Binnie Barnes

Gertrude Maud "Binnie" Barnes (25 May 1903 – 27 July 1998) was an English actress whose career in films spanned fifty years, from 1923 to 1973.

Spouse(s):

Samuel Joseph (m. 1931–37)
Mike Frankovich (m. 1940–92) (his death); 3 children

Life and career

Barnes was born in Islington, the daughter of Rosa Enoyce and George Barnes, a policeman. Her father was Jewish and her mother of Italian descent.

She began her acting career in films in 1923, appearing in a short film made by Lee De Forest in his Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Her film career continued in Great Britain, most notably in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) as Katherine Howard, Henry's fifth wife. Later her career continued in Hollywood, until 1973, when she appeared in the comedy 40 Carats, her last acting role.

She was married, secondly, to film producer Mike Frankovich, a Roman Catholic, for whom she converted to Catholicism, and later a naturalized United States citizen. The couple adopted three children.

She died in 1998 of natural causes, aged 95, in Beverly Hills, California. She was survived by her three children, including production manager, Mike Frankovich, Jr., and producer Peter Frankovich. She was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.