Biography

Justus D. Barnes was with Thanhouser for almost the whole of the company’s existence, from 1910 into its final year of production in 1917. He played many leads, but more often secondary leads and “heavy” parts, and by 1914 was said to have played more than 400 characters on the screen.

Born in Little Falls, New York, in 1862, Barnes worked on the stage and then for the Edison Company before joining Thanhouser. A 1914 profile noted his love of horses and his carriage horse, Tom, well known in Westchester County. He died in Weedsport, New York, in 1946.

A short summary written from the encyclopedia.Read Bowers’ full biography on this page ↓

Filmography

Films you can watch

39:281911 · as HamDavid Copperfield

31:181912 · as Nicholas’ Uncle RalphNicholas Nickleby

15:131912 · as Gaspar, one of the MagiThe Star of Bethlehem

14:141913 · as directorWhen the Studio Burned

13:281913 · as the fatherA Victim of Circumstances

15:001913Uncle’s Namesakes

51:431914Joseph in the Land of Egypt

16:031914 · as Jack’s fatherTheir Best Friend

13:121915 · as Ewing WebsterThe Marvelous Marathoner

Other Thanhouser films

Show all 63 films

These have no online copy. Each page says what is known about where a print is held.

Photographs

Justus D. Barnes, photograph. Production still with Justus D. Barnes (Left) and Muriel Ostriche (Right).

Justus D. Barnes, photograph. Justus D. Barnes and Mignon Anderson (L) in A DOG OF FLANDERS. Courtesy of Alan Brock.

Justus D. Barnes, photograph. In an unidentified still (L), Riley Chamberlin (holding pipe) watches shopkeeper James Cruze, with Justus D. Barnes at far right.

Justus D. Barnes, photograph. Justus D. Barnes and Mignon Anderson in A DOG OF FLANDERS. Courtesy of Alan Brock.

From the encyclopedia

The full biography

From Volume III: Biographies of Q. David Bowers’ Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, reproduced with permission and unchanged. 221 words.

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.

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.

Bowers’ own filmography list is left out here: the filmography above lists the same films. Cite as: Bowers, Q. David. Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History, “BARNES, Justus D.” thanhouser.org/research/people/justus-d-barnes/