Lynn Bari Movies
The stepdaughter of a minister, Lynn Bari entered films as an anonymous dancer in MGM's 1933 superproduction Dancing Lady. Later that same year, she signed a contract with Fox studios, inaugurating a decade-long association with that studio. Though she yearned for parts of substance, the brunette actress was generally limited to "B" pictures and pin-up poses. In the studio's more expensive efforts, Lynn was usually cast as truculent "other women" and villainesses; one of her rare leading roles in an "A" picture was as Henry Fonda's likable vis-a-vis in The Magnificent Dope (1942). Lynn's excellent top-billed performance in the independently produced The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944) should have made her a star, but the film unfortunately tanked at the box office. Only a few of her later roles made full use of Lynn's talents; the best of her screen appearances in the 1950s was as Piper Laurie's social-climbing mother in Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952). On TV, Ms. Bari starred in the early series Boss Lady and The Detective's Wife. Lynn Bari's last film appearance (before devoting the remainder of her career to theatrical productions) was as the mother of rebellious teenager Patty McCormick in The Young Runaways (1968); Lynn's horrified reaction to the word "sex" in this film should amuse anyone who remembered the actress' sultry, man-killing performances in her Fox days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1945
Famed WW1 aviator Eddie Rickenbacker once more entered the public's consciousness during WW2 when, while serving as an Air Force officer, he and several other pilots crashed into the Pacific. While the world anxiously awaited news of his fate, Rickenbacker and a handful of survivors floated for 19 days in a tiny rubber raft. Captain Eddie recreates this incident, using it as a framework for a series of flashbacks in which Rickenbacker (Fred MacMurray) reminisces on the high points of his life. He is seen experimenting with aviation in his backyard, working in an auto factory to finance his earliest flights, and wooing and winning the lovely Adelaide (Lynn Bari). When America enters WW1, Rickenbacker immediately signs up, eventually shooting down more enemy planes than any other American aviator. Back in "the present", Rickenbacker and his comrades (including Lloyd Nolan and Richard Conte as Lt. Whittaker and Private Bartek) struggle to stay alive while awaiting rescue. Darryl Hickman plays Rickenbacker as a boy, while Charles Bickford portrays his father William. The huge supporting cast includes amusing unbilled contributions by Grady Sutton ("The schottische is my fav-or-ite dance!") and George Chandler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Lynn Bari, (more)
First filmed in 1928, Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer-winning novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey is given a ponderous treatment in this 1944 remake. Like the novel, the film begins at the end, with the collapse of a rope bridge in 18th century Peru. The story then flashes back to the lives of the five unfortunates killed in the collapse. Among the five are singer-turned-couresan Michaela (Lynn Bari), her obsequious Uncle Pio (Akim Tamiroff), feuding twin brothers Manuel and Estaban (both played by Francis Lederer) and the envious Marquesa (Nazimova). Trying to make sense of the lives and deaths of the five is sensitive young priest Brother Juniper (Donald Woods). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, Akim Tamiroff, (more)
- 1944
Not to be confused with the 1971 film of the same name, this World War II espionage drama was the second to last film from German director Lothar Mendes and stars Edward G. Robinson as oil tanker captain Bart Manson. When Manson rescues the survivors of a torpedoed ship in the Gulf of Mexico, he meets the beautiful Kathy Hall (Lynn Bari) and the two fall in love. But when Manson's ship sinks under suspicious circumstances, Hall becomes the prime suspect due to her mysterious past and identity. Believing his beloved to be innocent of the crime, Manson sets out to uncover who the real culprit is. Tampico also stars Victor McLaglen and Robert Bailey. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward G. Robinson, Lynn Bari, (more)
- 1944
In this musical, a youthful trombonist is thrilled when he is allowed to play with Benny Goodman's Orchestra. Afterward he becomes insufferably egotistical and tries to start his own swing band. It's his girl friend's idea, and unfortunately he fails. He then returns to his old mill job. Fortunately, he is given another chance to play with Benny and the boys. Musical numbers include: "I'm Making Believe," (Mack Gordon, James V. Monaco), as well as "Chug-Chug-Choo-Choo-Chug," "Hey Bub, Let's Have a Ball," "Ten Days with a Baby" (Gordon, Monaco), "I Found a New Baby" (Jack Palmer, Spencer Williams), "Jersey Bounce" (Robert B. Wright, Bobby Plater, Tiny Bradshaw, Edward Johnson), "Let's Dance" (Fanny Baldridge, Gregory Stone, Joseph Bonine), "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" (Gene Lockhart, Ernest Seitz), "Mozart's Clarinet Quintet" (performed by Goodman and strings), "No Love, No Nothing" (Leo Robin, Harry Warren), "Rachel's Dream" (Benny Goodman), and "I Yi Yi Yi Yi, I Like You Very Much" (Gordon, Warren) ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benny Goodman Orchestra, Linda Darnell, (more)
