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Lex Barker

Lex Barker (May 8, 1919 - May 11, 1973) was born Alexander Crichlow Barker, Jr. in Rye, New York. He is best known as the tenth actor to play Tarzan in the movies, and starred in nearly thirty movies in the 1940s and 1950s. During this time he enlisted to fight in World War II and eventually rose to the rank of Major.

In 1957, as he found it harder and harder to find work in American films, Lex moved to Europe and found popularity and starred in over forty European films, especially in Germany. There he also starred in two movies based on the Doctor Mabuse-stories (formerly filmed by Fritz Lang) and in 13 movies based on novels by German author Karl May (1842-1912). There he was playing the characters of Old Shatterhand, Kara Ben Nemsi and Dr. Sternau.

He even recorded a single with the composer of some of the Karl-May-movie-soundtracks, Martin Boettcher, in German language. The tracks are named " Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir" (I'll be on the way to you tomorrow) and "Mädchen in Samt und Seide" (Girls in Velvet and Silk), the last one is said to have been very much liked by elderly ladies at that time. (The co-star in some of Barker's Karl-May-movies, French actor Pierre Brice, also recorded in German language and even managed to get some CDs of his own.)

In 1966 Barker was awarded with the "Bambi Award" as "Best Foreign Actor" in Germany.

He married five times:

  1. Constanze Thurlow (1942 - 1950) (divorced)
  2. Arlene Dahl (1951 - 1952) (divorced)
  3. Lana Turner (8 September 1953 - 22 July 1957) (divorced)
  4. Irene Labhardt (1957 - 1962) (marriage ended at her death)
  5. Maria del Carmen Cervera (1965 - 1972) (divorce not valid, marriage ended with his death), who later became the fifth wife of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza

He was engaged at the time of his death to actress Karen Kondazian.

Barker continued to work in films until his last appearance in 1967's Woman Times Seven.

He died three days after his 54th birthday of a heart attack in New York City. His son Christopher Barker also became an actor.

Discography

  • Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir / Mädchen wie Samt und Seide

1965, Single, Decca D 19 725

  • Winnetou du warst mein Freund

1996, CD, Bear Family Records BCD 15 984 AH (http://www.bear-family.de/mailorder/showoneproduct.html?lang=&p=BCD+15984)
(contains both single tracks and the singing-merits of Pierre Brice as well)

Literature

  • Reiner Boller, Christina Böhme: Lex Barker - Die Biografie. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag, Germany, 2003, 480 pages. ISBN 3-896-024-442
  • Manfred Christ: Von Tarzan bis Old Shatterhand - Lex Barker und seine Filme, Günter Albert Ulmer Verlag, Tuningen, Germany, 1994, 288 pages - ISBN 3924191816

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1996, CD, Bear Family Records BCD 15 984 AH (http://www.bear-family.de/mailorder/showoneproduct.html?lang=&p=BCD+15984)
(contains both single tracks and the singing-merits of Pierre Brice as well). And a list of films (see IMDB) including "Inherit The Wind" with Spencer Tracey. 1965, Single, Decca D 19 725. Jimmy showed he had comedic talents in TV series including, Bachelor Father, Date With The Angels, Betty White Show, Broadside, My Three Sons, Mother Inlaws etc. His son Christopher Barker also became an actor. Jimmy had several other number one records teaming up with Frankie Laine "tell Me A Story" "Dennis The Menace " with Rosemary Clooney. He died three days after his 54th birthday of a heart attack in New York City. The Frank Sinatra Show CBS soon followed, then Columbia Records and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", which to date has sold over sixty million records.

Barker continued to work in films until his last appearance in 1967's Woman Times Seven. Jarvis immediatly announced Jimmy would be a regular on the show. He was engaged at the time of his death to actress Karen Kondazian. Al Jarvis had a five hour talk show everyday on KLAC with a few regulars on it, including Betty White called "Make Believe Ballroom". He married five times:. Upwards of twenty thousand telegrams and phone calls. In 1966 Barker was awarded with the "Bambi Award" as "Best Foreign Actor" in Germany. Jimmy to his astonishment won the talent show, and the next day Al Jarvis and KLAC were literally deluged in telegrams and telephone calls from viewers.

