Corinne Barker (née Riely; June 5, 1890 – August 6, 1928) was an American actress and costume designer who came to prominence during the silent era, specifically for her roles in several Vitagraph films. She also appeared in several Broadway productions as well as two films with Marion Davies: The Restless Sex (1920) and Enchantment (1921).
Corinne Barker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Barker, c. 1921 | |
| Born | Corinne Riely June 5, 1890 Salem, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | August 6, 1928 (aged 38) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | River View Cemetery, Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Spouse | William Barker |
After making the transition to theater in the 1920s, Barker began working as a costume designer in Manhattan, working under Vincent Youmans. Upon returning to the United States from Europe in July 1928, Barker developed peritonitis from food poisoning, of which she died on August 6, 1928.[1]
Life and career edit
Early life edit
Barker was born Corinne Riely[2] on June 5, 1890 in Salem, Oregon,[a] to Charles Strang and Amelia (née Savage) Riely. She was educated at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Salem.[4] Her father was also a native of Salem, and a prominent businessman there and in Portland, Oregon.[5]
Film and theater career edit
She began acting in theater productions in Portland in the early-1900s.[6] She moved from Portland to New York City in 1910,[6] and appeared in a stage production of The Crinoline Girl with Julian Eltinge.[4][7] She married William Barker in Portland some time prior to 1916.[6]
Barker began appearing in films in 1918, debuting in Money Mad. Her second film appearance in Peck's Bad Girl (1918) was praised by Variety, which noted: "Corinne Barker as the wily Hortense could not have been better cast."[8] She appeared in a handful of features in 1919, including One Week of Life, The Peace of Roaring River, and The Climbers, the latter of which starred Corinne Griffith.[9] She subsequently had a supporting role opposite Marion Davies in the drama The Restless Sex (1920).[9] Barker married actor Hobart Henley in New York City in July 1920,[4][10] after which she appeared in Why Girls Leave Home (1921),[9] and Enchantment (also 1921), the latter of which also starred Davies.[9]
In New York, Barker worked as a stage actress as well as a costume designer, designing the costumes for a 1926 Broadway production of No, No, Nanette.[11] In late 1927, she began designing costumes for Vincent Youmans' stage productions.[12] She resided on the Upper West Side at 78th Street with husband Henley and her mother.[11]
Death edit
Barker was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on July 19, 1928, shortly after returning to the United States from Europe, suffering from peritonitis.[11] It was reported on July 27 that her condition had stemmed from food poisoning and that she was in "serious condition."[13] Barker died a little over a week later on August 6, 1928.[1]
Her funeral service was held at the Church of Transfiguration in Manhattan.[11] Barker is interred at River View Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.
Filmography edit
| † | Denotes a lost or presumed lost film. |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Money Mad † | Fanette | [9] | |
| 1918 | Peck's Bad Girl † | Hortense Martinot | [9] | |
| 1919 | One Week of Life † | Lola Canby | [9] | |
| 1919 | The Peace of Roaring River † | Sophy McGurn | [9] | |
| 1919 | The Climbers | Julia Godesby | [9] | |
| 1919 | The Golden Shower † | Gaby | [9] | |
| 1919 | The Broken Melody † | Mrs. Drexel Trask | [9] | |
| 1920 | The Silent Barrier † | Millicent Jacques | [9] | |
| 1920 | The Restless Sex | Helen West | [9] | |
| 1921 | Why Girls Leave Home † | Ethel, a gold-digger | [9] | |
| 1921 | Enchantment | Nalia McCabe | [9] |
Stage credits edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915–1916 | Abe and Mawruss | Broadway | [14] | |
| 1916–1917 | Shirley Kaye | Broadway | [14] | |
| 1917 | On with the Dance | Broadway | [14] | |
| 1918–1919 | Remnant | Broadway | [14] | |
| 1925–1926 | No, No, Nanette | — | Broadway; costume supervisor | [14] |
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-476-62599-7.
- ^ "Corinne Riely is Stage Star". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. May 10, 1917. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925" (March 16, 2018). Corinne Riely, 1921; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #55544, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 1664, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
- ^ a b c "Corinne Barker Bride of H. Henley". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. July 27, 1920. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Well Known Salem Resident Passes". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. May 12, 1936. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Another Portland Girl Wins Success". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. December 3, 1916. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Another Star Summers In Europe". Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. July 10, 1921. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Variety Film Reviews. Vol. 1. Garland Pub. 1983. p. 71.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Corinne Barker". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ^ "Corinne Barker, Actress, Bride of Hobart Henley". New-York Tribune. July 26, 1920. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Corinne Barker, Actress, Dies of Peritonitis". New York Daily News. August 7, 1928. p. 114 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Actress Designs". New York Daily News. October 16, 1927. p. 112 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Food Poisons Film Director's Former Wife". New York Daily News. July 27, 1928. p. 333 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Corinne Barker". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
External links edit
