Occupation Actor Years active 1943–1977 | Name Jess Barker Role Film actor | |
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Died August 8, 2000, North Hollywood, California, United States Children Timothy Barker, Gregory Barker, Morgana Ruth Barker Movies Scarlet Street, The Night Walker, Reign of Terror, This Love of Ours, Cover Girl Similar People Susan Hayward, William Castle, Charles Vidor, William Dieterle, Anthony Mann | ||
Jess Barker (June 4, 1912 – August 8, 2000) was an American film actor of the 1930s and 1940s. He began his film career credited as Philip Barker until changing his stage name to Jess Barker in the early 1940s. He is probably most famous for being the first husband of actress Susan Hayward. The two wed July 23, 1944. They had twin sons together during their ten-year marriage, whose custody was won by Hayward after a bitter court battle.
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Barker's movie career was damaged because of the bad publicity, but he still managed to find work as an actor on radio and films in supporting roles. Barker appeared in Scarlet Street (1945) and the Abbott and Costello film The Time of Their Lives (1946). He also made two guest appearances on Perry Mason. In 1961 he played defendant Walter Eastman in "The Case of the Injured Innocent," and in 1965 he played Doug Hamilton in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid."
Paternity suit
In 1956, Barker lost a paternity suit in Los Angeles. Judge Walter H. Odemar ruled that Barker was the father of Morgana, a daughter born to actress Yvonne Doughty.