Though a lesser 20th Century-Fox musical, Hello, Frisco, Hello was one of the studio's most successful wartime efforts. John Payne plays Johnny Cornell, a sharp wheeler-dealer operating on the Barbary Coast at the turn of the century. With the help of his songstress girlfriend Trudy Evans (Alice Faye), Johnny gains a reputation as a first-class showman. Soon, however, success goes to Johnny's head, and he deserts Trudy in favor of Nob Hill socialite Bernice Croft (Lynn Bari). The disheartened Trudy heads to England, where she becomes the toast of London's theatrical set. Meanwhile, Johnny marries Bernice, who talks him into a series of money-losing "artistic" theatrical ventures. Learning of the reversal in Johnny's fortunes, Trudy secretly finances his comeback, leading to a happy ending for everyone except the pretentious Bernice. A loose reworking of 1936's King of Burlesque, Hello, Frisco Hello benefits from the comedy relief of Jack Oakie and from a string of enjoyable tunes, including the Oscar-winning "You'll Never Know." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Faye, John Payne, (more)
- 1942
In order to be permitted to appear in "prestige" items like Grapes of Wrath and The Ox-Bow Incident, Henry Fonda had to agree to appear in such inconsequential fluff as The Magnificent Dope. On its own terms, however, this gentle satire of the "Dale Carnegie" school of self-help is pretty funny. Don Ameche plays Dwight Dawson, the owner of a success school which isn't all that successful. Dawson's secretary-sweetheart Claire Harris (Lynn Bari) suggests a publicity stunt which might improve business: If Dawson can make a success out of the laziest man in America, the world will beat a path to his door. After an extensive search, the perfect candidate for Dawson's academy is found: Cheerful, laid-back country boy Tad Page, who prefers happiness and serenity to hard work and wealth. In true "reverse procedure" tradition, it is Tad's take-it-easy philosophy, rather than Dawson's "get up and go" dictum, that eventually wins the hearts of the American public. Fourth-billed Edward Everett Horton has little to do other than his inimitable double takes, one of which amusingly closes the picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Don Ameche, (more)
- 1942
The plot of the RKO Radio programmer The Falcon Takes Over will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen the 1944 Philip Marlowe mystery Murder My Sweet: indeed, both films were based on the same Raymond Chandler novel, Farewell My Lovely. It all begins when brutish prison escapee Moose Malloy (Ward Bond) forces nervous Broadwayite Goldie Locke (Allen Jenkins) to drive him to a posh nightclub, where Moose hopes to be reunited with his old girlfriend. Unable to find his elusive sweetheart, Moose tears the joint apart, obliging Goldie to flee for his life. As it happens, Goldie is the assisant of private eye Gay Lawrence (George Sanders), aka The Falcon, who has been hired by foppish socialite Lindsey Marriot (Hans Conried) to ransom a necklace stolen from Marriot's lady friend Diane Kenyon (Helen Gilbert). Shortly afterward, Marriot is murdered, and the Falcon discovers that there's an inextricable link between the dead man and the inimitable Moose Malloy. The rest of the film follows the plot convolutions set down by Chandler in Farewell My Lovely, carefully retailed to suit the breezy urbanity of George Sanders as the Falcon. Though Murder My Sweet is the better of the two versions of the Chandler novel, The Falcon Takes Over has a few advantages of its own, notably the casting of future Oscar winner Ann Revere as blowzy murder suspect Jessie Florian. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Sanders, Lynn Bari, (more)
- 1942
Secret Agent of Japan sometimes looks like a B-grade "answer" to Warner Bros.' Casablanca, except that the answer was released several months before the question. The principal character is Roy Bonnell (Preston Foster), the cynical American owner of Shanghai nightclub. On the lam from a criminal charge in the US, Bonnell prefers to keep a low profile, especially in political matters. His long-dormant patriotism is revived when he finds out that Japanese spies are buying up property in Shanghai and are mistreating the local citizens. Teaming up with glamorous British secret agent Kay Murdock (Lynn Bari), Bonnell turns spy himself, secretly reporting Axis activities to the British government-even though he's putting his own life on the line by doing so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Lynn Bari, (more)
- 1942
