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Gertrude Maud "Binnie" Barnes (25 March 1903 – 27 July 1998) was an English actress whose career in films spanned 50 years, from 1923 to 1973.
Life and career
Barnes was born in Islington, London, the daughter of Rosa Enoyce and George Barnes, a policeman. Before moving to Hollywood to become an actress, Barnes worked a series of jobs, such as chorus girl, nurse, and dance hostess.
She 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 (1933) 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". Later, her career continued in Hollywood, until 1973, when she appeared in the comedy 40 Carats, her last acting role.
Marriage
She was married, secondly, to film producer Mike Frankovich, and later a naturalized United States citizen. The couple adopted three children.
Death
Binnie Barnes died in 1998 of natural causes, aged 95, in Beverly Hills, California. She was survived by her three children, including production manager, Mike Frankovich, Jr., and producer Peter Frankovich. She was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.
Filmography
- Night in Montmartre (1931)
- Doctor Josser K.C. (1931)
- Love Lies (1931)
- Out of the Blue (1931)
- Murder at Covent Garden (1932)
- Strip! Strip! Hooray!!! (1932)
- The Innocents of Chicago (1932)
- Old Spanish Customers (1932)
- Partners Please (1932)
- The Last Coupon (1932)
- Down Our Street (1932)
- Counsel's Opinion (1933)
- Heads We Go (1933)
- The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)
- Their Night Out (1933)
- Taxi to Paradise (1933)
- The Silver Spoon (1934)
- Gift of Gab (1934)
- One Exciting Adventure (1934)
- There's Always Tomorrow (1934)
- The Private Life of Don Juan (1934)
- Forbidden Territory (1934)
- The Lady Is Willing (1934)
- Nine Forty-Five (1934)
- No Escape (1934)
- Diamond Jim (1935)
- Rendezvous (1935)
- La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (1935)
- Sutter's Gold (1936)
- Magnificent Brute (1936)
- The Last of the Mohicans (1936)
- Three Smart Girls (1936)
- Small Town Girl (1936)
- Breezing Home (1937)
- Broadway Melody of 1938 (1938)
- The Divorce of Lady X (1938)
- The First Hundred Years (1938)
- The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
- Holiday (1938)
- Three Blind Mice (1938)
- Always Goodbye (1938)
- Tropic Holiday (1938)
- Gateway (1938)
- Thanks for Everything (1938)
- Day-Time Wife (1939)
- The Three Musketeers (1939)
- Wife, Husband and Friend (1939)
- Man About Town (1939)
- Frontier Marshal (1939)
- 'Til We Meet Again (1940)
- This Thing Called Love (1940)
- Angels with Broken Wings (1941)
- Tight Shoes (1941)
- Three Girls About Town (1941)
- The Great Awakening (1941)
- Skylark (1941)
- Call Out the Marines (1942)
- In Old California (1942)
- I Married an Angel (1942)
- The Man from Down Under (1943)
- Up in Mabel's Room (1944)
- The Hour Before the Dawn (1944)
- Barbary Coast Gent (1944)
- It's in the Bag! (1945)
- Getting Gertie's Garter (1945)
- The Spanish Main (1945)
- The Time of Their Lives (1946)
- If Winter Comes (1947)
- The Dude Goes West (1948)
- My Own True Love (1949)
- The Pirates of Capri (1949)
- Fugitive Lady (1950)
- Shadow of the Eagle (1950)
- Decameron Nights (1953)
- Malaga (1954)
- The Donna Reed Show (ABC television series), in "Just a Little Wedding" (1963) and the final series episode "By-Line: Jeff Stone" (1966)
- The Trouble with Angels (1966)
- Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1969)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC television series) (2/15/73)
- 40 Carats (1973)