Joan Barclay

When I was a child, my mother said to my father, "Mary Elizabeth is so common around here...I think we should name her something else." And he said, "Oh, I don't think so." Mother said, "Well, I tell you what, the next little girl you see, ask her what her name is." So he did. He saw a little girl on a bicycle and he asked, "What's your name?" And she answered, "Mary Elizabeth!" At first, I had another name on-screen, Geraine Greear, which was used on The Gaucho (1927). My last name was really Greear, so I said, "How about Geraine Greear?" My mother said, "I like that," so that's what it became. Many, many agents came up with names. I've had lots of names. I picked Joan Barclay. I knew somebody by the name of Barclay. I liked that, so I said, "How about Joan Barclay?" I couldn't tell you all the names I've had. Every time you'd get an agent, they wanted to change your name, but...Joan Barclay stuck. Show less «

[Hoot Gibson] was a great one. He took me out and put me on one of his polo ponies, and you know, they stop on a dime...nearly went off that! They may be racing along and turn on a dime. He just put me on at the polo field at Will Rogers' place, but he didn't tell me anything about stopping on a dime. Scared the heck out of me. Hoot was a real nice guy. He really was. Show less «

I love the heat. I seldom run the air conditioner.

The shooting was fast and hectic in those days. I was used to it, and I enjoyed it.

Errol Flynn tried to date me. I didn't date him because he took a girl out and the next day she had a mink coat. So I said, "I don't think I better go out with him". Another one that called me is John Garfield. I hardly knew him, but he wanted to date me and I turned him down. And John Barrymore called me and said, "Come over to RKO and come to my dressing room, six o'clock this evening". I got to thinking about it, so I called him back and I said, "Mr. Barrymore, I find I would have only about 15 minutes because I have something else I have to do!" So he said, "All right". Then he called me back and said, "Miss Barclay, I find I have to change the date, you'd best make it so and so, and don't make any appointments after!" Hesitatingly, I said, "Okay", then called Linda [friend Linda Parker] and said, "Help! You've got to go with me". You could go in studios, nobody ever stopped you. I had a little Ford convertible, we drove into the studio and went up to his dressing room. He was looking out and said, "I thought so!" He knew Linda too! We went in and he would kiss one of us and then he'd kiss the other, but that was all there was to it and he was drinking and we were drinking and having a great time. He wanted me for a leading lady part but...I didn't get it. Because that was all we did, was kiss. Marian Marsh got it. She did Svengali (1931) with him. So apparently, she went up to his dressing room. Show less «

[on Bruce Bennett] The shot-put champion. He was teaching me to play golf. I don't remember doing the picture [Shadow of Chinatown (1936)] but I remember still...teaching me golf. Very nice-looking man. His wife went right along with him, wherever he went - kept an eye on him. Show less «

Samuel Goldwyn chased me around a desk one day. Nothing came of it. I seemed to elude people. Maybe, if I'd gotten into the picture business deeper and gotten to be a big star, I would have had more problems. Show less «

[on Rex Bell] Just a wonderful man. I played bridge with his wife, Clara Bow. He used to come over and drop her off at my house. Then I went up to their house. They rented up at the end of Fairfax. I think he was in Nevada at the time. Apparently, he came out here when he made his pictures. Oh, he was the dreamboat, and a wonderful man. Just a wonderful man. I went to Rex's funeral. Clara came out and she said, "Thank you all for coming". She was very sober at that time, but when she was over at my house, she poured a drink and stood in front of me and said, "Now when Rex comes in, that's your drink", so he wouldn't know she was drinking. You know, she had quite a bad habit...but she was a nice person. Very beautiful and very nice. Show less «

When I was a child, before I came to California - I think I came out here when I was ten - my mother took me to see Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad (1924). My mother had a lady friend who was a script girl, and she said, "If you bring Mary (Barclay's real name) out to Hollywood, I think I can get her in pictures." When I was 12, the biggest part I had was in a Douglas Fairbanks picture! I got to meet Fairbanks and it was quite a thrill. He wanted to make he his leading lady - at the age of 12! I played the leading lady as a child in The Gaucho (1927) - but the publicity man said, "Doug, she'll make you look like an old man." Show less «

My mother didn't want me to go to public school - she was afraid I would catch diseases from the other children - so she had a tutor. Then when we came to California, she wanted to put me in the Vine Street School. I was excited, I wanted to go to public school, but the Board of Education didn't want any actresses or any professional children. So, I didn't get to go to public school. I had my tutor and my mother was delighted, but I wasn't. I graduated when I was about 14, from high school. I went right through...but it also went right through my mind and out the door because I was too young to assimilate all that. I went to school on the sets, with the other children I worked with in pictures. Show less «

Tim McCoy was a colonel in the cavalry. The last time that I saw him was on Hollywood Blvd. He was all dressed up in his military outfit, walking down the boulevard. He had terrific posture. Show less «

[on Bela Lugosi] Very nice man but I met his wife [Lillian Arch] and son [Bela Lugosi Jr.] and they both looked like they belonged in horror pictures. Big, tall, skinny... Show less «

The one who was the nicest to me was [James Cagney]. He used to take me and sit me down in his dressing room at Warners and say, "Now, Geraine, you have an opportunity here that you seem not to realize. You should go take acting lessons, singing lessons, dancing lessons, and you could become a star." I said, "Well, yeah, Jimmy, thanks a lot, I'll do that." And of course it went in one ear and out the other, I didn't do one darn thing about it. I was just frivolous-minded, and as long as I was working and making money, I didn't mind just being a nobody. Show less «

Years ago, I remember I was doing some photography poses. And the photographer's little boy came in and said, "Bob Steele is on the phone for you!" He was all excited...he was at the age that went to westerns. Then he came back and said, "Now Tim Holt is on the phone! Now Rex Bell is on the phone!" I had three phone calls. I don't think I ever had that many in one day anywhere. He was just so excited. Show less «

[on Sam Newfield and Sigmund Neufeld] Two little Jewish men that were on Gower Gulch. They had a little tiny office and they'd stand in the doorway, looking out. Show less «

I didn't do much at RKO. I remember I played gin rummy with the head of RKO, Charles Kerner. There were some other people there and he said, "I want you all to listen to this man sing, he's going to go places." It was Frank Sinatra. And he was right! Show less «

[on Bob Steele] He wasn't very handsome. Rambunctious, but...I gather from letters I've had that women say he's been a paramour of so many. He didn't get to me... His father [Robert N. Bradbury] directed some things I was in (The Kid Ranger (1936), The Trusted Outlaw (1937)). Somebody wrote me and said - I think it was Lois January - said he (Steele) was a great lover. I missed that. I had him over to the house but my mother kept an eye on him. She wouldn't let any monkey business. Show less «