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Barbara Britton

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Barbara Britton
Born
Barbara Brantingham

(1919-09-26)September 26, 1919
Long Beach, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 17, 1980(1980-01-17) (aged 59)
New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1941-1968
Spouse
Dr. Eugene Czukor
​
​
(m. 1945⁠–⁠1980)​
(her death) 4 children

Barbara Britton (September 26, 1919 – January 17, 1980) was an American film and television actress.

She was the first actress to play Laura Petrie on television, on the pilot program Head of the Family, which was retooled and became The Dick Van Dyke Show, with her role being taken over by Mary Tyler Moore. The California native signed a film contract with Paramount Pictures in 1941. That same year, she appeared in her first two films: the William Boyd western Secret of the Wasteland, followed by Louisiana Purchase starring Bob Hope. Her first big film appearance was in a small role in the 1942 John Wayne film Reap the Wild Wind.

During the 1940s she starred in three films for which she is most recognized today, two of which co-starred Randolph Scott. The first was the 1945 film Captain Kidd with Scott, followed by The Virginian in 1946 opposite Joel McCrea. The third was the 1947 Randolph Scott film Gunfighters. She teamed with Scott again in the 1948 western Albuquerque, and that same year she starred opposite Gene Autry in Loaded Pistols. In total, she starred or appeared in 26 films during that decade.

Reportedly because of lasting trauma suffered while making the 1943 war picture So Proudly We Hail!, she sought the help of physician and psychoanalyst Dr. Eugene J. Czukor in 1944. The film was about a group of nurses returning from the war in the Philippines who recall their experiences in combat and in love. Britton and Dr. Czukor (22 years her senior) were married soon afterward, and the marriage lasted until Britton's death 35 years later.

Britton starred in the 1950s television show Mr. and Mrs. North, a Thin Man-like mystery show, with Richard Denning and Francis De Sales. She was probably best known for being the spokesperson for Revlon products in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in ads and commercials that included live spots on The $64,000 Question.

One of Britton's last roles was on the daytime TV soap opera One Life to Live in 1979. She died of pancreatic cancer in New York City on January 17, 1980, aged 59.

For many years Britton and her husband lived in a rambling red shingled house in the Fairfield County town of Bethel, Connecticut, before moving to the now antique-gallery enclave of Woodbury, Connecticut. Oldest daughter Christina Britton became an actress and operatic singer while son Ted appeared on episodic TV. Her widower, Dr. Eugene Czukor, died in 1989 at age 92.

Partial filmography

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