Lex Barker

Lex Barker (1919-1973) with a legendary "Bear Killer" gun as Old Shatterhand.

Lex Barker with a Colt 1860 Army revolver as Old Shatterhand (middle) in Apache Gold (1963).

Lex Barker with his special 25-rounds "Henry" rifle as Old Shatterhand in Last of the Renegades (1964).

Lex Barker born as Alexander Crichlow Barker on 8th May 1919 in Rye, New York as a direct descendant of the founder of the colony of Rhode Island, Roger Williams and former Governor-General of Barbados Sir William Henry Crichlow. Lex Barker grew up on a rural farm and soon show it his the love for a farmer´s life and to horses. Thanks to his father's trade he travel in England, Italy, France and Egypt. With excellent results graduated from the renowned Philips-Exeter Academy, then began studying civil engineering at Princeton. At seventeen he discovered the magic of theater in his study time off. He worked as a lighting technician, stagehand and assistant director. In 1939, he starred in Merry Wives of Windsor, but the desired success after several other roles failed. When it finally got lucky in terms of the contract offered by major film company as 20th Century Fox, did not get permission from his father to sign and had to return to the interrupted study engineering. In 1941, as a fledgling engineer volunteered for the army. Inflicted a severe head injury, shortly before the end of the war also a foot injury. Meanwhile, he married Constance Thurlow, which in January 1942 gave birth to their daughter Lynne. In 1947 he stand by father of son Alexander. The breakthrough in his proffesional life came with the role of Tarzan: after Johnny Weissmuller became his tenth film representative. By 1952 he managed to get a divorce, to marry with Arlene Dahl and begin to live with one of Hollywood's biggest stars Lana Turner. Although Tarzan brought him fame, gave up the role because he longed for more challenging roles and wanted to prevent it, what did not escape as well - did not want to be associated with one character. In 1953, he married Lana, but the wife's abortion and actor fall in a depression. His family crisis culminated four years later divorce and Barker´s departure from Hollywood to Europe. He started playing in many adventure films, westerns and crime movies. The peak of his arts career he became in Dolce Vita by directed Federico Fellini. In 1962 a German producer Horst Wendlandt offered him the role Old Shatterhand in the film Treasure of Silver Lake and Barker's fate was decided once and for all: she had made him a star. In 1962, however ruthless fate intervened: his beloved wife Irene succumbed to leukemia. In 1964 he married again with the Spanish actress Tita Cervera. At that time he was on top and went from movie to movie. It had been a trilogy about Vinnetou: Apache Gold (1963), Last of the Renegades (1964) and The Desperado Trail (1965). In 1966 when he was elected at Bambi awards in Germany, the most popular foreign actor. Last western filmed in 1968, when as Old Shatterhand and his red brother got In the Valley of Death. Film offers after gradually waned, his dropping not rescued return to the U.S., even a hosting in the popular television series The FBI and It takes a thief. In 1972 he broke with Tita Cervera. Lex Barker died 11 May 1973 at Lexington Avenue New York of a heart attack.

Lex Barker can be seen using the following weapons in the following films:

Film

Gun	Character	Title	Note	Date
12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun	Old Shatterhand	Treasure of Silver Lake		1962
Special "Henry" rifle	Old Shatterhand	Treasure of Silver Lake		1962
"Bear Killer" rifle	Old Shatterhand	Treasure of Silver Lake		1962
Colt 1860 Army	Old Shatterhand	Apache Gold		1963
12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotgun	Old Shatterhand	Apache Gold		1963
"Bear Killer" rifle	Old Shatterhand	Apache Gold		1963
Special "Henry" rifle	Old Shatterhand	Last of the Renegades		1964
Special "Henry" rifle	Old Shatterhand	The Desperado Trail		1965