Corinne Barker

Biography

Corinne Barker was born Gertrude Corinne Riely in Salem, Oregon. Her father, Charles Riely, was a prominent businessman, and her mother, Amelia Riely, taught elocution. Corinne was educated at the Academy of the Sacred Heart and Williamette University. When she was a teenager she began acting in local stage productions. She married William Barker in Portland in 1908; they divorced five years later. In 1914 she moved to New York City and planned to become an interior designer. Instead she was cast in a stage production of "The Squab Farm." Corinne appeared in several Broadway shows including "Shirley Kaye" and "On With The Dance." Then she spent two seasons as the leading lady in "Potash and Perlmutter." The beautiful brunette became known for her hourglass figure. She made her film debut in the 1918 mystery :Money Mad." Corinne costarred with Mabel Normand in "Peck's Bad Girl" and with Marion Davies in The Restless Sex. On July 24, 1920, Corinne married Hobart Henley, who had directed her in "One Week Of Life." Unfortunately, her film career never really took off. Her final film was the 1921 romance "Enchantment." Then she started a new career designing clothes for the theater. She was the costume supervisor for the Broadway show "No, No, Nannette" and she designed all the clothes for Vincent Youmans' productions. By 1925 her marriage to Hobart was over. She had a brief romance with Robert L. Hague, a millionaire oilman. During the summer of 1928 she went on a vacation to Europe. Shortly after returning home she was hospitalized with a case of food poisoning. While in the hospital she developed peritonitis. Tragically on August 6, 1928 she died at the young age of 38. She was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.