Volume III: Biographies

BARNES, Justus D. ***

Actor (1910-1917)

Justus D. Barnes and Mignon Anderson (L) in A DOG OF FLANDERS. Courtesy of Alan Brock (R-11)

Postcard (R) courtesy Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc.

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Justus D. Barnes was with Thanhouser for virtually all of the company's existence, and in that time he played in many films, playing many leads, but more often in secondary leads or "heavy" parts.

Biographical Notes: Born in Little Falls, New York in 1862, Justus D. Barnes pursued a stage career, then joined the Edison Company. He joined Thanhouser in 1910, and from then until near the end of the company's existence he appeared in many films, including several in the last year of production, 1917.

"Mr. Barnes loves horses and has no use for automobiles or aeroplanes," noted an article in the June 13, 1914 issue of Reel Life. "His carriage horse, Tom, is well known as one of the finest harness animals in Westchester County." By that time he was "famous for playing more than 400 character parts on the screen." Justus D. Barnes died in Weedsport, New York on February 6, 1946.

Notes: His given name was frequently misspelled as "Justin" in Reel Life. An article in The New Rochelle Pioneer, April 22, 1916, stated that a William Barnes was to appear in a minstrel show to be conducted by Thanhouser players on April 27th. It is believed that Justus Barnes may have been intended. The same article had numerous typographical errors, including "Eugene Mohr" (for Eugene Moore), for example.

Thanhouser Filmography:

1911: The Declaration of Independence (7-4-1911), The Early Life of David Copperfield (10-17-1911)

1912: On Probation (2-2-1912), Nicholas Nickleby (3-19-1912), The Baby Bride (4-16-1912), When Mandy Came to Town (4-26-1912), Cousins (7-28-1912), Aurora Floyd 12-10-1912), The Star of Bethlehem (12-24-1912)

1913: The Dove in the Eagle's Nest (1-28-1913), When the Studio Burned (2-4-1913), While Mrs. McFadden Looked Out (2-7-1913), When Darkness Came (7-22-1913), The Missing Witness (8-12-1913), His Last Bet (9-7-1913), He Couldn't Lose (11-16-1913), A Beauty Parlor Graduate (12-9-1913), Uncle's Namesakes (12-12-1913), Peggy's Invitation (12-16-1913), His Father's Wife (12-26-1913), An Amateur Animal Trainer (12-30-1913)

1914: Two Little Dromios (1-11-1914), Joseph in the Land of Egypt (2-1-1914), The Dancer (2-10-1914), A Leak in the Foreign Office (2-17-1914), A Can of Baked Beans (2-22-1914), Their Best Friend (2-27-1914), Cardinal Richelieu's Ward (3-1-1914), A Debut in the Secret Service (4-7-1914), The Infant Heart Snatcher (4-19-1914), A Mohammedan Conspiracy (5-12-1914), A Dog of Flanders (5-19-1914), His Enemy (Princess 6-5-1914), Rivalry (6-9-1914), The Harlow Handicap (6-30-1914), In Peril's Path (8-14-1914), Arty the Artist (8-30-1914), Gold (9-15-1914), The Mettle of a Man (9-20-1914), The Harvest of Regrets (9-27-1914), The Diamond of Disaster (10-13-1914), Old Jackson's Girl (10-20-1914), Lucy's Elopement (12-29-1914)

1915: The Home of Silence (Princess 1-29-1915), Helen Intervenes (1-31-1915), Nell's Strategy (Princess 2-5-1915), The Smuggled Diamond (2-9-1915), The Adventure of Florence (2-23-1915), The Final Reckoning (3-9-1915), Bianca Forgets (4-27-1915), Love and Money (5-9-1915), The Heart of the Princess Marsari (5-18-1915), God's Witness (5-20-1915), The House That Jack Moved (Falstaff 5-21-1915), Bud Blossom (6-13-1915), The Country Girl (6-15-1915), His Two Patients (7-25-1915), The Marvelous Marathoner (Falstaff 8-16-1915), Snapshots (8-24-1915), From the River's Depths (9-5-1915), Weary Walker's Woes (Falstaff 9-10-1915), Mr. Meeson's Will (11-6-1915), The Political Pull of John (12-19-1915)

1916: Outwitted (2-16-1916), Fear (3-29-1916), Arabella's Prince (10-6-1916)

1917: Her Life and His (2-18-1917), Hinton's Double (5-6-1917), The Candy Girl (5-20-1917), An Amateur Orphan (6-3-1917), It Happened to Adele (7-15-1917)

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