Donald Barry's journey from the stage to the screen was a transformative one. After four years of playing villains and henchmen at various studios, Barry landed the role that would change his image forever: Red Ryder in the Republic Pictures serial "Adventures of Red Ryder" (1940). Although he had appeared in westerns for a couple of years prior, this was the one that cemented his status as a western star. He earned the nickname "Red" due to his association with the iconic Red Ryder character. Following the success of "Red Ryder," Barry went on to star in a string of westerns for Republic Pictures.
Studio chief Herbert J. Yates had a vision for Barry, seeing him as Republic's version of James Cagney - short in stature but with a feisty, scrappy nature similar to Cagney's. Unfortunately, while Barry could be a talented actor when he chose to be, as evidenced by his performance in the World War II drama "The Purple Heart" (1944),his combative nature, oversized ego, and tendency to alienate those around him made it difficult for him to work with others. Many of the casts and crews he worked with at Republic grew to dislike him, including serial director William Witney, who referred to him as "the midget," and director John English, who only worked with him once and never again.
Despite his success in westerns, Barry's career began to decline by the early 1950s, and he was eventually relegated to making low-budget films for companies like Lippert and Screen Guild. He continued to work in the industry, appearing in westerns until the 1970s, often in small supporting roles or unbilled. Tragically, Barry's life came to a premature end in 1980 when he took his own life by shooting himself.
