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Lynn Bari
Actor

Lynn Bari

18 Dec 1913Born
20 Nov 1989Died
75Age at death
130Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lynn Bari (born Margaret Schuyler Fisher, December 18, 1913 – November 20, 1989) was a film actress who specialized in playing sultry, statuesque man-killers in roughly 150 20th Century Fox films from the early 1930s through the 1940s.

Bari was one of 14 young women "launched on the trail of film stardom" August 6, 1935, when they each received a six-month contract with 20th Century Fox after spending 18 months in the company's training school. The contracts included a studio option for renewal for as long as seven years.

In most of her early films, Bari had uncredited parts usually playing receptionists or chorus girls.

Read the full biography

She struggled to find starring roles in films, but accepted any work she could get. Rare leading roles included China Girl (1942), Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943), and The Spiritualist (1948). In B movies, Lynn was usually cast as a villainess, notably Shock and Nocturne (both 1946). An exception was The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944). During WWII, according to a survey taken of GIs, Bari was the second-most popular pinup girl after the much better-known Betty Grable.

Bari's film career fizzled out in the early 1950s as she was approaching her 40th birthday, although she continued to work at a more limited pace over the next two decades, now playing matronly characters rather than temptresses. She portrayed the mother of a suicidal teenager in a 1951 drama, On the Loose, plus a number of supporting parts.

Bari's last film appearance was as the mother of rebellious teenager Patty McCormack in The Young Runaways (1968) and her final TV appearances were in episodes of The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. and The FBI.

She quickly took up the rising medium of television during the '50s, which began when she starred in the live television sitcom Detective's Wife, which ran during the summer of 1950, and in Boss Lady

In 1955, Bari appeared in the episode "The Beautiful Miss X" of Rod Cameron's syndicated crime drama City Detective. In 1960, she played female bandit Belle Starr in the debut episode "Perilous Passage" of the NBC western series Overland Trail starring William Bendix and Doug McClure and with fellow guest star Robert J. Wilke as Cole Younger.

From July–September 1952, Bari starred in her own situation comedy, Boss Lady, a summer replacement for NBC's Fireside Theater. She portrayed Gwen F. Allen, the beautiful top executive of a construction firm. Not the least of her troubles in the role was being able to hire a general manager who did not fall in love with her.

Commenting on her "other woman" roles, Bari once said, "I seem to be a woman always with a gun in her purse. I'm terrified of guns. I go from one set to the other shooting people and stealing husbands!"

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 130 credits.

