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Barry Sullivan

Barry Sullivan

Actor · 1912 – 1994 · New York City, New York, USA

Barry Sullivan (August 29, 1912 – June 6, 1994) was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s. Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football. During the later Depression years, Sullivan was told that because of his 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) stature and rugged good looks he could "make money" simply standing on a Broadway stage. This began a successful career on Broadway, movies and television. One of Sullivan's most memorable roles was playing a movie director in The Bad and the Beautiful opposite Kirk Douglas. Sullivan toured the US with Bette Davis in theatrical readings of the poetry of Carl Sandburg and starred opposite her in the 1951 film Payment on Demand. In 1950, Sullivan appeared in the film A Life of Her Own and replaced Vincent Price in the role of Leslie Charteris' Simon Templar on the NBC Radio show The Saint. Unfortunately, Sullivan only lasted two episodes before the show was cancelled, and then resurrected five weeks later with Vincent Price once again playing the starring role. Sullivan's first starring TV show was a syndicated adaptation of the radio series The Man Called X for Ziv Television in 1956-1957, as secret agent Ken Thurston, the role Herbert Marshall originally portrayed before the microphone. In the 1957-1958 season, Sullivan starred in the adventure/drama television series Harbormaster. He played a commercial ship's captain, David Scott, and Paul Burke played his partner, Jeff Kittridge, in five episodes of the series, which aired first on CBS and then ABC under the revised title Adventure at Scott Island. In 1960, Sullivan played frontier sheriff Pat Garrett opposite Clu Gulager as outlaw Billy the Kid in the western television series The Tall Man (although the series ran for seventy-five half-hour episodes, the one in which Garrett kills Billy was never filmed). Sullivan appeared in Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) as John Chisum, but his scene was excised from the release print (though later restored to the film). He had a featured role in the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man Book II. In additional to The Tall Man, Sullivan also starred in the television series The Road West, which aired on NBC on Monday, alternating with Perry Como), during the 1966-1967 season. Sullivan played the role of family patriarch Ben Pride. Sullivan guest starred in many series, including The DuPont Show with June Allyson, The Reporter, The Love Boat, Little House on the Prairie, and McMillan and Wife. He starred in many Hallmark Hall of Fame specials including a highly acclaimed production of "The Price" opposite George C. Scott. Sullivan was consistently in demand for the entirety of his career. His acting career spanned romantic leading man roles to villains and finally to character roles. In his later years, Sullivan had roles in the films, Oh God with George Burns and Earthquake, where he shared scenes with Ava Gardner. Sullivan has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one at 1500 Vine St. for his work in television, and another at 6160 Hollywood Blvd. for motion pictures.

Movies24

  • Movie7.2
  • Movie6.2

    Earthquake

    1974 · 383 votes

  • Movie6.5

    The Arrangement

    1969 · 69 votes

  • Movie5.8
  • Movie7.3

    The Bad and the Beautiful

    1952 · 309 votes

  • Movie5.3

    Take a Hard Ride

    1975 · 44 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Terrore nello spazio

    Planet of the Vampires

    1965 · 262 votes

  • Movie6.8

    A Volta do Besouro Verde

    The Green Hornet Strikes Again!

    1940 · 6 votes

  • Movie6.0
  • Movie5.8

    Caravans

    1978 · 19 votes

  • Movie5.9

    A Gathering of Eagles

    1963 · 27 votes

  • Movie6.7

    Night Gallery

    1969 · 26 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Oh, God!

    1977 · 142 votes

  • Movie6.4

    Light in the Piazza

    1962 · 23 votes

  • Movie5.3

    A Life of Her Own

    1950 · 20 votes

  • Movie6.6

    Forty Guns

    1957 · 148 votes

  • Movie5.9

    Seven Ways from Sundown

    1960 · 24 votes

  • Movie5.8
  • Movie6.5

    Man in the Middle

    1964 · 25 votes

  • Movie5.4

    The Great Gatsby

    1949 · 24 votes

  • Movie5.4

    How to Steal the World

    1968 · 16 votes

  • Movie5.8

    Julie

    1956 · 36 votes

  • Movie6.7

    Jeopardy

    1953 · 44 votes

  • Movie5.2

    The Gangster

    1947 · 19 votes

Series24

  • TV7.5
  • TV7.7

    Perry Mason

    1957 · 139 votes

  • TV6.3

    The Love Boat

    1977 · 199 votes

  • TV7.5

    Bonanza

    1959 · 500 votes

  • TV8.0
  • TV6.8

    Ironside

    1967 · 71 votes

  • TV6.8

    Mannix

    1967 · 56 votes

  • TV7.9
  • TV7.5

    Quincy, M.E.

    1976 · 123 votes

  • TV7.6

    Mission: Impossible

    1966 · 320 votes

  • TV7.2

    Hawaii Five-O

    1969 · 164 votes

  • TV5.4

    Studio One

    1948 · 13 votes

  • TV6.5

    The Virginian

    1962 · 35 votes

  • TV3.8

    Climax!

    1954 · 12 votes

  • TV7.0

    The Name of the Game

    1968 · 13 votes

  • TV6.7

    Charlie's Angels

    1976 · 241 votes

  • TV6.7

    Cannon

    1971 · 41 votes

  • TV5.9
  • TV5.9

    Ben Casey

    1961 · 15 votes

  • TV7.8

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    1955 · 265 votes

  • TV6.2
  • TV6.7

    Route 66

    1960 · 20 votes

  • TV7.1

    Run for Your Life

    1965 · 7 votes

  • TV6.5

    Fantasy Island

    1978 · 130 votes