(The co-star in some of Barker's Karl-May-movies, French actor Pierre Brice, also recorded in German language and even managed to get some CDs of his own.). Jimmy auditioned for Al Jarvis and was such a hit they put him on the show that night. The tracks are named " Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir" (I'll be on the way to you tomorrow) and "Mädchen in Samt und Seide" (Girls in Velvet and Silk), the last one is said to have been very much liked by elderly ladies at that time. they were told about auditions being held for the Al Jarvis Talent Show on KLAC-TV. He even recorded a single with the composer of some of the Karl-May-movie-soundtracks, Martin Boettcher, in German language. While in L.A. There he was playing the characters of Old Shatterhand, Kara Ben Nemsi and Dr. Sternau. Cataract surgery in the forties was a serious operation, and had to be done in Los Angeles.

There he also starred in two movies based on the Doctor Mabuse-stories (formerly filmed by Fritz Lang) and in 13 movies based on novels by German author Karl May (1842-1912). Leslie had cataracts in both eyes and had to have surgery. In 1957, as he found it harder and harder to find work in American films, Lex moved to Europe and found popularity and starred in over forty European films, especially in Germany. Fifty dollars was a lot of money for the Boyds, but Jimmy enjoyed performing and would have done it for nothing. During this time he enlisted to fight in World War II and eventually rose to the rank of Major. They offered to pay Jimmy fifty dollars every show. He is best known as the tenth actor to play Tarzan in the movies, and starred in nearly thirty movies in the 1940s and 1950s. After the dance was over, Texas Jim Lewis and the manager of a local radio station came to Jimmy's parents and asked if he could come sing every Saturday night, and be a part of the hour long radio show they planned to broadcast from the dance.

Lex Barker (May 8, 1919 - May 11, 1973) was born Alexander Crichlow Barker, Jr. in Rye, New York. Jimmy sang and played and the crowd went wild. Manfred Christ: Von Tarzan bis Old Shatterhand - Lex Barker und seine Filme, Günter Albert Ulmer Verlag, Tuningen, Germany, 1994, 288 pages - ISBN 3924191816. Texas Jim Lewis, the band leader, called little Jimmy up on the stage. ISBN 3-896-024-442. Jimmy's older brother Kenneth, about nine years old at the time, went up to the bandstand and told the band leader he should hear his little brother sing and play the guitar. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag, Germany, 2003, 480 pages. Leslie and Winnie ocassionaly took the kids with them to a Country and Western dance, held in a barn in Colton, California a few miles from Riverside.

Reiner Boller, Christina Böhme: Lex Barker - Die Biografie. Leslie got a meanial job cleaning up construction sites. Winnetou du warst mein Freund
. Although there was no cotton in California to pick, this time they were determined to stay. Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir / Mädchen wie Samt und Seide
. The family after being sent back to Mississippi a year earlier by the Welfare Department for not having any skills to get a good job. Leslie had been a farmer when the draught hit and there were no more crops, he picked cotton, he could pick over five hundred pounds of cotton a day himself, and was paid twenty five cents. Maria del Carmen Cervera (1965 - 1972) (divorce not valid, marriage ended with his death), who later became the fifth wife of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza. Hoboing from Mississippi, Louisiana and as far as West Texas, picking cotton to help support his own family of twenty-one brothers and sisters.

Irene Labhardt (1957 - 1962) (marriage ended at her death). He hitchhiked on freight trains to join his family in California, something he had done growing up through the Depression. Lana Turner (8 September 1953 - 22 July 1957) (divorced). Having sold everything they owned, and only having enough money for his wife's ticket and the two toddler boys, Leslie rode the rails. Arlene Dahl (1951 - 1952) (divorced). In 1941 his father Leslie Boyd put his wife Winnie, their two sons Kenneth four years old, and Jimmy two years old on a train bound for Riverside, California. Constanze Thurlow (1942 - 1950) (divorced). He was born January 9, 1939 in an old farmhouse in McComb, Mississippi.

Jimmy Boyd is an American singer and musician. Please format this article according to the guidelines laid out at Wikipedia:How to edit a page, then remove this notice. This article needs to be wikified.