Mona Barrie, a brunette with hazel eyes, was a former childhood ballerina born Mona Barlee, daughter of veteran comedian Phil Smith. She was born in London and educated in Australia before being spotted by a talent scout on a Fifth Avenue bus in New York, leading to her signing with Fox in 1932.
Initially, Mona was cast as one of two female leads in the failed film Sleepers East (1934),a train-bound crime drama, and also played a supporting role in the post-Civil War romance Carolina (1934),showcasing her ability to wear elaborate gowns. The New York Times (January 9, 1935) noted her extensive wardrobe in the film Mystery Woman (1935),stating that she must have spent a great deal of time and energy being fitted for it.
Mona was voted one of the best-dressed women in Hollywood and acclaimed by designer Royer for her innate fashion sense. During her tenure at Fox, she appeared in various films, including the Charlie Chan series, the mystery-comedy Ladies Love Danger (1935),and the action-adventure Storm Over the Andes (1935),opposite Antonio Moreno.
After leaving Fox, Mona took a six-month break from work before being picked up by Warner Brothers and loaned to MGM, where she starred alongside Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in Love on the Run (1936). Over the next decade, Mona continued to make the most of her limited opportunities, often playing the role of "the other woman," western heroines, villainesses, or glamorous clothes horses.
She appeared in films such as Skylark (1941),Cairo (1942),and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941),starring alongside Franklin Pangborn as his wife. Mona received good reviews for her performances, but by the end of the 1940s, the law of diminishing returns began to apply, with fewer roles on offer.
Mona made her final film appearance in an uncredited bit in Warner's Plunder of the Sun (1953) before retiring from the film industry. She maintained her residence in Los Angeles, where she passed away in June 1964 at the age of 54.
