Philip Barry Jr.

Philip Barry Jr., a producer of plays, films and a number of highly regarded television shows, died on May 16 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. He was 74 and lived in Manhattan.

The cause was cancer, said his wife, Patricia.

Mr. Barry, whose father was the author of such plays as ''The Philadelphia Story'' and ''Holiday,'' began his career as a stage manager, working with the Theater Guild in New York and the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut. In 1950, he was co-producer of the Famous Artists Country Playhouse in Rochester, but left to become associate producer and stage manager of his father's posthumously produced play ''Second Threshold.''

He earned his first television credits as story editor for NBC's ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' and as associate producer of ABC shows like ''Center Stage'' and ''The Elgin Hour.'' In 1955 he was associate producer of ''The Alcoa Hour'' and ''The Goodyear Playhouse' on NBC. The next year he produced both shows.

He produced his first film in 1959, ''The Mating Game'' with Debbie Reynolds, Tony Randall and Paul Douglas. He was also producer of ''Sail a Crooked Ship,'' with Ernie Kovacs (1962).

Mr. Barry returned to television as producer of ''Movie of the Week'' specials for ABC and then became an executive producer for CBS, supervising the filming of such shows as ''The Glass House'' by Truman Capote. He also served as a vice president of Tomorrow Entertainment, where he was involved in the production of ''The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'' and ''Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.''

His production credits also include ''Just an Old Sweet Song,'' ''First You Cry'' with Mary Tyler Moore, ''Friendly Fire'' with Carol Burnett, ''Kent State,'' ''Who Is Julia?'' and Eugene O'Neill's ''Strange Interlude'' on American Playhouse. He received a Peabody Award and an Emmy for ''Friendly Fire.'' Television shows he produced or supervised won a total of 15 Emmys.

He was a board member of the American Film Institite and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and served as a dramaturge at the National Playwrights Conference.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Miranda Robbins Barry of Manhattan and Stephanie Anne Thankful Barry Agnew of Palo Alto, Calif., and two grandchildren.

A memorial service open to the public is planned for June 9 at 3 P.M. at the St. James Theater, 246 West 44th Street. Among the speakers will be Arthur Kopit, the playwright; Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach; Elliot Martin and Lauren Mitchell, producers; Lloyd Richards, artistic director of the National Playwrights Conference; and George C. White, founder and chairman of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

http://www.nytimes.com/