Actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the absent-minded Mr. Jones in "Streamline Express" (1935). Born into a prominent theatrical family, the only son of vaudeville actor and comedian Luke Barnett, upon completing his formal education at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, he began his career as a leading man on the Broadway stage. Upon meeting director Archie Mayo while vacationing in the Poconos, he was so impressed by his mature appearance, professionalism, and clever wit, he took notice of his potential and arranged for him to begin a career in the film industry beginning with him appearing in a supporting role per his supervision in "Wide Open" (1930). From there, he would go on to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 230 features; often typecast as boyfriends, husbands, fathers, aristocrats, curmudgeons, chauffeurs, reporters, detectives, businessmen, retail clerks, policemen, cowboys, sheriffs, eccentrics, curmudgeons, battle-axe neighbors, aristocrats, peeping toms, con artists, waiters, doormen, elevator operators, doctors, blue-collared workers, undertakers, bartenders, barbers, sugar daddies, clerical workers, chefs, henchmen, jailbirds, villains, alcoholics, custodians, and bellhops. He appeared in such feature films as "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930), "Side Show" (1931), "Tiger Shark" (1932), "Sunset Pass" (1933), "Thirty Day Princess" (1934), "Champagne for Breakfast" (1935), "San Francisco" (1936), "A Star is Born" (1937), "Sunset Murder Case" (1938), "Exile Express" (1939), "Seven Sinners" (1940), "Blondie in Society" (1941), "Gallant Bride" (1942), "Kid Dynamite" (1943), "Leave It to the Irish" (1944), "High Powered" (1945), "The Killers" (1946), "I Cover Big Town" (1947), "Loaded Pistols" (1948), "Deputy Marshall" (1949), "Storm Over Wyoming" (1950), "I'll See You in My Dreams" (1951), "Carson City" (1952), "Charade" (1954), "Outlaw Queen" (1957), "Girl on the Run" (1958), "The Rookie" (1959), "Zebra in the Kitchen" (1965), "The Big Mouth" (1967), and "Summer School Adventures" (1975). On television, he appeared in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Hollywood Opening Night," "All Star Revue," "I Married Joan," "The Life of Riley," "Chevron Theatre," "It's a Great Life," "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre," "The Restless Gun," "Sally," "Cheyenne," "Bachelor Father," "Tales of the Texas Rangers," "Bronco," "The Loretta Young Show," "Glynis," "Perry Mason," "The Real McCoys," "My Three Sons," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "That Girl," "Green Acres," "The Andy Griffith Show," "Here's Lucy," "Mayberry R.F.D.," "Bridget Loves Bernie," and "Room 222". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, was a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and the Seeing Eye, had been a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, was one of the founding members of the Canyon Theatre Guild, was cited by columnist Ephriam Katz as "Hollywood's Professional Ribber," and he was married to homemaker Kit Roddy from 1971 until his death (their union produced no children). Upon his retirement in 1975, he spent the final years of his life living quietly in the suburbs until his death.