
Barnett Parker
Acting
🎂 1886-09-10
Within the British colony of expatriate actors in Hollywood during the 1930's, Barnett Parker, born 11 September 1886, in Batley, Yorkshire, England, was among the most stereotypical. Harrowgate College-educated, straight-backed, balding and well-intoned, Parker caricatured a multitude of unctuous, stiff-upper-lip butlers, man-servants or waiters, though his performances could, at times, verge on the brink of being camp. When driven to frustration his characters commonly resorted to incoherent twitter or wild gesticulation. Parker was trained under Marie Tempest and George Alexander in England. He first acted on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre as Wilfred Tavish in Arthur Wing Pinero's "The "Mind the Paint" Girl" in 1912. He was well served with further roles in hit plays like "Hobson's Choice" (1915), "Artists and Models" (1924) and "The Red Robe" (1928). He was at first prone to reject film offers, professing to favor acting on stage. Nonetheless, the celluloid medium eventually beckoned, enticing him to sign with the East Coast-based studio Thanhouser in 1915. He worked in films during the daytime (while treading the boards at night) and quickly landed a plum role as a weak socialite, rescuing Gladys Hulette in Prudence, the Pirate (1916). He was seldom thereafter afforded the opportunity for heroic acts. During the 1930's, he was primarily in demand for small roles as dandified or 'silly ass' Britishers, giving value for money in films like Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Personal Property (1937), Live, Love and Learn (1937) and Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937). Looking rather older than his years, Barnett Parker died at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles after multiple heart attacks on August 5, 1941.
Cast credits(47)

Butler (uncredited)
1936

Dragon (segment "The Reluctant Dragon") (voice)
1941

William
1939

Butler (uncredited)
1936

Floorwalker
1936

Prince de Rohan
1938

Whitcomb
1939

Arthur Trevelyan in 'Personal Property' (arch. foot.) (uncred.)
1964

Thompson, Steve's Butler (uncredited)
1940

The Dragon (voice) (archive sound)
2004

Mr. Flint, Margit's Bookkeeper
1937

Abercrombie
1938

George
1941

Purser
1937

Albert, Stephan's Butler
1937

Waters
1936

Hotchkiss, Carlotta's Butler
1938

Jerry Jason
1937

Arthur Trevelyan
1937

Waiter
1937

Oscar
1938

Hugo
1938

Steve
1920

George - Fred's Chauffeur
1940

Dining Car Man (uncredited)
1936

Graves
1937

Bill Cordell
1937

Huggins
1940

Roger
1936

Alfredo
1937

Photographer
1939

Samuel Stephens
1940

Maurice
1938

John Barkley
1937

Minehardi
1937

Quentin
1941

Hammond
1940

Bekins, the Butler
1939

Phillips
1941

Foster
1937

The Duke
1941

Primrose
1936

Tweed
1937

The Duke
1916
Book Agent
1916

John Astorbilt
1916
Bill - a Gentleman from the East
1915