Walter Barnes
Born: 1918-01-26 in Rennert, North Carolina, USA
Died: 1998-01-06
Known For: Acting
Biography
Walter Lee Barnes was an American football guard and actor who played in National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played in the (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and in college at Louisiana State University. Barnes was an actor in both American and European films. He appeared in several films with John Wayne, Lex Barker, and Clint Eastwood. Barnes entered acting after appearing several times on The Eagles Nest, a local Philadelphia television show. WCAU television placed him on several local shows. His contacts with Walt Silver, a producer for Warner Bros. Television, led him into several appearances on television and films. Some of his more notable appearances included Bronco, Gunsmoke, Cheyenne, Bonanza, Have Gun – Will Travel and Death Valley Days. John Wayne got him a small role as Charlie the Bartender in Rio Bravo. Tiring of small roles and seeing opportunities overseas, Barnes was one of the many American actors who moved to Italy in the early 1960s. Kirk Douglas recommended him for a role in his The Vikings television spinoff Tales of the Vikings that was filmed for Douglas's production company in Germany. From 1960 to 1969, he was first active in pirate movies, then Karl May film adaptations and Spaghetti Westerns. Barnes returned to the United States in 1969 and appeared in more films and television series, which included The High Chaparral. His friendship with Clint Eastwood on Rawhide later led him to several roles in Eastwood's films. He retired from acting in 1987 and became increasingly ill due to his diabetes. He was the father of German former actress Lara Wendel, who was born Daniela Barnes.
Filmography
1985
- North and South as Benny Haven
- Stingray
1981
- Smokey Bites the Dust as Sheriff Turner
- Walking Tall
1980
- Power as Al Grove
- Bronco Billy as Sheriff Dix
1979
- The Sky Trap as Harry Shaughnessy
1978
- Every Which Way but Loose as Tank Murdock
- The Young Runaways as Sgt. Abel
1977
- Pete's Dragon as Captain
- Day of the Animals as Ranger Tucker
- Another Man, Another Chance as Foster
1975
- Escape to Witch Mountain as Sheriff Purdy
- The Blue Knight as Personnel Officer
- Mackintosh and T.J. as Jim Webster
1973
- High Plains Drifter as Sheriff Sam Shaw
- Cahill: United States Marshal as Sheriff Grady
- Daddy's Deadly Darling as Doctor
1971
- Alias Smith and Jones
- The Christian Licorice Store as P.C. Stayne
1970
- The Traveling Executioner as Sheriff
1969
- The Magnificent Tony Carrera as Barnes
- Coup D'Etat as (uncredited)
1968
- Garter Colt as General Droga
- The Moment to Kill as Bull
- The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield as Fred Lancaster
1967
- The High Chaparral as Bartender
- The Big Gundown as Brokston
- Liebesnächte in der Taiga as Jurij
- Halleluja for Django as Key Jarrett / Clay Thomas
- Clint the Stranger as Walter Shannon
- Target Frankie as Col. O’Connor
1966
- Mission: Impossible
- Winnetou and the Crossbreed as Mac Haller
1965
- Rampage at Apache Wells as Bill Campbell
- Duel at Sundown as Old McGow
- Challenge of the Gladiator as Nero
1964
- Frontier Hellcat as Martin Baumann Sr.
1963
- Captain Sindbad as Rolf
- Apache Gold as Bill Jones
- Slave Girls of Sheba as Friar Metachini
- Sign of Zorro as Mario
- Revenge of the Musketeers as Porthos
1962
- Avenger of the Seven Seas as Van Artz
1961
- The Adventures of Mary Read as Captain Poof
- Drakut the Avenger as Nicolas
- Romulus and the Sabines as Stilicone
- The Secret of the Black Falcon as Calico Jack
- The Secret of the Blue Men as Matthias
1960
- Robin Hood and the Pirates as Guercio / Orbo
1959
- Bonanza as Will Griner
- Rio Bravo as Charlie (uncredited)
- Westbound as Willis - Stage Depot Cook
- Tales of the Vikings
1958
- Bat Masterson as Paulson
- Bronco
- Revolt in the Big House as Guard Capt. Starkey
1957
- Maverick as First Outlaw
- Have Gun, Will Travel
- Sugarfoot as Hefferman
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective as Herbie Sanford
- Oregon Passage as Sgt. Jed Erschick
1953
- Letter to Loretta as Casey
- Action in the Afternoon