Justus D. Barnes

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Justus Barnes in his famous picture from The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Justus D. Barnes (born October 2, 1862 in Little Falls , New York , † February 6, 1946 in Weedsport , New York) was an American silent film actor who achieved lasting fame through his appearance in The Great Train Robbery (1903).

Life

Justus D. Barnes played in over 80 films between 1903 and 1917, but he probably had his most famous role in his first film: In The Great Train Robbery, the first western in film history, he fired his bandit at the end of the 13-minute film Pistol shot at the camera - i.e. at the viewer. Occasionally, viewers are said to have panicked. The great train robbery is still one of the most famous works in early film history and the picture with Barnes in particular became world famous. In 1999 the picture from The Great Train Robbery with Barnes appeared on an American postage stamp. In German-speaking countries, this scene is best known from yesterday's television series Western , where it was shown both in the opening credits and in the closing credits. But it may also have had a decisive influence on the “pistol-drawing” scene in the opening credits of every James Bond film.

Later, Barnes also worked for Thomas Edison's film company Edison Studios and Thanhouser Company of Edwin Thanhouser . In around 1911, Barnes played the role of Ham Peggotty in the first known adaptation of the Dickens novel David Copperfield . His other films included supporting roles in Nicholas Nickleby (1912), Aurora Floyd (1912) and A Dog of Flanders (1914). In addition to his film work, Barnes was also a long-time theater actor. After his last film in 1917, he probably withdrew from the acting business; the 1930 census listed him as a milkman in Weedsport near New York. He died there in 1946 at the age of 83.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chapman, James (2000). License to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. Columbia University Press. P. 61. ISBN 0-231-12048-6 .
  2. ^ Justus D. Barnes in the Find a Grave database . Accessed March 23, 2015.
personal data
SURNAME Barnes, Justus D.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American silent film actor
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1862
PLACE OF BIRTH Little Falls , New York
DATE OF DEATH February 6, 1946
Place of death Weedsport , New York