A curvaceous, dark-haired WWII pin-up beauty 's hubby years later, who was the father of her only child. Her third husband was a doctor/psychiatrist, and she worked as his nurse for quite some time. They divorced in 1972. Plagued by arthritis in later years, Bari passed away from heart problems on November 20, 1989. Although she may have been labeled a "B" leading lady, she definitely was in the "A" ranks when it came to class and beauty.
While on the set of Shock one day, she was talking with co-star Anabel Shaw and mentioned that she was a direct descendant, on her mothers side, of Revolutionary War hero Alexander Hamilton. Shaw revealed that she was a direct descendant of Aaron Burr--the man who killed Hamilton in the famous duel.
Her stage name was derived from the names of stage legend Lynn Fontanne and author J.M. Barrie (without the second "r" and the "e").
She was tested for the prime female role in Blood and Sand opposite Tyrone Power but lost the part because her dancing skills were below par. Rita Hayworth won the role and Lynn was cast as Tyrones sister instead.
Lynn had two children by former husband Sidney Luft , who later married and divorced Judy Garland. Her first, a daughter, was born in August of 1945 but died shortly thereafter. Lynn never quite got over the loss. Her second child, John Michael, was born on 18 September 1948.
Second only to Betty Grable in WWII pin-up popularity according to a GIs poll taken at the time.
Profiled in "Killer Tomatoes: Fifteen Tough Film Dames" by Ray Hagen and Laura Wagner (McFarland, 2004).
Profiled in "Hollywood Players: The Thirties" by James Robert Parish and William T. Leonard, 1976.
Upon her death, she was cremated with her ashes scattered at sea.
She was a staunch Republican who gave much of her time and money to various conservative political causes. She also attended several Republican National Conventions, fund-raisers, galas, was an honorary member of the Republican National Committee, and was active in the campaigns of Herbert Hoover , Wendell Willkie , Thomas E. Dewey , Dwight D. Eisenhower , Richard Nixon , and Ronald Reagan.
She was a fan of jazz legend Anita ODay.
According to a 1987 interview by Colin Briggs, published in "Classic Images", April 2016, she confirmed the date of her birth as 19 December 1919; she graduated from Beverly Hills grammar school in the spring of 1933.
