Leslie Barrett

Leslie Barrett
Born Leslie Klein
(1919-10-30)October 30, 1919
New York City, New York
Died June 8, 2010(2010-06-08) (aged 90)
Occupation Actor

Leslie Barrett (October 30, 1919 – June 8, 2010) was an American stage and film actor whose lifelong career spanned Broadway, feature films and television.

Biography

Leslie Klein was born on Staten Island, New York City on October 30, 1919. His parents were Cecil and Theresa Klein (née Leonhardt). He attended George Washington High School. He changed his name to Leslie Barrett in 1937. He had two marriages: the first to Diana Newman Barth, which ended in divorce, and the second to Ruth Livingston.[1]

Career

Barrett made his professional acting debut on January 12, 1937, under the name Leslie Klein at what was then known as the Guild Theatre. He first performed under his stage name upon succeeding Billy Halop in a production of Dead End at the Belasco Theatre.[1] Barrett appeared in numerous original Broadway productions throughout his career, including The Primrose Path in 1939, Rhinoceros in 1961, and The Dresser in 1981.[2] In 1952, Leslie Barrett and Paul Curtis formed the American Mime Theatre.[1][3] Barrett was also an accomplished Shakespearean actor. He joined the Shakespeare Theatre Workshop under the direction of Joseph Papp in April 1955. He appeared in Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It at the Westport Country Playhouse[4] later that year and The Taming of the Shrew at the Walnut Street Theatre in 1974.[1]

Barrett appeared on television as early as 1949. He appeared in 4 episodes of The Philco Television Playhouse from 1949 through 1953. In 1960 he performed in an episode of The Twilight Zone and on NBC's Startime in the Alfred Hitchcock directed Incident at a Corner.[5] In 1964 he appeared in an episode of East Side/West Side with George C. Scott. Barrett also played Judge Hanley who presided over the trial of Victoria Winters for witchcraft on the cult classic soap opera Dark Shadows.[6][7] Barrett may be best known as George, Harvey's best friend from The Honeymooners episode "The Bensonhurst Bomber".

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ian Herbert, ed. (1981). "BARRETT, Leslie". Who's Who in the Theatre. 1. Gale Research Company. p. 45. ISSN 0083-9833.
  2. ↑ Leslie Barrett at the Internet Broadway Database
  3. ↑ The Bridgeport Post (CT), "Mime Artists In Seven Plays" August 18, 1954, p 40
  4. ↑ http://www.westportplayhouse.org/aboutus/timeline
  5. ↑ A Companion to Alfred Hitchcock, edited by Thomas Leitch, Leland Poague, 2011. pp 121-122
  6. ↑ Leslie Barrett at the Internet Movie Database
  7. ↑ The Dark Shadows Almanac: Millennium Edition, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Jim Pierson, alphabetical character list
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