Joan Barclay

Who was Joan Barclay?

Joan Barclay (August 31, 1914 – November 22, 2002) was an American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s, starring mostly in B-movies and cliffhangers, with her career starting during the silent film era. Barclay was born Mary Elizabeth Greear in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her family moved to California when she was still a child due to her mother wishing to escape the cold climate of the north. Moving to Hollywood to pursue acting, Barclay received her first role at the age of 13, which was credited with her billed as "Geraine Greear", in the 1927 film The Gaucho, starring Douglas Fairbanks and Lupe Vélez. It would be her only silent film. In 1930, still billed as Geraine Greear, she had a minor role in King of Jazz. From 1932 to 1935 she would have thirteen uncredited film roles, which included an uncredited role in the 1932 film 42nd Street, which was Ginger Rogers' breakthrough movie. Then, in 1936, her career changed for the better when she began starring in westerns opposite some of Hollywood's leading cowboy stars, to include Tom Tyler, Hoot Gibson, and Tom Keene. These roles would start a career for her in B-movies, and would be what she is most remembered for today.