Barbara Kent (née Cloutman; December 16, 1907 – October 13, 2011) was a Canadian film actress, prominent from the silent film era to the early talkies of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, Barbara Kent won the Miss Hollywood Beauty Pageant.
Barbara Kent | |
|---|---|
 Kent in 1924 | |
| Born | Barbara Cloutman December 16, 1907 Gadsby, Alberta, Canada |
| Died | October 13, 2011 (aged 103) Palm Desert, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Years active | 1925–1941 |
| Spouses | Harry E. Edington
(m. 1932; died 1949)Jack Monroe
(m. 1954; died 1998) |
Career
editBarbara Cloutman was born on December 16, 1907, in Gadsby, Alberta, Canada, to Lily Louise Kent and Jullion Curtis Cloutman.[1] Sources differ on surname as Klowtmann or Cloutman and birth year as 1907 or 1906.[2] In 1925, she graduated from Hollywood High School and went on to win the Miss Hollywood Pageant.[3][4] It was also the year in which she began her Hollywood career with a small role for Universal Studios, which signed her to a contract.[4] A petite brunette who stood less than five feet tall, Kent became popular as a comedian opposite such stars as Reginald Denny. She made a strong impression as the heroine pitted against Greta Garbo's femme fatale in Flesh and the Devil in 1926 after Universal had lent the actress to MGM to make the film.[4]
Kent then attracted the attention of audiences and censors in the 1927 production No Man's Law by appearing to swim nude. She actually wore a flesh-colored moleskin bathing suit in scenes that were considered very daring at the time.[5] The popularity of that film led to her selection as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars for 1927. She made a smooth transition into talking pictures opposite Harold Lloyd in the 1929 comedy Welcome Danger.[5] Kent was also featured with Lloyd in his iconic Feet First.[4] Over the next few years, she remained popular and received critical praise in 1933 for her role in the film version of Oliver Twist.[5]
In 1932 she starred in "The Perfect Alibi," based on a play by A. A. Milne, at the Harold Lloyd co-founded Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals.[6] Kent married talent agent Harry Edington in Yuma, Arizona later that same year, on December 16, 1932 — her 25th birthday.[7]
Personal life
editKent had a great love for the outdoors. Always active, she enjoyed golf, fly fishing, hunting, and gardening. She was a longtime member of Marakkesh, Sunland, and Thunderbird Country Clubs. She was known as a talented cook and loved entertaining friends and family.[citation needed]
Following the death of her husband Harry in 1949, Kent retreated from public life.[citation needed]
She married again in 1954, to Jack Monroe,[8] a Lockheed aircraft engineer.[9][5] Her second husband gave her flying lessons,[9] and Kent continued to fly light aircraft until her 85th birthday,[8] and was still playing golf well into her mid-90s.[10] The couple resided initially in Sun Valley, Idaho, but later relocated to Palm Desert, California. There Kent lived until her death, at the age of 103, on October 13, 2011.[5]
Filmography
edit| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1926 | Flesh and the Devil | Hertha | |
| Prowlers of the Night | Anita Parsons | Lost film | |
| 1927 | The Peace Deputy | Short film | |
| The Lone Eagle | Mimi | Lost film | |
| No Man's Law | Toby Belcher | [11] | |
| The Small Bachelor | Molly Waddington | ||
| The Drop Kick | Cecily Graves | ||
| Stop That Man! | Muriel Crawford | Lost film | |
| 1928 | Modern Mothers | Mildred | Lost film |
| That's My Daddy | Molly Moran | ||
| His Destiny | Betty Baker | ||
| Lonesome | Mary |  [12]
| |
| Fun in the Clouds | Self | Short film, cameo, uncredited | |
| 1929 | Welcome Danger | Billie Lee | |
| The Shakedown | Marjorie | ||
| 1930 | Night Ride | Ruth Kearns | Lost film |
| Dumbbells in Ermine | Faith Corey | Lost film | |
| Feet First | Barbara | ||
| What Men Want | Betty 'Babs' Joyce | ||
| 1931 | Freighters of Destiny | Ruth Mercer | |
| Chinatown After Dark | Lotus | ||
| Grief Street | Jean Royce | [13]
| |
| Indiscreet | Joan Trent | [14]
| |
| 1932 | Self Defense | Nona Devoux | |
| Emma | Gypsy | ||
| The Pride of the Legion | Martha Tully | [15]
| |
| No Living Witness | Carol Everett | ||
| Beauty Parlor | Sally Dale | ||
| Vanity Fair | Amelia Sedley | ||
| Exposed | Ruth | ||
| 1933 | Marriage on Approval | Beth MacDougall | |
| Her Forgotten Past | Doris Maynard | ||
| Oliver Twist | Rose Maylie | ||
| 1935 | Swellhead | Mary Malone | |
| Guard That Girl | Jeanne Martin | ||
| Old Man Rhythm | Edith Warren | ||
| 1941 | Under Age | Jackie | |
| 1970 | 4 Clowns | Toby Belcher from No Man's Law | Archive Footage, uncredited |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | TCM Remembers | Self | Archive Footage, posthumously release |
References
edit- ^ "From the Bigknife to the Battle: Gadsby and area". Our Roots. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
- ^ "Barbara Kent". HeraldScotland. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Ankerich, Michael G. (13 September 2012). "Barbara Kent: My Last Silent Film Interview". Closeups and Canvases.
- ^ a b c d "Barbara Kent: Silent film star was also in talkies". Los Angeles Times: AA5. October 20, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Weber, Bruce (October 19, 2011). "Barbara Kent, Star of Silent Movies, Dies at 103". New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ Carroll, Harrison (16 May 1932). "Behind the Scenes in Hollywood". The San Mateo Times and Daily News Leader. p. 12.
- ^ "Barbara Kent, Actress, Wed". New York Times: 22. December 17, 1932.
- ^ a b "Barbara Kent obituary". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Barbara Kent, 103, of Flesh and the Devil (1926); Welcome Danger (1929)". Immortal Ephemera. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Barbara Kent Interview". Western Clippings. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
- ^ Excerpt from No Man's Law on YouTube featuring Barbara Kent swimming
- ^ "Lonesome". archive.org. 30 September 1928. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Grief Street". archive.org. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Indiscreet (1931) at Internet Archive; starred Gloria Swanson, Monroe Owsley, and Kent
- ^ Pride of the Legion (1932) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Further reading
edit- Ankerich, Michael G. (2011) [1998]. The Sound of Silence. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-6383-1.
- Ankerich, Michael G. (13 September 2012). "Barbara Kent: My Last Silent Film Interview". Closeups and Canvases.
External links
edit
- Barbara Kent at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Barbara Kent on BFI Online
- Barbara Kent at IMDb
- Barbara Kent at Virtual History
- Public domain films
- The Shoemaker (1930) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- The Fingerprint (1929) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive