Editing Lex Barker (section)

==Career==

===Theatre===
Barker made it to Broadway once, in a small role in a short run of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's]] ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-merry-wives-of-windsor-7949 |title=''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' |website=IBDB.com |publisher=[[Internet Broadway Database]] }}</ref> He also had a small role in [[Orson Welles]]'s disastrous ''[[Five Kings]]'', which met with so many problems in Boston and Philadelphia that it never made it into New York City.<ref>Leaming, Barbara. ''Orson Welles: A Biography'', pp. 188–201<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref>

===World War II===
In February 1941, 10 months before the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], Barker left his fledgling acting career and enlisted in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]. He rose to the rank of [[Major (United States)|major]] during the [[World War II|war]].<ref>Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938–1946 [Archival Database]; [[World War II]] Army Enlistment Records; Records of the [[National Archives and Records Administration]], Record Group 64</ref> He was [[wounded in action]] (in the head and leg) fighting in [[Sicily]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Freese |first=Gene |date=2017 |title=Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914–1989 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=79g1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA108 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |page=108 |isbn=978-1-4766-6943-4}}</ref> He was awarded the [[Purple Heart]] twice.

===Early film roles===
Back in the US he recuperated at a military hospital in Arkansas, then upon his discharge from service traveled to Los Angeles. Within a short time he landed a small role in ''[[Doll Face]]'' (1945), his first film.{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}}

A string of small roles followed in films such as ''[[Two Guys from Milwaukee]]'' (1945) and ''[[Cloak and Dagger (1946 film)|Cloak and Dagger]]'' (1946).

===RKO===
Barker signed a contract at [[RKO]]. He had small roles in ''[[The Farmer's Daughter (1947 film)|The Farmer's Daughter]]'' (1947), ''[[Crossfire (film)|Crossfire]]'' (1947), and ''[[Under the Tonto Rim (1947 film)|Under the Tonto Rim]]'' (1947).{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}}

Barker went to [[Paramount Studios]] for ''[[Unconquered (1947 film)|Unconquered]]'' (1947). Back at RKO he was in ''[[Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome]]'' (1947), ''[[Berlin Express]]'' (1948), ''[[Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House]]'' (1948), ''[[The Velvet Touch]]'' (1948), and ''[[Return of the Bad Men]]'' (1948), playing [[Emmett Dalton]].{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}}

===Tarzan===
In ''[[Tarzan's Magic Fountain]]'' (1949), Barker became the 10th official [[Tarzan]] of the movies. His blond, handsome, and intelligent appearance, as well as his athletic 6'4" frame, helped make him popular in the role [[Johnny Weissmuller]] had made his own for 16 years. His Jane was [[Brenda Joyce (actress)|Brenda Joyce]], who had been in Weissmuller's last three films.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vallance |first=Tom |date=August 15, 2009 |title=Brenda Joyce: Actress who played Jane to Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/brenda-joyce-actress-who-played-jane-to-johnny-weissmullers-tarzan-1772546.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/brenda-joyce-actress-who-played-jane-to-johnny-weissmullers-tarzan-1772546.html |archive-date=2022-06-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref>

Barker's second Tarzan movie was ''[[Tarzan and the Slave Girl]]'' (1950), where Jane was played by [[Vanessa Brown]]. In ''[[Tarzan's Peril]]'' (1951), Barker's Jane was [[Virginia Huston]], with African location footage. [[Dorothy Hart]] was Jane in ''[[Tarzan's Savage Fury]]'' (1952), directed by [[Cy Endfield]].{{sfn|Schneider|2012|p=viii}}{{sfn|Drew|1986|loc=section 742}}

Barker got the chance to play a non-Tarzan role in ''[[Battles of Chief Pontiac]]'' (1952), a Western.<ref>{{cite book |last=Österberg |first=Bertil O. |date=2000 |title=Colonial America on Film and Television: A Filmography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ubYfDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Company |page=53 |isbn=978-0-7864-4242-3}}</ref> He returned to the role one last time in ''[[Tarzan and the She-Devil]]'' (1953).{{sfn|Schneider|2012|p=viii}}{{sfn|Drew|1986|loc=section 742}}

===Westerns===
Barker supported [[Randolph Scott]] in ''[[Thunder Over the Plains]]'' (1953).<ref>{{cite book |last=Nott |first=Robert |date=2004 |title=The Films of Randolph Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7CySCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA172 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Company |page=172 |isbn=978-0-7864-3759-7}}</ref>

At Universal he starred in the Western ''[[The Yellow Mountain]]'' (1954) and ''[[The Man from Bitter Ridge]]'' (1955). He went to Columbia to make ''[[Duel on the Mississippi]]'' (1955).{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}}

Barker had a rare non-Western role in ''[[The Price of Fear (1956 film)|The Price of Fear]]'' (1956), a film noir with [[Merle Oberon]]. He was in the war movie ''[[Away All Boats]]'' (1956){{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}} and the thriller ''[[The Girl in the Kremlin]]'' (1957).<ref>{{cite book |last=Rowan |first=Terry |date=2015 |title=Motion Pictures From the Fabulous 1950s |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9YVPCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA71 |page=71 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-329-76077-6}}</ref>

Barker made two films for [[Howard W. Koch]]: ''[[War Drums]]'' (1957){{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}} and ''[[Jungle Heat]]'' (1957),.{{sfn|Monush|2003|p=43}} He went to [[20th Century Fox]] for ''[[The Deerslayer (1957 film)|The Deerslayer]]'' (1957),{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}} then did ''[[The Girl in Black Stockings]]'' (1957).<ref>{{cite book |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |date=2015 |title=Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6MIBDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA250 |location=New York |publisher=[[Penguin Random House]] |page=250 |isbn=978-0-14-751682-4 |author-link=Leonard Maltin}}</ref>

