Donald Barry went from the stage to the screen. After four years of playing villains and henchmen at various studios, Barry got the role that changed his image Red Ryder in the Republic Pictures serial Adventures of Red Ryder (1940). Although he had appeared in westerns for two years or so, this was the one that kept him there. He acquired the nickname Red from his association with the Red Ryder character. After the success of Red Ryder Barry starred in a string of westerns for Republic. Studio chief Herbert J. Yates got the idea that Barry could be Republics version of James Cagney, as he was short and had the same scrappy, feisty nature that Cagney had. Unfortunately, while Barry could in fact be a good actor when he wanted to be -- as he showed in the World War II drama The Purple Heart (1944) -- his feistiness, combative nature and oversized ego caused him to alienate many of the casts and crews he worked with at Republic (ace serial director William Witney detested him, calling him the midget, and director John English worked with him once and refused to ever work with him again). Barry made a series of westerns at Republic throughout the 1940s, but by 1950 his career had pretty much come to a halt, and he was reduced to making cheaper and cheaper pictures for bottom-of-the-barrel companies like Lippert and Screen Guild. Barry continued to work and still appeared in westerns up through the 1970s, but they were often in small supporting roles, sometimes unbilled. In 1980 he committed suicide by shooting himself.
Edward Calhoun (uncredited)
Film 1959
Rev. Zachary Gant
Film 1968
Stan Martin
Film 1948
Clete
Film 1956
Dr. Flynn, Intern (Uncredited)
Film 1937
Dancer (uncredited)
Film 1933
Jerry
Film 1955
Grist
Film 1966
Mike Trask
Film 1975
Lt. Peter Vincent
Film 1944
Buffalo
Film 1968
Doctor in Morgue
Film 1975
Tom Dwyer
Film 1946
Sgt. Chaney
Film 1965
Drake (as Donald Barry)
Film 1959
Feeny - Bartender (uncredited)
Film 1970
Sheriff at Stagecoach
Film 1979
Elliot (as Donald Barry)
Film 1978
Doug Forbes (as Donald Barry)
Film 1948
Dan Reilly
Film 1949
Henchman
Film 1938
Larry
Film 1957
Grady
Film 1938
Jessup
Film 1938
Marshal
Film 1976
Dawson
Film 1955
Jack Summers
Film 1940
Bill Okie
Film 1958
Gilbert Phalen
Film 1943
Reb
Film 1964
Joe Weldon
Film 1943
Jesse James
Film 1939
Joe Ferrill
Film 1945
Marshal Jethro Karnin
Film 1965
Babcock
Film 1938
Len Howard
Film 1950
Jerry
Film 1939
Warden Coley
Film 1978
(archive footage)
Film 1976
Detective Sergeant
Film 1959
Jesse James
Film 1954
Red Ryder
Film 1940
Loring
Film 1939
Homer Rutledge
Film 1972
Ed Johnson
Film 1967
Marty - Gunman (uncredited)
Film 1937
Benny Novak
Film 1947
Pvt. Steve 'Lucky' Smith
Film 1942
Pete
Film 1981
Curly Parsons
Film 1939
Tex
Film 1965
McCoy (uncredited)
Film 1960
Captain Harvey
Film 1965
Mario Rigo
Film 1936
Dr. Collins (uncredited)
Film 1938
Mike, I.R.A. Patriot (Uncredited)
Film 1936
William H. Bonney / Billy the Kid (as Don Barry)
Film 1950
