# Minnette Barrett

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Minnette_Barrett
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Minnette_Barrett.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnette_Barrett
> Source revision: 1353814959
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Minnette Barrett** (March 25, 1880 – June 20, 1964) was an American actress. Born in [Gainesville, Georgia](/source/Gainesville,_Georgia), she began her career on the stage in California in 1899 as a member of [Harry Corson Clarke](/source/Harry_Corson_Clarke)'s theater troupe. She worked in [stock theatre](/source/Stock_theatre), on tour, and in [vaudeville](/source/Vaudeville) in her early career. In 1904 she married Hiram Mitchell, the son of United States senator [John H. Mitchell](/source/John_H._Mitchell). She gave her first performance on [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) in 1907, and performed periodically on the New York stage into the 1950s. She also appeared in a few [silent films](/source/Silent_films) during the 1910s.

## Life and career

Minnette Barrett was born in [Gainesville, Georgia](/source/Gainesville,_Georgia) on March 25, 1880.[1] Her real name was Minnie Smith and she was the daughter of Amelia de F. Smith.[2] She began her career as a member of [Harry Corson Clarke](/source/Harry_Corson_Clarke)'s theatre troupe in 1899;[2] performing in *[What Happened to Jones](/source/What_Happened_to_Jones_(play))* at theaters in California.[3] That same year she became a member of [T. Daniel Frawley](/source/T._Daniel_Frawley)'s theatre troupe which was then playing in San Francisco.[4] In March 1900 she toured with Fawley's company to Oregon as Isabelle Popervach in [Henry Arthur Jones](/source/Henry_Arthur_Jones)'s *The Dancing Girl* and as Sophie in [David Belasco](/source/David_Belasco)'s *The Charity Ball* in 1900.[5] The following month she performed at the Los Angeles Theater in Los Angeles with Fawley's troupe in *An Unconventional Honeymoon*,[6] and in *In Paradise*.[7]

In 1901 Barrett performed at the [Burbank Theatre](/source/Burbank_Theatre) as Maria in *Brother John*.[8] In 1902 she toured with Frawley's troupe as Ottilene Mallinson in *[Lord and Lady Algy](/source/Lord_and_Lady_Algy_(play))*,[9] and toured in [vaudeville](/source/Vaudeville) in the [Orpheum Circuit](/source/Orpheum_Circuit).[10] She appeared in vaudeville with Joe Jefferson Jr. and [Florence Nash](/source/Florence_Nash).[11] In 1903 she was a member of [Gertrude Berkeley](/source/Gertrude_Berkeley)'s theatre company which was in residence in [Kansas City, Missouri](/source/Kansas_City,_Missouri).[12] In 1904 she married Hiram Mitchell, the son of United States senator [John H. Mitchell](/source/John_H._Mitchell), at the [Little Church Around The Corner](/source/Little_Church_Around_The_Corner) in New York City.[13]

In 1906 Barrett portrayed Louise in [Leo Ditrichstein](/source/Leo_Ditrichstein)'s new farce *Before and After*.[14] She portrayed Hortense Madigan in the 1907 Broadway production of *[The Primrose Path](/source/The_Primrose_Path_(Veiller))*.[15] That same year she portrayed Annie White in [Jean Schwartz](/source/Jean_Schwartz)'s Broadway musical *[Lola from Berlin](/source/Lola_from_Berlin)* at the [Liberty Theatre](/source/Liberty_Theatre),[16] and Pauline Shank in *The Coming of Mrs. Patrick* at the [Madison Square Theatre](/source/Madison_Square_Theatre).[17]

Barrett portrayed Cornelia Van Gorder in both the original 1920 Broadway production and the 1937 Broadway revival of [Mary Roberts Rinehart](/source/Mary_Roberts_Rinehart) and [Avery Hopwood](/source/Avery_Hopwood) hit play *[The Bat](/source/The_Bat_(play))*.[11] Her other Broadway credits included *The Show Off*, *Mr. Buttles* (1910), [*Mother*](/source/Mother_(1910_play)) (1910, as Ardath Wetherill), *[In 1999](/source/In_1999)* (1912) (playlet)[18] *Lovely Lady* (1925), *Desire Under the Elms* (1952), and *Mrs. McThing* (1952-1953).[11] She had roles in the [silent films](/source/Silent_films) *[Salvation Nell](/source/Salvation_Nell_(1915_film))* (1915)[19] and *[The Ragamuffin](/source/The_Ragamuffin)* (1916).[20] During [World War II](/source/World_War_II) she led the [American Theatre Wing](/source/American_Theatre_Wing)'s war bonds drive.[11]

