Barbara Kent

Barbara Kent started out in life as Barbara Klowtmann and began her career at 19 as one of the original actors signed to a contract at Universal Studios. She was a popular comedienne opposite stars like Reginald Denny, but she also made a strong showing as the heroine pitted against Greta Garbo`s femme fatale in the feature, Flesh and the Devil. She attracted a lot of attention in No Man`s Law by swimming in the nude although some say she wore a flesh coloured bathing suit in scenes that were considered very daring at the time. She easily moved into “the talkies” appearing with Harold Lloyd in the comedy Welcome Danger. She also appeared in what is generally recognized as the worst version of Oliver Twist ever made. Directed by William Cowen in 1933 this low-budget effort is only worth seeing because of Barbara Kent`s acting, which was praised. She married Hollywood agent, Harry E. Eddington in 1934 and took a year off as he groomed her for what they hoped would be a triumphant return, but out of the limelight her popularity had waned and she was unable to restart what had been a very promising career. Barbara Kent lived for many years in retirement near Sun Valley, Idaho and refused to be interviewed about her career. Some sources say she was born in 1907. Depending on when she was born, Barbara Kent was 103 or 104 when she died at the Marrakesh Country Club in Palm Desert, California.

Photo of Barbara Kent scanned from an original in the Northernstars Collection.