Binnie Barnes

Binnie Barnes, born Gertrude Maud Barnes on 25 March 1903 in Islington, London, was an English actress whose work in film and theatre spanned five decades. The daughter of Sarah Rose Noyce and George Barnes, a policeman, she grew up in a family of sixteen children. Before establishing herself as a performer, Barnes held a variety of positions including chorus girl, nurse, and dance hostess.

Her screen career began in 1923 with a short film produced by Lee De Forest using his Phonofilm sound-on-film process. British productions followed, and Barnes gained significant recognition for her portrayal of Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife, in The Private Life of Henry VIII in 1933. Her film work extended to Hollywood, where she appeared in notable productions including The Last of the Mohicans and In Old California. A stated priority in her career was avoiding submissive characters; she once remarked, "One picture is just like another to me, as long as I don't have to be a sweet woman."

Barnes made her Broadway appearance in 1950, with credits that include On the Twentieth Century. Originally from London, she brought her established stage and screen experience to the New York stage.

Following her marriage to film producer Mike Frankovich, Barnes relocated to Europe, where she appeared in several films he produced, among them Decameron Nights with Louis Jourdan and Malaga with Maureen O'Hara and Macdonald Carey. Her final screen role came in 1973 in the comedy 40 Carats. In 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to film, located at 1501 Vine Street.

Barnes had been married twice, first to London art dealer Samuel Joseph and later to Frankovich. She became a naturalized United States citizen, and she and Frankovich adopted three children. Known as an avid swimmer, Barnes saved a drowning guest at William Wyler's pool in 1936. She died on 27 July 1998 of natural causes in Beverly Hills at the age of 95 and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.