Barrett died on June 20, 1964 in [Queens, New York](/source/Queens,_New_York).[1]

## References

### Citations

1. Vazzana 2001, p. 31.

1. "Prefers Practice to Theory March 5, 1899". *[The Sunday Oregonian](/source/The_Sunday_Oregonian)*. p. 15.

1. "What Happened to Jones". *Santa Cruz Evening Sentinel*. November 9, 1899. p. 3.

1. "About Plays and Players". *[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)*. November 27, 1899. p. 7.

1. "Frawley's Last Week". *[The Sunday Oregonian](/source/The_Sunday_Oregonian)*. March 11, 1900. p. 17.

1. "T. Daniel Frawly Received a Great Ovation Last Night". *[Los Angeles Evening Express](/source/Los_Angeles_Evening_Express)*. April 16, 1900. p. 4.

1. "*In Paradise* Presented By Members of Frawley's Company". *[Los Angeles Evening Express](/source/Los_Angeles_Evening_Express)*. April 23, 1900. p. 4.

1. "Morosco's Burbank". *[Los Angeles Evening Express](/source/Los_Angeles_Evening_Express)*. February 23, 1901. p. 7.

1. "Entertainments". *[Minneapolis Star Tribune](/source/Minneapolis_Star_Tribune)*. January 7, 1902. p. 4.

1. "The Play's the Thing". *[Seattle Post-Intelligencer](/source/Seattle_Post-Intelligencer)*. March 2, 1902. p. 25.

1. (22 June 1964). [Minnette Barrett, Actress, On Stage and in Vaudeville](https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/22/minnette-barrett-actress-on-stage-and-in-vaudeville.html?_r=0), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*

1. "Gertrude Berkeley's Playhouse". *[Kansas City Journal](/source/Kansas_City_Journal)*. January 25, 1903. p. 32.

1. "Lieutenant Mitchell Weds an Actress". *[The Oregon Daily Journal](/source/The_Oregon_Daily_Journal)*. April 7, 1904. p. 5.

1. "Theatres Last Night". *[The Baltimore Sun](/source/The_Baltimore_Sun)*. February 27, 1906. p. 12.

1. ["A Play That Offers Topic for Debate"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-a-play-that-offers-to/195237486/). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. May 7, 1907. p. 9.

1. Dietz 2022, pp. 442–443.

1. ["NEW PLAY SEEN AT MADISON SQUARE; " Coming of Mrs. Patrick" Does Not Add to Rachael Crothers's Reputation. CLUMSY AND FAMILIAR Laura Nelson Hall and Others Play Well, but the Piece Is Slow and Tedious."](https://www.nytimes.com/1907/11/07/archives/new-play-seen-at-madison-square-coming-of-mrs-patrick-does-not-add.html?searchResultPosition=2). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. November 7, 1907. p. 5.

1. (6 February 1912). [Mock Problem Play is Rich in Satire - Mr. de Mille's "In 1999" Shows What May Happen if Woman Has Her Way](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/02/06/104890306.pdf), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*

1. [*Salvation Nell* at silentera.com](http://silentera.com/PSFL/data/S/SalvationNell1915.html)

1. [*The Ragamuffin* at silentera.com](http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/R/Ragamuffin1916.html)

### Bibliography

- Dietz, Dan (2022). [*The Complete Book of 1900s Broadway Musicals*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7TdwEAAAQBAJ). [Rowman & Littlefield Publishers](/source/Rowman_%26_Littlefield_Publishers). ISBN 9781538168943.
- Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). "Barrett, Minnette". *Silent Film Necrology*. [McFarland & Company](/source/McFarland_%26_Company). ISBN 9780786410590.

## External links

- [Minnette Barrett](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0057232/) at IMDb

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Minnette Barrett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnette_Barrett) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnette_Barrett?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.