Mason (Southern Institute football player) (uncredited)
Film 1937
Collins
Film 1939
Will Parker
Film 1939
Jim Bradley
Film 1942
Collins - Intern (uncredited)
Film 1939
Johnny Edwards
Film 1941
Tennessee Colby
Film 1943
Johnny Barrett
Film 1942
'Spider' Mike Lawrence (as Donald Barry)
Film 1954
'Blackie' Cross
Film 1939
Clint Ross
Film 1943
Parson Dave Winters / Ted Winters aka Keeno Phillips
Film 1943
Cliff Dixon
Film 1941
Radio Announcer
Film 1979
Rusty
Film 1970
Lee Grant
Film 1943
Devery's Foreman
Film 1978
Dave Gregory
Film 1942
Tony French (as Donald Barry)
Film 1948
Pecos Jones
Film 1949
Eddie Ballinger (as Donald Barry)
Film 1944
Johnny April (as Donald Barry)
Film 1943
Sam Starr (as Donald M. Barry)
Film 1942
Bryan (uncredited)
Film 1940
Harris
Film 1967
Jim Lawrence
Film 1941
Virgil Hall
Film 1979
Bob Standish posing as the Rio Kid (as Don Barry)
Film 1950
Frank James / Bat Fenton
Film 1950
Johnny "Cyclone Kid" Dawson
Film 1942
Tim Brandon aka The Tolusa Kid (as Donald Barry)
Film 1940
Bob Millbourne aka Robert Mills
Film 1940
Tom Benton aka Tulsa Kid
Film 1940
Lon Walker
Film 1943
Chips Barrett
Film 1942
Bill Gannon
Film 1941
Jerry Holden
Film 1942
Red Tracy
Film 1942
Jim Sanders
Film 1940
Jim "Sundown Kid" McKinnon / Sheriff Bruce McKinnon
Film 1941
Bob Crandall, Texas Ranger
Film 1941
Jim Randall
Film 1941
Don Barry
Film 1945
Bob Conroy
Film 1944
Larry West
Film 1949
Don Blake
Film 1949
Murdock
Film 1961
Movie Usher
Film 1934
Miles Henderson
Film 1973
Bartender
Film 1978
Mike O'Hara, "King Cobra"
Film 1949
Sgt. Post
Film 1975
Second Paymaster
Film 1940
MSgt. Hal Foster
Film 1958
Slippy McGee
Film 1948
Film 1978
Franz Butz / Delbert Clyde Butz
Film 1974
Bartender
Film 1973
Judson Elliot
Film 1963
Charlie
Film 1971
Shorty Jones
Tv 1955
Tv 1972
Tv 1959
Col. Donnely
Tv 1965
Tv 1974
Tv 1976
Charlie Turner
Tv 1976
Tv 1975
The Checker
Tv 1963
Tv 1979
Dr. Zoral
Tv 1968
Harry Silvers
Tv 1976
Jeremiah Clemmons
Tv 1979
Tv 1976
Red Doyle
Tv 1957
Dave Grogan
Tv 1972
Tv 1964
Tyrell Security Guard
Tv 1974
Sam Dixie
Tv 1965
Tv 1966
Tv 1962
Tv 1970
Tom Goodfellow
Tv 1957
Tv 1967
Tv 1973
Amos Brown
Tv 1964
Tv 1958
Andy
Tv 1950
Tv 1958
Tv 1967
Shorty - Assassin
Tv 1958
Luke Short
Tv 1958
Tv 1959
Tv 1975
Anthony Gallo
Tv 1963
Tv 1955
Tv 1960
First Cowboy
Tv 1972
Charlie Durham
Tv 1972
Airline Captain (as Donald Barry)
Tv 1968
Paul Farrell
Tv 1967
Kyle Horgan
Tv 1960
Ed Gurney
Tv 1970
Capt. Dennis Barnes
Tv 1967
Warrant Officer Harry Wilke
Tv 1967
Lt. Tom Pierce
Tv 1967
Walter Prudy
Tv 1967
Capt. Carter (uncredited)
Tv 1955
Martin
Tv 1950
Milo Martin
Tv 1954
Shorty McCall
Tv 1974
Utah
Tv 1959
Grut
Tv 1959
Dusty McCade
Tv 1958
Jim Gaylord
Tv 1958
Jess Schaeffer
Tv 1958
Lt. Snedigar
Tv 1960
Roy Briggs
Tv 1959
Capt. Kittridge
Tv 1962
Davy Harrods
Tv 1965
Harry Cannon
Tv 1959
Colonel Stark
Tv 1964
Al Karlovic
Tv 1969
Abner Dickens
Tv 1969
James Fremont
Tv 1967
Doctor in the morgue (uncredited)
Tv 1975
Sheriff (uncredited)
Tv 1954
Sheriff Watson
Tv 1968