Sometimes described as a poor man's
Kay Francis, brunette, hazel-eyed
Mona Barrie possessed neither quite the looks nor the personality
required to become a major player in 1930's Hollywood. Nonetheless, the
London-born and Australian-educated former childhood ballerina (born
Mona Barlee, daughter of veteran comedian Phil Smith) enjoyed a fairly
substantial career as a versatile 'second lead' for more than two
decades. Soon after being spotted by a talent scout on a Fifth Avenue
bus in New York, Mona signed with Fox in 1932 and was immediately cast
as one of two female leads in
Sleepers East (1934), a failed
attempt by Fox to remake MGM's all-star mega hit
Menschen im Hotel (1932) as a
train-bound crime drama. That same year, she also played a supporting
role in the post-Civil War romance
Carolina (1934), which established the
fact that she wore elaborate gowns exceedingly well. The New York Times
(January 9, 1935) caustically commented about her role in
Mystery Woman (1935): "The players
go through the required motions with a minimum of effort, except
perhaps for Mona Barrie, who must have had to spend a great deal of
time and energy being fitted for the extensive wardrobe she displays".
In fact, Mona was voted by several newspapers as one of the best
dressed women in Hollywood and acclaimed by the designer
Royer for her innate fashion sense.
During her tenure at Fox, Mona's varied career encompassed an entry
into the Charlie Chan series, as well as starring roles in the
mystery-comedy
Ladies Love Danger (1935) and
the action adventure
Storm Over the Andes (1935),
opposite Antonio Moreno. There
were others. However, none of these second features generated much
publicity or box office success and Mona took a chance, walked out on
her contract and was out of work for six months. Picked up by Warner
Brothers, she bought a house in Beverly Hills, complete with swimming
pool and croquet lawn. Loaned out to MGM, she at last appeared in
distinguished company, alongside
Joan Crawford and
Clark Gable in
Liebe mit 100 PS (1936). In the
course of the next decade, as before, Mona made the most of her limited
opportunities, often typically cast as
'the other woman', as perfunctory western heroines, the occasional villainess or glamorous clothes horse, or even popping up as Franklin Pangborn's
wife in W.C. Fields's madcap farce
Gib keinem Trottel eine Chance (1941).
There were some good reviews, too, for films like
Eheposse (1941) and
Cairo (1942). By the end of the 40's, the
law of diminishing returns began to apply, with ever fewer roles on
offer. After an uncredited bit in Warner's
Das geheimnisvolle Testament (1953),
Mona called it a day and retired from films. She maintained her
residence in Los Angeles, where she died in June 1964, aged just 54.
