Bradley Barker

Bradley Barker
Barker in 1915
Born(1883-01-18)January 18, 1883
DiedSeptember 29, 1951(1951-09-29) (aged 68)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationsActor, film director
Years active1915–1930

Bradley Barker (January 18, 1883 – September 29, 1951) was an American actor and director of the silent film era.[1] He later created sound effects for film and radio, notably the first voice of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's trademark Leo the Lion. He specialized as a mimic of animal sounds on CBS Radio's The March of Time.[2]

Biography

Born in Long Island, New York, Barker was a vaudeville performer and an actor in stock theater.[3] He appeared in 70 films between 1915 and 1928. He also directed seven films between 1929 and 1930.

After working in front of the camera, Barker began creating sound effects for radio programs and films. He created the roar of the MGM lion on screen before the studio began using a recording of a real lion, and provided sounds of a variety of animals on radio.[3] Radio programs on which he worked included The March of Time,[2] Let's Pretend[4] and Little Orphan Annie.[4]: 303 

On September 29, 1951, Barker died at his home in New York City at age 68.[5]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ Soister, John T.; Nicolella, Henry; Joyce, Steve (January 10, 2014). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929. McFarland. ISBN 9780786487905. Retrieved April 14, 2019 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Life on the Air—Bradley Barker. Life (magazine). August 1, 1938. p. 63. Retrieved February 11, 2026 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b Goldstein, Alvin H. (December 13, 1942). "Big Noise in Radio and Screen World". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 66. Retrieved September 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  5. ^ "Bradley Barker Dies; MGM's 1st Lion Mimic". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Associated Press. September 30, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved September 28, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.