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Born · September 10, 1886
Died · August 5, 1941 (54 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Batley, Yorkshire, England, UK
Within the British colony of expatriate actors in Hollywood during the 1930's, Barnett Parker, born 11 September 1886, in Batley, Yorkshire, England, was among the most stereotypical. Harrowgate College-educated, straight-backed, balding and well-intoned, Parker caricatured a multitude of unctuous, stiff-upper-lip butlers, man-servants or waiters, though his performances could, at times, verge on the brink of being camp. When driven to frustration his characters commonly resorted to incoherent twitter or wild gesticulation. Parker was trained under Marie Tempest and George Alexander in England. He first acted on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre as Wilfred Tavish in Arthur Wing Pinero's "The "Mind the Paint" Girl" in 1912. He was well served with further roles in hit plays like "Hobson's Choice" (1915), "Artists and Models" (1924) and "The Red Robe" (1928). He was at first prone to reject film offers, professing to favor acting on stage. Nonetheless, the celluloid medium eventually beckoned, enticing him to sign with the East Coast-based studio Thanhouser in 1915. He worked in films during the daytime (while treading the boards at night) and quickly landed a plum role as a weak socialite, rescuing Gladys Hulette in Prudence, the Pirate (1916). He was seldom thereafter afforded the opportunity for heroic acts. During the 1930's, he was primarily in demand for small roles as dandified or 'silly ass' Britishers, giving value for money in films like Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Personal Property (1937), Live, Love and Learn (1937) and Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937). Looking rather older than his years, Barnett Parker died at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles after multiple heart attacks on August 5, 1941.
The Dragon (voice) (archive sound)
8.8
2004
Arthur Trevelyan in 'Personal Property' (arch. foot.) (uncred.)
6.3
1964
The Duke
0.0
1941
Phillips
5.5
1941
Dragon (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
6.6
1941
George
5.4
1941
Quentin
5.4
1941
George - Fred's Chauffeur
6.5
1940
Thompson, Steve's Butler (uncredited)
5.6
1940
Samuel Stephens
4.0
1940
Hammond
7.5
1940
Huggins
5.1
1940
Whitcomb
6.3
1939
William
6.4
1939
Photographer
6.0
1939
Bekins, the Butler
5.0
1939
Hugo
4.5
1938
Abercrombie
6.3
1938
Prince de Rohan
6.6
1938
Maurice
6.5
1938
Oscar
6.0
1938
Hotchkiss, Carlotta's Butler
5.7
1938
Graves
5.9
1937
Alfredo
5.8
1937
Mr. Flint, Margit's Bookkeeper
6.5
1937
Foster
5.3
1937
Jerry Jason
6.2
1937
Albert, Stephan's Butler
5.2
1937
Tweed
5.0
1937
Arthur Trevelyan
6.9
1937
Waiter
5.2
1937
Bill Cordell
6.5
1937
Purser
6.0
1937
Minehardi
5.0
1937
John Barkley
6.8
1937
Primrose
5.0
1936
Floorwalker
6.1
1936
Dining Car Man (uncredited)
6.2
1936
Butler (uncredited)
7.3
1936
Roger
5.3
1936
Waters
5.0
1936
Butler (uncredited)
7.5
1936
Steve
0.0
1920
John Astorbilt
0.0
1916
Book Agent
0.0
1916
The Duke
0.0
1916
Bill - a Gentleman from the East
0.0
1915