Barbara Kent, Canadian-born American silent film actress, died she was 103.

Barbara Kent was a Canadian-born, American-based film actress of the 1920s and '30s. Following the death of Miriam Seegar, she was the last surviving North American actor to have achieved substantial fame during the silent film era as an adult.

(December 16, 1907 – October 13, 2011) 

Career

Born as Barbara Cloutman^[1] in Gadsby, Alberta, to Jullion Curtis and Lily Louise (née Kent) Cloutman, she won the 21-year-old Miss Hollywood Pageant in 1925, the same year she graduated from Hollywood High School.^[2]
She began her Hollywood career in 1925, aged 18, in a small role for Universal Studios, which signed her to a contract that year.^[2] A brunette who stood less than five feet tall, Kent became popular as a comedienne opposite such stars as Reginald Denny. She made a strong impression as the heroine pitted against Greta Garbo's femme fatale in Flesh and the Devil in 1926 after Universal had loaned Kent to MGM to make the film.^[2] She attracted attention in the 1927 film No Man's Law by appearing to swim nude. She wore a flesh-coloured moleskin bathing suit in scenes that were considered very daring at the time.^[3] The popularity of this film led to her selection as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars for 1927. She made a smooth transition into talking pictures opposite Harold Lloyd in the comedy Welcome Danger (1929).^[3] Kent was also featured with Lloyd in his iconic Feet First.^[2] Over the next few years, she remained popular and received critical praise for her role in the 1933 film version of Oliver Twist.^[3]
Kent married talent agent Harry Edington in Yuma, Arizona on her 26th birthday, December 16, 1932.^[4] During a one-year hiatus, Edington groomed Kent for what he intended to be a high-profile career. By the time she returned to films, however, her popularity had waned and she was unable to establish herself again. She made her last appearance on screen with Columbia’s Under Age in 1941.^[5]

Later years and death

Following the death of her husband in 1949, Kent retreated from public life. She married Jack Monroe, an engineer, in 1954.^[3] They lived in Sun Valley, Idaho, later settling in Palm Desert, California. She repeatedly refused to discuss her film career or grant interviews. Monroe died in 1998.
Kent died in Palm Desert on October 13, 2011, at the age of 103. She is survived by her niece, Susan Monroe Russell (Roger); her nephew, John Monroe (Loretta); great nieces and nephews, Ryan Russell (Tanya), Kristin Russell Teater (Mike), Tasha Monroe, Andrea Monroe, Kara Monroe, and Forest Monroe; great-great-nieces and nephews, Mason Teater, Madison Teater, and Cohen Russell; and her longtime friend, Connie Martinez. ^[3]

Keeping active

Barbara had a great love for the outdoors. Always active, she enjoyed golf, fly-fishing, hunting, and gardening. She was a longtime member of Marakkesh, Sunland, and Thunderbird Country Clubs. She was a wonderful cook and loved entertaining friends and family. Kent continued to fly light aircraft until her 85th birthday. She was still playing golf well into her mid-90s.

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