[Archive 2011-10-22] Canadian actress Barbara Kent dies at age 103

Historical archive — originally published 2011-10-22. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Barbara Kent, a popular Canadian actress in silent movies who starred in the 1926 film Flesh and the Devil, died on October 13 at the age of 103.

She attracted attention in the 1927 film No Man's Law by swimming nude; she wore a flesh colored bathing suit in scenes that were considered very daring at the time. She made a smooth transition into talking pictures, opposite Harold Lloyd in the 1929 comedy Welcome Danger.

Over the next few years she landed several roles including one in the 1933 film Oliver Twist - the first non-silent adaptation.

Following the death of her husband in 1949, Kent retreated from public life. She came to refuse to acknowledge her film career and extend very few interviews.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Canadian actress Barbara Kent dies at age 103 by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.