Barry Sullivan (American actor)

Born in New York City, Sullivan was a law student at New York University and Temple University.[3] He fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football. He was later a department store buyer.[4] During the later Depression years, Sullivan was told that because of his 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) stature and rugged good looks he could "make money" simply standing on a Broadway stage.

Sullivan replaced Vincent Price in the role of Leslie Charteris' Simon Templar on the NBC Radio show The Saint.[5] Sullivan lasted only two episodes before the show was cancelled. His first appearance on Broadway was in I Want a Policeman in 1936.[6] That year he was also in R.C. Sheriff's St Helena.[7]

Sullivan appeared in shorts such as Strike! You're Out (1936), Broker's Follies (1937), Dime a Dance (1937) (alongside Imogene Coca, June Allyson and Danny Kaye), Dates and Nuts (1937), and Hi-Ho Hollywood (1937).

He returned to Broadway with roles in All That Glitters (1938) and Eye on the Sparrow (1938) (with a young Montgomery Clift). He received attention when he joined the cast of the long running The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939) as Jefferson. He was also in Mr Big (1941), Ring Around Elizabeth (1941) and Johnny 2 X 4 (1942). Sullivan appeared with Bette Davis on stage in 1960 in The World of Carl Sandburg as a substitute for her husband Gary Merrill.

Sullivan had a small role in the Universal serial The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941).

Sullivan had a supporting part in High Explosive (1943) for Pine-Thomas Productions, who released through Paramount, and he was the second male lead in The Woman of the Town (1943) with Claire Trevor.[8]

He was signed to a long term contract by Paramount, who gave him a good support role in an "A" film, the musical Lady in the Dark (1944) with Ginger Rogers. He supported Dorothy Lamour in Rainbow Island (1944) and Alan Ladd and Loretta Young in And Now Tomorrow (1944), and was one of many Paramount names in Duffy's Tavern (1945).[9] He starred with Edward Small and Dennis O'Keefe in a comedy, Getting Gertie's Garter (1945). [10]

Then he went to Monogram Pictures for Suspense (1946), the most expensive film that studio had made to date, produced by the King Brothers; Sullivan was second billed to Belita. Monogram were delighted with his work; Sullivan obtained a release from his Paramount contract and signed a three picture deal with Monogram.[11] Sullivan supported Brian Aherne and Constance Bennett in Smart Woman (1948) for Bennett's company, releasing through Monogram (as Allied Artists). He received top billing for a Western from the King Brothers and Monogram, Bad Men of Tombstone (1949).

MGM signed Sullivan to a contract, and he played supporting roles in Tension (1950), The Outriders (1950), Nancy Goes to Rio (1950), A Life of Her Own (1950), and Grounds for Marriage (1951). He was upped to leading man for Cause for Alarm! (1951) with Young and Payment on Demand (1951) with Bette Davis at RKO but was back down the cast list for Three Guys Named Mike (1951), Mr. Imperium (1951), and Inside Straight (1951). He was given top billing in No Questions Asked (1951), a role originally meant for Gable.[12]

Sullivan played the lead in a series of lower budgeted films noir: Loophole (1954) for Allied Artists, Playgirl (1954) at Universal, and The Miami Story (1954) for Sam Katzman. He went back to MGM for a support role in Her Twelve Men (1954).

In June 1954 he returned to Broadway to replace Henry Fonda in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.[13] He went to Paramount to support James Stewart in Strategic Air Command (1955) and guested on shows like General Electric Theater, Studio One in Hollywood, Climax! and Ford Star Jubilee (reprising his Caine Mutiny performance).

Sullivan was 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).[14]

In 1956 he was in Too Late the Phalarope on Broadway which had a short run.[15]

He had the lead in a low budget Western Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957), The Way to the Gold (1957), and Sam Fuller's Forty Guns (1957) with Stanwyck. He was Lana Turner's leading man in Another Time, Another Place (1958) and played star roles in some films for Allied Artists, Wolf Larsen (1958), an adaptation of The Sea Wolf where Sullivan played the title role, and The Purple Gang (1959), a gangster film.[16]

His last film was The Last Straw in 1987.

In the 1953-1954 television season, Sullivan appeared with other celebrities as a musical judge on Jukebox Jury.[17] His first starring television role was a syndicated adaptation of the radio series The Man Called X for Ziv Television in 1956-1957 as secret agent Ken Thurston. In the 1957-1958 season, Sullivan starred in the adventure/drama television series Harbormaster. He played a commercial ship's captain, David Scott, and Paul Burke played his partner Jeff Kittridge in five episodes of the series, which aired first on CBS and then ABC under the revised title Adventure at Scott Island. He directed some episodes as well as episodes of Highway Patrol, which was made by Ziv, who did Harbourmaster.[18] He continued to make guest appearances on shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Pursuit, Playhouse 90, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, The United States Steel Hour and Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, and he was in a TV adaptation of My Three Angels. Barry Sullivan starred in a western TV show, The Tall Man ...(1960-1962) Sullivan starred in the television series The Road West, as family patriarch Ben Pride. He guest starred on Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, Garrison's Gorillas, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and It Takes a Thief. Barry Sullivan also appeared in the first season of Barnaby Jones; episode titled, "A Little Glory, A Little Death" which initially aired April 29, 1973.

He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one at 1500 Vine St. for his work in television, and another at 6160 Hollywood Blvd. for motion pictures.