Lillian Elizabeth Guenther, a forgotten starlet of 1930s B-movies, was a stunning, hazel-eyed blonde of German ancestry. Born in Arkansas, her family relocated to California when she was just a child. Early in the 1920s, she secured bit parts in a couple of silent films. After a hiatus from film work, Lillian completed her education at the esteemed Orton School for Girls in Pasadena, where she honed her skills as a theatrical dancer.
In addition to her dancing endeavors, she also pursued a lucrative sideline as a model in southern California, frequently employed by exclusive fashion houses. In 1932, she was selected as a junior hostess representing Arkansas at the Los Angeles Olympics. The following year, she was signed by Fox Studios and starred in her second film, The Golden West (1932),opposite the renowned George O'Brien.
Unfortunately, her subsequent venture turned out to be a box-office bomb, and Lillian was subsequently dropped by the studio. Despite her efforts to remain in the spotlight, she was relegated to bottom-of-the-bill sage brush operas and melodramas for Poverty Row outfits like Weiss Brothers, Peerless, and Reliable. Sometime in 1935, while on the set of Rough Riding Ranger (1935),she suffered an accident that prompted her to retire from acting.
In the same year, Lillian married a New York investment broker, adopting the surname Barrett, and effectively bid farewell to the entertainment industry, leaving behind a legacy as a forgotten starlet of 1930s B-movies.
