Wendy Barrie

Biography

Wendy Barrie was a distinguished British actress renowned for her performances in both British and American cinema. Born in London, she was the daughter of Francis Charles John Graigoe Jenkin KC, a former employee of Great Western and a Royal Fusiliers veteran, and Ellen McDonagh, a Russian-Jewish actress who was part of the inaugural professional Yiddish theater ensemble. Barrie received her education at a convent school in England and later attended a finishing school in Switzerland.

Her acting career began in 1932 with her debut in the film *Threads*, adapted from a play. She quickly gained recognition by working with the Korda brothers at London Films, most notably in the 1933 classic *The Private Life of Henry VIII*, where she portrayed Jane Seymour. In 1934, Barrie took on roles in *Freedom of the Seas* and signed with Fox Film Corporation, leading to her Hollywood debut in *It's a Small World* opposite Spencer Tracy. Throughout the late 1930s, she starred in acclaimed films, including *Speed* with James Stewart and *The Hound of the Baskervilles* alongside Richard Greene.

As television emerged in the late 1940s, Barrie transitioned to that medium, notably hosting *The Wendy Barrie Show* on WMGM in New York City in 1956. Over her career, she appeared in over 45 films and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960. Barrie became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1942 and was reported to have a daughter named Carolyn with notorious gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. She passed away in 1978 in Englewood, New Jersey, and was laid to rest in Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York.