Barry Sullivan

Patrick Barry Sullivan, born in New York City on August 29, 1912, was an American actor whose career in film, television, theatre, and radio extended across more than four decades. Before entering the entertainment industry, Sullivan studied law at New York University and Temple University and played semi-pro football while in college. He later worked as a department store buyer before turning to acting.

Sullivan's Broadway career began in 1936 with I Want a Policeman, and that same year he appeared in R.C. Sheriff's St Helena. He returned to the stage in 1938 with All That Glitters and Eye on the Sparrow, the latter featuring a young Montgomery Clift. In 1939 he joined the long-running production The Man Who Came to Dinner in the role of Bert Jefferson. His subsequent Broadway work included Mr. Big and Ring Around Elizabeth, both in 1941, and Johnny 2 X 4 in 1942. In June 1954 he replaced Henry Fonda in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and in 1956 he appeared in the short-lived drama Too Late the Phalarope. He also appeared alongside Bette Davis in The World of Carl Sandburg in 1960, substituting for her husband Gary Merrill.

Sullivan's film work began with short subjects in the mid-1930s, including Dime a Dance (1937), which featured Imogene Coca, June Allyson, and Danny Kaye. He had a small role in the Universal serial The Green Hornet Strikes Again! in 1941 before securing a long-term contract with Paramount Pictures. At Paramount he appeared in the musical Lady in the Dark (1944) with Ginger Rogers, supported Dorothy Lamour in Rainbow Island (1944), and appeared alongside Alan Ladd and Loretta Young in And Now Tomorrow (1944). He subsequently moved to Monogram Pictures, where he received second billing in Suspense (1946), the most expensive film that studio had produced to that point. After signing a three-picture deal with Monogram, he earned top billing in the Western Bad Men of Tombstone (1949).

MGM signed Sullivan to a contract, initially casting him in supporting roles in several productions including Tension (1950) and A Life of Her Own (1950), before elevating him to leading man in Cause for Alarm! (1951) with Loretta Young and Payment on Demand (1951) with Bette Davis. He received top billing in No Questions Asked (1951), a role originally intended for Clark Gable. Through the mid-1950s he led a series of lower-budgeted films noir, including Loophole (1954) and The Miami Story (1954), and supported James Stewart in Strategic Air Command (1955) at Paramount. He served as leading man to Joan Crawford in Queen Bee (1955), Claudette Colbert in Texas Lady (1955), Barbara Stanwyck in The Maverick Queen (1956), and Doris Day in Julie (1956). Later film credits included Sam Fuller's Forty Guns (1957) with Stanwyck, Wolf Larsen (1958), in which he played the title role, and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. His final film appearance was in The Last Straw in 1987, a career spanning more than 100 movies.

On radio, Sullivan replaced Vincent Price in 1950 as Simon Templar on NBC's The Saint, though the show was cancelled after two episodes. His television career was equally extensive. He appeared as a musical judge on Jukebox Jury during the 1953–1954 season and starred in the syndicated series The Man Called X for Ziv Television in 1956–1957, playing secret agent Ken Thurston. He also directed episodes of Highway Patrol. Sullivan starred in the western series The Tall Man from 1960 to 1962 and later played family patriarch Ben Pride in The Road West. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in the 1955 telecast of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and made guest appearances on Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, Mannix, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, among many others. Sullivan holds two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one at 1500 Vine Street for television and another at 6160 Hollywood Boulevard for motion pictures.

Sullivan was married three times. His first wife, Broadway actress Marie Brown, whom he married in 1937 and divorced in 1957, was the mother of his children Jenny and John Sullivan. His second marriage, to model and actress Gita Hall in 1958, ended in divorce in June 1961; their daughter Patsy became a child model and later married songwriter Jimmy Webb, giving Sullivan seven grandchildren. A third marriage, to Desiree Sumarra, produced no children and ended in divorce in 1965. Sullivan died on June 6, 1994, at the age of 81, of respiratory failure.