===Italy===
In 1957, as he found it harder to find work in American films{{why?|date=May 2024}}, Barker moved to Europe (he spoke French, Italian, Spanish, and some German),{{sfn|Kalat|2005|p=150}} where he found popularity and starred in over 40 European films, including two movies based on the novels by Italian author [[Emilio Salgari]] (1862–1911).{{sfn|Bergfelder|2005|p=192}}

He started his European career with a British thriller ''[[The Strange Awakening]]'' (1958). He went to Italy to star in ''[[Captain Falcon (film)|Captain Falcon]]'' (1959), ''[[Son of the Red Corsair (film)|Son of the Red Corsair]]'' (1959), ''[[The Pirate and the Slave Girl]]'' (1959), and ''[[Terror of the Red Mask]]'' (1960).{{sfn|Hughes|2011|p=40}}

Barker had a short but compelling role as [[Anita Ekberg]]'s fiancé in [[Federico Fellini]]'s ''[[La Dolce Vita]]'' (1960).<ref>{{cite book |last=Dyer |first=Richard |date=2018 |title=La dolce vita |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lSBdDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21 |location=London |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |page=21 |isbn=978-1-8445-7392-9 |author-link=Richard Dyer}}</ref>

He went back to swashbucklers: ''[[Knight of 100 Faces]]'' (1960), ''[[Pirates of the Coast]]'' (1960), ''[[Robin Hood and the Pirates]]'' (1960), and ''[[The Secret of the Black Falcon]]'' (1961).{{sfn|Hughes|2011|p=40}}

===West Germany===
Barker had his greatest success in West Germany. There, he starred in movies based on the "[[Doctor Mabuse]]" stories (formerly filmed by [[Fritz Lang]]), in the movies ''[[The Return of Doctor Mabuse]]'' (1961).{{sfn|Kalat|2005|p=298}} He was in ''[[Doctor Sibelius]]'' (1962).

Barker then played [[Old Shatterhand]] in an adaptation of the novel by popular German author [[Karl May]] (1842–1912), ''[[Treasure of the Silver Lake]]'' (1962).<ref>{{cite book |last=Goral |first=Pawel |date=2014 |title=Cold War Rivalry and the Perception of the American West |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WRA6AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |location=New York |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |page=122 |isbn=978-1-137-36429-6}}</ref> It was a huge hit, and 11 movies adapting stories by Karl May followed until 1968.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lentz III |first=Harris M. |date=2016 |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BLcfDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA40 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Company |page=40 |isbn=978-0-7864-7667-1}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2025}} Barker did the comedy ''[[Breakfast in Bed (film)|Breakfast in Bed]]'' (1962), then the adventure movie ''[[Storm Over Ceylon]]'' (1963). He returned to Italy for ''[[The Executioner of Venice]]'' (1963){{sfn|Hughes|2011|p=42}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Prickette |first=James |date=2012 |title=Actors of the Spaghetti Westerns |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Q1SAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA310 |page=310 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=978-1-4691-4428-3}}</ref> and ''[[Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance]]'' (1963).{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}}

Barker reprised his role as Old Shatterhand in ''[[Apache Gold]]'' (1964), ''[[Old Shatterhand (film)|Old Shatterhand]]'' (1964), and ''[[Last of the Renegades]]'' (1965).{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=40}}{{sfn|Monush|2003|p=43}} He went to South Africa for [[Harry Alan Towers]]' West German-British [[international co-production]] ''[[Victim Five]]'' (1964),{{sfn|Monush|2003|p=43}}{{sfn|Bergfelder|2005|p=219}} then returned to West Germany for other adaptations of May books: ''[[The Treasure of the Aztecs]]'' (1965) and ''[[The Pyramid of the Sun God]]'' (1965) .{{sfn|Bergfelder|2005|p=252}} ''[[24 Hours to Kill]]'' (1965) was a British movie.{{sfn|Bergfelder|2005|p=219}} ''[[The Hell of Manitoba]]'' (1965) and ''[[The Desperado Trail]]'' (1966) were Westerns.{{sfn|Rowan|2013|p=447}}

Though Barker did speak German, he was almost always dubbed in his West German films. His go-to dubber was [[Gert Günther Hoffmann]], whose distinctive voice contributed to Barker's success.

In 1966, Barker was awarded the "[[Bambi (prize)|Bambi Award]]" as Best Foreign Actor in West Germany, where he was a very popular star.<ref>{{cite book |last=Petzel |first=Michael |date=1998 |title=Karl-May-Filmbuch: Stories und Bilder aus der deutschen Traumfabrik |trans-title=Karl May film book: Stories and Pictures from the German dream factory |language=German |location=Radebeul, Germany |publisher=Karl-May-Verlag |page=33 |isbn=978-3780201539}}</ref> He even recorded two songs in German: "Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir" ("I'll be on the way to you tomorrow", composed by [[Martin Böttcher]], the composer of some of the soundtracks of the Karl May movies) and "Mädchen in Samt und Seide" ("Girl in Silk and Velvet", composed by Werner Scharfenberger).<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Music Capitals of the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |location=New York |date=November 13, 1965}}</ref>

His later films included ''[[Killer's Carnival]]'' (1966), and ''[[Winnetou and the Crossbreed]]'' (1967). In the same year, he starred in a [[Eurospy]] film ''[[Spy Today, Die Tomorrow]]'' and a horror film ''[[The Blood Demon]]'', and appeared in the anthology film ''[[Woman Times Seven]]'' (1967).{{sfn|Monush|2003|p=43}}

He returned to the United States occasionally and made a handful of guest appearances on American television episodes, but Europe, and especially West Germany, was his professional home for the remainder of his life.