Barney Phillips

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barney Phillips
Born Bernard Philip Ofner
October 20, 1913(1913-10-20)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died August 17, 1982 (aged 68)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Film, television actors
Years active 19371982
Spouse(s) Marie A. Davis (19??–1982)

Barney Phillips (October 20, 1913August 17, 1982) was an American film and television actor.

Contents

[edit] Biography and career

He was born Bernard Philip Ofner in St. Louis, Missouri, to Henry Ofner, a commercial salesman for the leather industry, and Leona Frank Ofner, a naturalized citizen of German origin, who went by the nickname Lonnie.[1] Phillips grew up and was educated in St. Louis, then moved to Los Angeles, California after graduating from college in 1935.

Interested in acting, he was able to get a small part in an independently-produced Grade B western called Black Aces in 1937, but his show business career then languished. Phillips enlisted in the US Army in July 1941 under his real name[2], serving in the signal corps during WWII.

Following the war, he was able to get small parts in several films during 1949-1952, before getting a regular role on the NBC television version of Dragnet, as Sgt Ed Jacobs. Thereafter he was a prolific character actor in both films and television series throughout the 1950s and 1960's. He remained active in television during the 1970s and up to a few months before his death in 1982.

Phillips was generally a guest star or featured player, but did have a number of recurring character roles in television, and one stint as a series regular for The Betty White Show (1977-78). However, his best known role is likely to be as a surprising diner counterman in a well-known episode of The Twilight Zone called "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?".

[edit] Filmography (partial)

  • Black Aces (1937) ...as Jake Stoddard
  • The Judge (1949) ...as Reporter
  • Little Egypt (1951) ...as Reporter
  • My Six Convicts (1952) ...as Baker foreman
  • Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1952) ...as Pvt Murphy
  • Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952) ...as Workman
  • Ruby Gentry (1952) ...as Dr Saul Manfred
  • Eight Iron Men (1952) ...as Capt Trelawney
  • A Blueprint for Murder (1953) ...as Capt Pringle
  • I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) ...as Det Sgt Donovan

[edit] Television credits (partial)

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1930 US Census for Missouri
  2. ^ US Army Military Enlistment Records, WWII

[edit] External links