China Girl charts the exploits of two-fisted newsreel photographer Johnny Williams (George Montgomery), stationed in Burma and China in the early stage of WW II. Captured by the Japanese, he escapes from a concentration camp with the aid of beautiful, enigmatic "China Girl" Miss Young (Gene Tierney). The two arduously make their way back to friendly lines so that Johnny can deliver the vital military information he's managed to glean from his captors. Though it probably wasn't supposed to happen this way, Lynn Bari steals the film from official star Gene Tierney. China Girl was scripted by Ben Hecht with his usual blend of sentiment and cynicism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Tierney, George Montgomery, (more)
In his last screen appearance, bandleader Glenn Miller plays--are you sitting down?--a bandleader. The film's main plot involves small-town girl Ann Rutherford, who impulsively marries George Montgomery, a trumpeter in the Miller band. Rutherford soon finds that she isn't particularly suited for life on the road, nor is she prepared for the petty jealousies and backstabbings prevalent among the other orchestra wives (Lynn Bari, Carole Landis et. al.) She eventually leaves Montgomery, an event which coincides with the breakup of the band. But both the band and the marriage are salvaged through the benign conspiratorial schemes of Glenn Miller and a repentant Rutherford. Those who aren't interested in the various plots and subplots in Orchestra Wives will be captivated by the endless supply of blue-ribbon tunes, including I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo, At Last, and Serenade in Blue. Guest stars include Tex Beneke, The Modernaires and the Nicholas Brothers. Watch for an uncredited Jackie Gleason as a bass player and Dale Evans as Ann Rutherford's friend in the soda-fountain scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Montgomery, Ann Rutherford, (more)
- 1942
The Night Before the Divorce is when Lynn Thorndike (Lynn Bari) seeks out her ex-husband George (Joseph Allen Jr.), begging for help. Lynn claims she is in trouble with cops, a contingency tied in with the murder of bandleader Victor Roselle (Nils Asther), whom she has been dating. George immediately drops his current girl friend Lola May (Mary Beth Hughes) like a hot potato to come to his former wife's rescue. It turns out, however, that Lynn isn't in any trouble at all; she's just been playing dumb and helpless to win back her husband, who'd always been jealous of her superior intellect. Wonder what the chances are for a screening of The Night Before the Divorce at the next N.O.W. meeting? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
Based on the novel by Vincente Blasco Ibanez, Blood and Sand is the beautifully rendered story of the rise and fall of a young, cocksure Spanish bullfighter, played by Tyrone Power. Working his way slowly up the ladder to success, Power achieves fame when he is praised to skies by fatuous, fickle critic Laird Cregar. A country boy at heart, Power finds himself way over his head with sophisticates, and is soon torn between his pious and faithful wife Linda Darnell and sexy, mercenary Rita Hayworth. It is Darnell, however, who comforts Power after his final, fatal goring in the bull ring. The film's best scenes depict the curious combination of horror and fascination with which bullfighting aficionados treat this most barbaric of "sports." Blood and Sand was previously filmed in 1922 with Rudolph Valentino; a Valentino contemporary, Alla Nazimova, plays Power's mother in the remakes. Portions of this film turned up as stock footage in the 1945 Laurel and Hardy comedy The Bullfighters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, (more)
- 1941
This 20th Century-Fox programmer revolves around the misadventures of two not-overly-bright motorcycle patrolmen. Waitress Rose Coughlin (Lynn Bari) causes a rift between cycle cops Bob Brandon (Alan Curtis) and Herman Huff (Don Defore) when she falls in love with both. Rose then jilts the two of them, preferring the company of oriental business mogul Nabob (Gerald Mohr). Brandon and Huff come to the rescue when Nabob turns out to be a criminal. The film's best bit occurs early in the proceedings, when a speeding motorist (Tom Dugan) gives his name as "John Doe"; Brandon and Huff refuse to buy this obvious alias, whereupon the dimwit mollifies them by saying "Okay...Jonathan Doremus." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, Alan Curtis, (more)
- 1941
In this comedy, a popular radio marriage counselor tends to ignore his own advice and his wife to boot. One day, a handsome fellow sees the wife while on his boat and casually invites her to spend the day with him. She does, and they end up falling in love. This naturally disturbs her husband, who is soon inspired to prove that he does indeed love and need her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, John Sutton, (more)
- 1941
