Barbara Kent

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]

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]

• Ankerich, Michael G. (2011) [1998]. The Sound of Silence. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-6383-1.
• Ankerich, Michael G. (13 September 2012). "Barbara Kent: My Last Silent Film Interview". Closeups and Canvases.

• Barbara Kent at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Barbara Kent on BFI Online
• Barbara Kent at AllMovie
• Barbara Kent at IMDb  
• Barbara Kent at Virtual History

Public domain films

• The Shoemaker (1930) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
• The Fingerprint (1929) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive