Binnie Barnes


Gertrude Maud Barnes, known professionally as Binnie Barnes, was an English actress whose career in films spanned from 1923 to 1973. She was known as a leading lady in films such as The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Last of the Mohicans, and In Old California.

Early life

Barnes was born in Islington, London, the daughter of Sarah Rose Noyce and George Barnes, a policeman; 16 children were in her family. Before moving to Hollywood to become an actress, Barnes worked a series of jobs, such as chorus girl, nurse, and dance hostess.

Career

Barnes began her acting career in films in 1923, appearing in a short film made by Lee De Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Her film career continued in Great Britain, most notably in The Private Life of Henry VIII as Katherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife. Barnes' main qualm in accepting roles as an actress was that she not play submissive roles. Barnes once remarked, "One picture is just like another to me, as long as I don't have to be a sweet woman". After she married Mike Frankovich, she moved to Europe with Frankovich and appeared in several films he produced there, including Decameron Nights with Louis Jourdan and Malaga with Maureen O'Hara and Macdonald Carey. Later, her career continued in Hollywood, until 1973, when she appeared in the comedy 40 Carats, her last acting role.

Personal life and death

Barnes's first husband was London art dealer Samuel Joseph. Her second marriage was to film producer Mike Frankovich, and later she was a naturalised United States citizen. The couple adopted three children.
Barnes was an avid swimmer. In 1936, she saved a drowning guest at William Wyler’s pool.
Binnie Barnes died on 27 July 1998 of natural causes, aged 95, in Beverly Hills. She was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

For her contributions to the film industry, Barnes received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Her star is located at 1501 Vine Street.

Complete filmography

  • Phonofilm
  • A Night in Montmartre as Therese
  • Love Lies as Junetta
  • Doctor Josser K.C. as Rosa Wopp
  • Murder at Covent Garden as Girl
  • The Innocents of Chicago as Peg Guinan
  • Partners Please as Billie
  • Strip! Strip! Hooray!!! as Spanish Lady
  • Down Our Street as Tessie Bernstein
  • The Last Coupon as Mrs. Meredith
  • Old Spanish Customers as Carmen
  • Taxi to Paradise as Joan Melhuish
  • Counsel's Opinion as Leslie
  • Heads We Go as Lil Pickering
  • The Private Life of Henry VIII as Katherine Howard, the Fifth Wife
  • The Silver Spoon as Lady Perivale
  • Their Night Out as Lola
  • Nine Forty-Five as Ruth Jordan
  • No Escape as Myra Fengler
  • The Lady Is Willing as Helene Dupont
  • One Exciting Adventure as Rena Sorel
  • Gift of Gab as Maid
  • The Private Life of Don Juan as Rosita, a Maid Pure and Simple
  • Forbidden Territory as Valerie Petrovna
  • There's Always Tomorrow as Alice Vail
  • Diamond Jim as Lillian Russell
  • Rendezvous as Olivia Kerloff
  • La Fiesta de Santa Barbara as Herself
  • Sutter's Gold as Countess Elizabeth Bartoffski
  • Small Town Girl as Priscilla Hyde
  • The Last of the Mohicans as Alice Munro
  • The Magnificent Brute as Della Lane
  • Three Smart Girls as Donna Lyons
  • Breezing Home as Henrietta Fairfax
  • Broadway Melody of 1938 as Caroline Whipple
  • Out of the Blue as Rosa
  • The Divorce of Lady X as Lady Mere
  • The First Hundred Years as Claudia Weston
  • The Adventures of Marco Polo as Nazama
  • Holiday as Mrs. Laura Cram
  • Three Blind Mice as Miriam Harrington
  • Always Goodbye as Harriet Martin
  • Tropic Holiday as Marilyn Joyce
  • Gateway as Mrs. Fay Sims
  • Thanks for Everything as Kay Swift
  • The Three Musketeers as Milady De Winter
  • Wife, Husband and Friend as Cecil Carver
  • Man About Town as Lady Arlington
  • Frontier Marshal as Jerry
  • Day-Time Wife as Blanche
  • 'Til We Meet Again as Comtesse de Bresac
  • This Thing Called Love as Charlotte Campbell
  • Angels with Broken Wings as Sybil Barton
  • Tight Shoes as Sybil Ash
  • The Great Awakening as Countess Marie Duvarre
  • Three Girls About Town as Faith Banner
  • Skylark as Myrtle Vantine
  • Call Out the Marines as Violet 'Vi' Hall
  • In Old California as Lacey Miller
  • I Married an Angel as Peggy
  • The Man from Down Under as Aggie Dawlins
  • Up in Mabel's Room as Alicia Larchmont
  • The Hour Before the Dawn as May Heatherton
  • Barbary Coast Gent as Lil Damish
  • It's in the Bag! as Eve Floogle
  • The Spanish Main as Anne Bonney
  • Getting Gertie's Garter as Barbara
  • The Time of Their Lives as Mildred Dean
  • If Winter Comes as Natalie Bagshaw
  • The Dude Goes West as Kiki Kelly
  • My Own True Love as Geraldine
  • The Pirates of Capri as Queen Maria Carolina
  • Fugitive Lady as Esther Clementi
  • Shadow of the Eagle as Catherine, Empress of Russia
  • Decameron Nights as Contessa di Firenze / Nerina the Chambermaid / The Old Witch
  • Malaga as Frisco
  • The Trouble with Angels as Sister Celestine
  • Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows as Sister Celestine
  • 40 Carats as Maud Ericson