Skating star Sonja Henie and the Glenn Miller Orchestra share the spotlight in Sun Valley Serenade. Henie plays a Norwegian refugee adopted by band pianist John Payne, who mistakenly thought that the full-grown Miss Henie was a 10-year-old little girl. Payne's girlfriend, Lynn Bari, is a soloist with the Miller band, and also a violently jealous sort. When Bari quits Miller out of pique, Henie stages an elaborate ice show as a substitute. This impromptu spectacular thrills the audience at the Sun Valley resort hotel where most of the action takes place. Joan Davis and Milton Berle provide comic relief to the music and romance (you haven't lived until you've seen Berle on skis), while The Nicholas Brothers and Dorothy Dandridge perform a lively chorus of "Chattanooga Choo Choo." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonja Henie, John Payne, (more)
- 1941
This second entry in 20th Century-Fox's "Michael Shayne" series was a remake of the 1932 Fox romantic drama Sleepers East. In the original, the detective character was peripheral, but this changed once Michael Shayne (Lloyd Nolan) was written in as the leading character. Dogged by persistent girl reporter Kay Bentley (Lynn Bari), private detective Shayne tries his best to secretly escort murder-trial witness Helen Carlson (Mary Beth Hughes) by train from Denver to San Francisco. Helen's testimony will free a man falsely accused of murder, which will also effectively destroy the election chances of a machine politician. Thus, Mike has to protect Helen from any and all likely assassins, including hired torpedo Carl Izzard (Don Costello), who manages to inveigle Kay's wishy-washy fiance Tom Linscott (Don Douglas) into his camp. Meanwhile, the incognito Helen strikes up a clandestine relationship with fellow passenger Everett Jason (Louis-Jean Heydt), who is harboring a few secrets of his own. Based on a story by Frederick Nebel (or "Torchy Blaine" fame), Sleepers West is full of chock-full of fascinating characterizations and startling little surprises, and is considered by many to be the best of Fox's "Michael Shayne" installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Nolan, Lynn Bari, (more)
- 1941
Ubiquitous 20th Century-Fox contractee Lynn Bari is the heroine of The Perfect Snob. Carefully raised by her social-climbing mother Martha (Charlotte Greenwood) to seek out a millionaire husband, debutante Chris Mason (Bari) throws herself at wealthy Freddie Browning (Alan Mowbray) during a Hawaiian vacation. But Chris secretly intends to follow the advise of her doctor father (Charles Ruggles) and marry for love rather than money. In this spirit, she pledges her troth to the handsome but apparently impoverished Mike Lord (Cornel Wilde). Much to everyone's surprise and delight, Mike turns out to be the owner of a thriving sugar plantation! Still several years removed from film stardom, Anthony Quinn goes through the "other man"paces generally reserved for Ralph Bellamy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Ruggles, Charlotte Greenwood, (more)
- 1940
Future blacklistee John Howard Lawson co-wrote this remake of Samuel Goldwyn's 1920 drama Earthbound, presented here as a rather more straightforward morality tale/fantasy. Warner Baxter and Andrea Leeds star as Nick and Ellen Desbrough, a seemingly happily-married couple celebrating their fifth anniversary at the outset of the movie. But Nick hasn't been nearly as faithful as Ellen believes, and his one-time romance with Linda Reynolds (Lynn Bari) has come back to haunt him. He believed the relationship was safely ended long ago, and Linda to be in love with his longtime friend Jeffrey Reynolds (Henry Wilcoxon) -- but she still wants Nick, and when he rejects her, she shoots him in a fit of jealous rage. Jeff takes the blame for the murder and is put on trial, while Nick -- now a wraith-like figure caught between heaven and earth -- tries desperately to communicate with Ellen or anyone else, to no avail, to tell them of Jeff's innocence. The only person with whom he can communicate is a mysterious man (Charles Grapewin) who seems to know a great deal about where Nick has been and also where he might -- or might not -- end up. Confronted in death by all of the unhappiness that his faithless life has caused, Nick vows to try and repair some of the damage, but it may take a miracle for that to happen. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warner Baxter, Andrea Leeds, (more)
- 1940
- NR
This typically economical Edward Small historical drama stars Jon Hall as legendary frontiersman Kit Carson. Wasting no time, the film gets off to an exciting start as Carson and his two saddle pals (Ward Bond and Harold Huber) are attacked by Indians. They manage to escape unscatched and make their way to Fort Bridger, where Captain John "Frontier" Fremont (Dana Andrews) hires Carson to guide a wagon train westward. The plot thickens when both Carson and Fremont fall in love with pretty Dolores Murphy (Lynn Bari), but all misunderstandings and rivalries are forgotten when the two heroes fight shoulder to shoulder against another Indian attack. Despite obvious budgetary limitations, the battle scenes are well staged by serial veteran George B. Seitz. Originally