  1. 2015Johnny WalkerFilm: Christine Faber (archive footage)
  2. 1968The Young RunawaysFilm: Mrs. Donford
  3. 1966The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.Series: Miss Twickum (1 episode)
  4. 1965The F.B.I.Series: Belinda (1 episode)
  5. 1962Six Gun LawFilm: Mrs. Simmons
  6. 1962TraumaFilm: Helen Garrison
  7. 1961EvergladesSeries (1 episode)
  8. 1961The New BreedSeries: Mrs. Grace (1 episode)
  9. 1961Ben CaseySeries (1 episode)
  10. 1960Michael ShayneSeries (1 episode)
  11. 1960The AquanautsSeries: Ann Nincel (1 episode)
  12. 1959Law of the PlainsmanSeries: Constance Valeri (1 episode)
  13. 1958BroncoSeries: Amy Biggs (1 episode)
  14. 1958Damn CitizenFilm: Pat Noble
  15. 1957Perry MasonSeries: Sylvia Cord, Ruth Duncan (1 episode)
  16. 1956The Women of Pitcairn IslandFilm: Maimiti
  17. 1955Science Fiction TheatreSeries (1 episode)
  18. 1955Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone KopsFilm: Leota Van Cleef
  19. 1954Climax!Series: Mrs. Combie (1 episode)
  20. 1954Studio 57Series (1 episode)
  21. 1954Francis Joins the WACSFilm: Louise Simpson
  22. 1953City DetectiveSeries (2 episodes)
  23. 1952Boss LadySeries: Gwen Allen (12 episodes)
  24. 1952Has Anybody Seen My Gal?Film: Harriet Blaisdell
  25. 1952I Dream of JeanieFilm: Mrs. McDowell
  26. 1951On the LooseFilm: Larry Lindsay
  27. 1951Sunny Side of the StreetFilm: Mary
  28. 1951I'd Climb the Highest MountainFilm: Mrs. Billywith
  29. 1950Lux Video TheatreSeries: Kay Plumber, Millie Drake, Evelyn, Anita Cooper (1 episode)
  30. 1950Detective's WifeSeries: Connie Conway (14 episodes)
  31. 1949The Kid from ClevelandFilm: Katherine Jackson
  32. 1948The Amazing Mr. XFilm: Christine Faber
  33. 1948The Man from TexasFilm: Charlie Jackson
  34. 1946NocturneFilm: Frances Ransom
  35. 1946MargieFilm: Miss Isabel Palmer
  36. 1946Home Sweet HomicideFilm: Marian Carstairs
  37. 1946ShockFilm: Elaine Jordan
  38. 1945Captain EddieFilm: Adelaide Frost Rickenbacker
  39. 1944Sweet and Low-DownFilm: Pat Stirling
  40. 1944Take It or Leave ItFilm: (archive footage) (uncredited)
  41. 1944TampicoFilm: Katherine Hall
  42. 1944The Bridge of San Luis ReyFilm: Michaela Villegas
  43. 1943Hello, Frisco, HelloFilm: Bernice Croft
  44. 1942China GirlFilm: Captain Fifi
  45. 1942Orchestra WivesFilm: Jaynie Stevens
  46. 1942The Magnificent DopeFilm: Claire Harris
  47. 1942The Falcon Takes OverFilm: Ann Riordan
  48. 1942Secret Agent of JapanFilm: Kay Murdock
  49. 1942The Night Before the DivorceFilm: Lynn Nordyke
  50. 1941The Perfect SnobFilm: Chris Mason
  51. 1941Moon Over Her ShoulderFilm: Susan Rossiter
  52. 1941We Go FastFilm: Rose Coughlin
  53. 1941Sun Valley SerenadeFilm: Vivian Dawn
  54. 1941Blood and SandFilm: Encarnacion
  55. 1941Sleepers WestFilm: Kay Bentley
  56. 1940Charter PilotFilm: Marge Duncan
  57. 1940Kit CarsonFilm: Dolores Murphy
  58. 1940Pier 13Film: Sally Kelly
  59. 1940EarthboundFilm: Linda Reynolds
  60. 1940Lillian RussellFilm: Edna McCauley
  61. 1940Free, Blonde and 21Film: Carol Northrup
  62. 1940City of ChanceFilm: Julie Reynolds
  63. 1939City in DarknessFilm: Marie Dubon
  64. 1939Pack Up Your TroublesFilm: Yvonne
  65. 1939Hollywood CavalcadeFilm: Actress
  66. 1939Hotel for WomenFilm: Barbara Hunter
  67. 1939News Is Made at NightFilm: Maxine Thomas
  68. 1939Chasing DangerFilm: Renée Claire
  69. 1939The Return of the Cisco KidFilm: Ann Carver
  70. 1939Pardon Our NerveFilm: Terry Wilson
  71. 1938SharpshootersFilm: Dianne Woodward
  72. 1938Meet the GirlsFilm: Terry Wilson
  73. 1938I'll Give a MillionFilm: Cecelia
  74. 1938Always GoodbyeFilm: Jessica Reid
  75. 1938Speed to BurnFilm: Marion Clark
  76. 1938JosetteFilm: Mrs. Elaine Dupree
  77. 1938Battle of BroadwayFilm: Marjorie Clark
  78. 1938Mr. Moto's GambleFilm: Penny Kendall
  79. 1938Walking Down BroadwayFilm: Sandra De Voe
  80. 1938The Baroness and the ButlerFilm: Klari - Maid

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.