936–1987
Spouse(s)	Marie Brown ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1957)​ Gita Hall ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1961)​ Desiree Sumarra ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1965)​
Children	3

Patrick Barry Sullivan (born August 29, 1912 – died June 6, 1994) was an American actor. He had a long career, acting in over 100 movies, TV shows, plays, and radio programs for more than 40 years. He started as a main actor and later became known for playing interesting supporting characters.

Some of his famous roles were in movies like The Great Gatsby and The Bad and the Beautiful. He also starred in TV shows such as Harbormaster and The Tall Man. He even got nominated for a big award, a Primetime Emmy Award, for his acting in a TV play called The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

A writer named Ronald Bergan once said that Barry Sullivan was a "powerful" and "baleful" (meaning threatening or harmful) presence on screen. He believed Sullivan often gave more enjoyment than many other more famous stars.

Early Life and Education

Barry Sullivan was born in New York City. He studied law at New York University and Temple University. He started acting while in college, where he also played semi-pro football. Before becoming a full-time actor, he worked as a buyer for a department store.

Acting Career

Starting on Stage and Radio

Barry Sullivan's first time acting on Broadway was in a play called I Want a Policeman in 1936. That same year, he also appeared in St Helena.

He acted in several short films, including Strike! You're Out (1936) and Dime a Dance (1937). In Dime a Dance, he worked alongside famous actors like Imogene Coca and Danny Kaye.

Sullivan returned to Broadway for plays like All That Glitters (1938) and Eye on the Sparrow (1938), where he acted with a young Montgomery Clift. He became well-known when he joined the cast of the popular play The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939). Later, in 1950, he took over the role of Simon Templar (also known as The Saint) for a short time on an NBC Radio show.

Movie Roles

Barry Sullivan had a small part in the movie series The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941). He then got a supporting role in High Explosive (1943). He was also the second main male actor in The Woman of the Town (1943) with Claire Trevor.

Paramount Pictures signed him to a long-term contract. He got a good supporting role in the musical Lady in the Dark (1944) with Ginger Rogers. He also supported Dorothy Lamour in Rainbow Island (1944) and Alan Ladd in And Now Tomorrow (1944).

After working for Paramount, he moved to Monogram Pictures. He starred in Suspense (1946), which was the most expensive film that studio had made at the time. Monogram was very happy with his work, so Sullivan signed a deal to make three more movies with them. He got the main role in a Western film called Bad Men of Tombstone (1949).

MGM, another big studio, also signed Sullivan. He played supporting roles in movies like Tension (1950) and A Life of Her Own (1950). He became the main actor in Cause for Alarm! (1951) and Payment on Demand (1951) with Bette Davis. He was given top billing in No Questions Asked (1951).

From the trailer for Her Twelve Men (1954)

Sullivan also played the lead in several lower-budget crime films, known as film noir, such as Loophole (1954). In June 1954, he went back to Broadway to take over a role in the play The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

He was the main male actor for famous actresses like Joan Crawford in Queen Bee (1955) and Doris Day in Julie (1956). He also starred in Sam Fuller's Western Forty Guns (1957) with Barbara Stanwyck. His last film role was in The Last Straw in 1987.

Television Work

In the 1953-1954 TV season, Barry Sullivan was a judge on a show called Jukebox Jury. His first main TV role was as a secret agent in The Man Called X (1956-1957). He also directed some episodes of the TV show Highway Patrol.

Sullivan continued to appear as a guest star on many popular shows, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Playhouse 90. He starred in the Western TV show The Tall Man (1960–1962). He also played the family leader Ben Pride in the TV series The Road West.

He made guest appearances on shows like Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, and Mannix. He even appeared in an episode of Barnaby Jones in 1973.

Barry Sullivan has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One is for his work in television, and the other is for his work in movies.

Personal Life

Barry Sullivan was married three times and had three children. His first wife was Marie Brown, a Broadway actress. They were married from 1937 to 1957 and had two children, Jenny and John.

His second marriage was to model and actress Gita Hall in 1958. They divorced in 1961. Their daughter, Patsy, became a child model. Patsy later had seven children, making Barry Sullivan a grandfather.

Sullivan's third marriage was to Desiree Sumarra. This marriage ended in divorce in 1965, and they did not have any children together.

Death

Barry Sullivan passed away at the age of 81 on June 6, 1994. He died from respiratory failure, which means his lungs stopped working properly.

Partial Filmography

Radio Appearances

In 1950, Barry Sullivan temporarily replaced Vincent Price as The Saint in the radio episode "The Ghost that Giggled" (September 17, 1950).

See also

In Spanish: Barry Sullivan para niños