distributed by United Artists, Kit Carson was later reissued by minor-league PRC Pictures, which is why the film is currently in Public Domain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Lillian Russell is the sanitized musical biopic of the legendary (and much-married) 19th century musical comedy star. Discovered in 1880 by bandleader Tony Pastor (Leo Carrillo), Lillian Russell (Alice Faye) wastes no time rising to fame and fortune on the Broadway stage. Along the way, she curries the favor of such eligible bachelors as newspaperman Alexander Moore (Henry Fonda), composer Edward Solomon (Don Ameche), and railroad tycoon Diamond Jim Brady (Edward Arnold). She marries the first two, and has a high old time (albeit chastely) with the third. The story ends with Russell's retirement in 1912, and her reunion with the one true love of her life. The film's hands-down highlight is a timeworn but classic routine involving those two Broadway comedy giants Joe Weber and Lew Fields, both of whom had appeared on-stage with the real Lillian Russell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Faye, Don Ameche, (more)
- 1940
The title character in Charter Pilot is King Morgan (Lloyd Nolan), who thinks nothing of taking life-threatening risks on a daily basis. When Morgan marries radio personality Marge Duncan (Lynn Bari), he accedes to her wishes and takes a desk job. Alas, he is unable to resist the call of the clouds, and soon he's back flying between the US and Central America. At long last, she talks him into remaining earthbound by starring him in a radio series based on his adventures. But there's still enough time in this 70-minute programmer for Morgan and his missus to foil a gang of Nazi saboteurs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Nolan, Lynn Bari, (more)
- 1940
Pier 13 is a remake of the delightful Spencer Tracy-Joan Bennett vehicle Me and My Gal, which itself was a reworking of a 1922 silent picture. Wisecracking cop Danny Dolan (Lloyd Nolan) takes a liking to self-reliant waterfront waitress Sally Kelly (Lynn Bari), and the feeling is definitely mutual. But when Sally begins behaving strangely, Dolan suspects that she's mixed up with notorious criminal Johnnie Hale (Douglas Fowley). In fact, Sally is merely covering up for her flighty sister Helen (oan Valerie), who has foolishly fallen for Hale and has become deeply involved in the latter's underhanded activities. Things come to a head during a nocturnal warehouse robbery, with Dolan and Hale settling their differences face to face. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, Lloyd Nolan, (more)
- 1940
Former Latin Lover Ricardo Cortez directed this farfetched but fast-paced gambling melodrama in which girl reporter Julie Reynolds (Lynn Bari) attempts to infiltrate a crooked gaming establishment by pretending to be a naïve girl from Texas. Julie's plans go awry, however, when one of the owners, Steve Walker (Donald Woods), recognizes her as his childhood sweetheart. Although Steve's mentor, The Judge (C. Aubrey Smith), warns him of the consequences, the young man insists on resuming his relationship with Julie, a decision that almost costs him his life when rival gangster Marty Connors (Richard Lane) decides to move in on the operation. But Steve and Julie pull a fast one on Marty and The Judge skips the City of Chance on a floating casino. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, C. Aubrey Smith, (more)
- 1940
Free, Blonde and 21 was one of a handful of films directed by former leading man Ricardo Cortez. Two of 20th Century-Fox's busiest leading ladies, Mary Beth Hughes and Lynn Bari, head the cast of this soap opera-style yarn about life in a hotel catering to women. Hughes plays Jerry, a duplicitious wench who gets involved with gangsters ends up behind bars, while Bari plays Carol, an honest lass who is rewarded at fadeout time with a happy marriage to millionaire Dr. Mayberry (Henry Wilcoxon). Joan Davis injects a few moments of hilarity as the hotel chambermaid, while Alan Baxter is his usual steely-eyed self as a stickup man. For its original New York run, Free, Blonde and 21 was paired with Fox's The Grapes of Wrath, leading several reviewers to note that both films would have been better off with a single-feature presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
- 1939
Newspaper editor Steve Drum (Preston Foster) is willing to pull any dirty trick in the book to boost his rag's circulation. Drums's latest escapade is to blame a former criminal, now a respected politician, for a series of murders. Once the damage has been done, Drum puts on his "crusader" hat and stirs up enough public sympathy to save the politician from the electric chair. Only he's been forced to eat a few heaping helpings of humble pie does Drum redeem himself in the eyes of his long-suffering star reporter Maxine Thomas (Lynn Bari). Real-life newspapermen were mildly amused with the liberties taken in this fanciful "stop the presses" seriocomedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Lynn Bari, (more)
