Barbara Kent

Barbara Kent (née Cloutman; December 16, 1907 – October 13, 2011) was a Canadian film actress, prominent from the silent film era to the early talkies of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, Barbara Kent won the Miss Hollywood Beauty Pageant.

Barbara Kent
Kent in 1924
Born	Barbara Cloutman (1907-12-16)December 16, 1907 Gadsby, Alberta, Canada
Died	October 13, 2011(2011-10-13) (aged 103) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	1925–1941
Spouses	Harry E. Edington ​ ​ (m. 1932; died 1949)​ Jack Monroe ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 1998)​

Career

Barbara Cloutman was born on December 16, 1907, in Gadsby, Alberta, Canada, to Lily Louise Kent and Jullion Curtis Cloutman.^[1] Sources differ on surname as Klowtmann or Cloutman and birth year as 1907 or 1906.^[2] In 1925, she graduated from Hollywood High School and went on to win the Miss Hollywood Pageant.^[3][4] It was also the year in which she began her Hollywood career with a small role for Universal Studios, which signed her to a contract.^[4] A petite brunette who stood less than five feet tall, Kent became popular as a comedian opposite such stars as Reginald Denny. She made a strong impression as the heroine pitted against Greta Garbo's femme fatale in Flesh and the Devil in 1926 after Universal had lent the actress to MGM to make the film.^[4]

Kent then attracted the attention of audiences and censors in the 1927 production No Man's Law by appearing to swim nude. She actually wore a flesh-colored moleskin bathing suit in scenes that were considered very daring at the time.^[5] The popularity of that film led to her selection as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars for 1927. She made a smooth transition into talking pictures opposite Harold Lloyd in the 1929 comedy Welcome Danger.^[5] Kent was also featured with Lloyd in his iconic Feet First.^[4] Over the next few years, she remained popular and received critical praise in 1933 for her role in the film version of Oliver Twist.^[5]

In 1932 she starred in "The Perfect Alibi," based on a play by A. A. Milne, at the Harold Lloyd co-founded Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals.^[6] Kent married talent agent Harry Edington in Yuma, Arizona later that same year, on December 16, 1932 — her 25th birthday.^[7]

Personal life

Kent had a great love for the outdoors. Always active, she enjoyed golf, fly fishing, hunting, and gardening. She was a longtime member of Marakkesh, Sunland, and Thunderbird Country Clubs. She was known as a talented cook and loved entertaining friends and family.^{[citation needed]}

Following the death of her husband Harry in 1949, Kent retreated from public life.^{[citation needed]}

She married again in 1954, to Jack Monroe,^[8] a Lockheed aircraft engineer.^[9][5] Her second husband gave her flying lessons,^[9] and Kent continued to fly light aircraft until her 85th birthday,^[8] and was still playing golf well into her mid-90s.^[10] The couple resided initially in Sun Valley, Idaho, but later relocated to Palm Desert, California. There Kent lived until her death, at the age of 103, on October 13, 2011.^[5]

Filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1926	Flesh and the Devil	Hertha
	Prowlers of the Night	Anita Parsons	Lost film
1927	The Peace Deputy		Short film
	The Lone Eagle	Mimi	Lost film
	No Man's Law	Toby Belcher	[11]
	The Small Bachelor	Molly Waddington
	The Drop Kick	Cecily Graves
	Stop That Man!	Muriel Crawford	Lost film
1928	Modern Mothers	Mildred	Lost film
	That's My Daddy	Molly Moran
	His Destiny	Betty Baker
	Lonesome	Mary	[12]
	Fun in the Clouds	Self	Short film, cameo, uncredited
1929	Welcome Danger	Billie Lee
	The Shakedown	Marjorie
1930	Night Ride	Ruth Kearns	Lost film
	Dumbbells in Ermine	Faith Corey	Lost film
	Feet First	Barbara
	What Men Want	Betty 'Babs' Joyce
1931	Freighters of Destiny	Ruth Mercer
	Chinatown After Dark	Lotus
	Grief Street	Jean Royce	[13]
	Indiscreet	Joan Trent	[14]
1932	Self Defense	Nona Devoux
	Emma	Gypsy
	The Pride of the Legion	Martha Tully	[15]
	No Living Witness	Carol Everett
	Beauty Parlor	Sally Dale
	Vanity Fair	Amelia Sedley
	Exposed	Ruth
1933	Marriage on Approval	Beth MacDougall
	Her Forgotten Past	Doris Maynard
	Oliver Twist	Rose Maylie
1935	Swellhead	Mary Malone
	Guard That Girl	Jeanne Martin
	Old Man Rhythm	Edith Warren
1941	Under Age	Jackie
1970	4 Clowns	Toby Belcher from No Man's Law	Archive Footage, uncredited
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2011	TCM Remembers	Self	Archive Footage, posthumously release