fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

Claudia Barrett (born Imagene Williams;[1] November 3, 1929 – April 30, 2021)[2] was an American television and film actress.

Claudia Barrett
Born	Imagene Williams November 3, 1929 Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	April 30, 2021(2021-04-30) (aged 91) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Years active	1949–1964; 2019
Spouse	Alan Wells (m. 1953 – div. 1956)

Early life

Barrett was born in Los Angeles, California,[1] the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. I. J. Williams.[3] She began taking acting classes at an early age to overcome her timidness.[4] After high school, she studied at Pasadena Community Playhouse for a year and acted at Encino Little Theatre.[3]

Career

Although she was mainly involved with television, Barrett's acting career began with film in the late 1940s and 1950s. At age 18, she was signed (as Imagene Williams) to a contract with Warner Bros.[5] Her first movie appearance was in the 1949 classic film noir White Heat starring James Cagney and Virginia Mayo. The next year, she had the part of Miss Dolly Travers in MGM's The Happy Years, which starred Dean Stockwell, Darryl Hickman, and Leo G. Carroll. After leaving Warner Bros., she appeared in several films at Republic Pictures, a studio that for the most part produced Westerns. Her other film credits included The Story of Seabiscuit and Chain Lightning, as well as one of the leads of A Life at Stake, a murder drama starring Angela Lansbury. In 1953, she played one of the lead roles, Alice, in the low-budget science-fiction film Robot Monster, generally regarded as one of the worst films of all time.[6] She had accepted the part against the advice of her agent.[4] She said the following about her role:

When you decide to make a movie, the decision is made for various reasons: money, fame, or working with a particular star or director. I just wanted to act. I was a professional actress for 14 years, and I really loved the business. And Robot Monster was a movie I enjoyed making.

Barrett appeared in numerous television shows, including The Abbott and Costello Show, The Lone Ranger, 77 Sunset Strip, and The Jack Benny Program. Barrett retired from acting in 1964 but stayed in show business, working for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[1]

Personal life

Barrett was married to actor Alan Wells between 1953 and 1956. Wells later married actress Barbara Lang, but on June 5, 1957, Lang sought an annulment, alleging that Wells had not received a final divorce from Barrett when he and Lang married.[7]

Barrett died of natural causes at her home in Palm Desert, California on April 30, 2021 at the age of 91.[8]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role
1949	White Heat	Cashier
	The Story of Seabiscuit	Nurse
1950	Rustlers on Horseback	Mrs. Jack Reynolds
	Chain Lightning	Pilot
	The Happy Years	Dolly Travers
	The Great Jewel Robber	Marian Blaine
	The Old Frontier	Betty Ames
1951	Night Riders of Montana	Julie Bauer
1952	Desperadoes' Outpost	Kathy
1953	Robot Monster	Alice
1955	A Life at Stake	Madge Neilan
1957	Chain of Evidence	Harriet Owens
1960	Seven Ways from Sundown	Gilda
1961	The Last Time I Saw Archie	Lola
	You Have to Run Fast	Fran
1962	Escape from Zahrain	Nurse
1964	Taggart	Lola Manners
2019	The 500 Foot Sister[permanent dead link]	Rita Loud (voice)

References

External links

• Claudia Barrett at IMDb

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