Lynn Bari
USABiography of Lynn Bari
Lynn Bari, born Margaret Schuyler Fisher on December 18, 1913, in Roanoke, Virginia, was an American actress known for her roles as beautiful and sultry femme fatales and killers. She reached the peak of her career in the 1930s and 1940s, appearing in numerous films for 20th Century Fox. Bari once said that she always played women who carried a gun in their purses. She effortlessly switched between different acting ensembles, often shooting people and kidnapping husbands on screen.
Early Life and Family
Lynn Bari's parents were John Maynard Fisher, a native of Tennessee, and Marjorie Halpen from New York. She had a younger brother named John. After her father's death in 1920, Bari and her family moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, where her mother remarried Reverend Robert Bizer. Reverend Bizer's new assignment led the family to Boston, Massachusetts, where Bari encountered difficulties due to her strong southern accent. Determined to improve her pronunciation, she started participating in amateur theatrical productions and took lessons in elocution.
Career
At the age of 13, Bari was overjoyed to learn that her stepfather had been transferred to Los Angeles, a city with incredible opportunities for aspiring actors. In her early films, Bari usually played receptionists or chorus girls. While she rarely had leading roles, she did shine in films such as "China Girl" (1942), "Hello, Frisco, Hello" (1943), and "The Amazing Mr. X" (1948). In low-budget and B-movies, Bari often portrayed villains, whether it was the role of Nurse Elaine Jordan in "Shock" or Frances Ransom in "Nocturne." One exception was the film "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (1944), where Bari played one of her most notable roles. Her last appearance on the big screen was in 1968, portraying the mother of a rebellious teenager in the drama "The Young Runaways." She also appeared in an episode of the TV series "City Detective" in 1955 and played the role of Belle Starr in an episode of the NBC western "Overland Trail" in 1960.
Personal Life and Legacy
Bari faced serious problems in her personal life, including her controlling alcoholic mother and three unsuccessful marriages. Her first child, from her marriage to second husband Sid Luft, was stillborn. Two years later, in 1948, she gave birth to her son, John Michael Luft. Lynn Bari passed away from a heart attack at her home in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 76. In 2010, film historian Jeff Gordon published "Foxy Lady," an authorized biography of the actress.
Bari chose her stage name at the age of 14 by combining the names of actress Lynn Fontanne and Scottish writer J. M. Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan." When she read about the Italian city of Bari, she decided to remove one letter 'r' from her surname, creating her unique stage name.
