Lex Barker, born Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. on May 8, 1919, was a talented actor. He started as a Hollywood leading man before becoming a European superstar. While his American career was modest, he gained great popularity overseas. Especially in Germany, he became beloved for his charismatic roles in Karl May adaptations.
Early Life & Roots
Lex Barker was born into privilege in Rye, New York. He came from an affluent family connected to the financial sector and descended from Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, and Sir William Henry Crichlow of Barbados. Raised in privileged surroundings, he attended elite schools like Fessenden and Phillips Exeter. He excelled both academically and athletically during his youth. He also played the oboe, showcasing his diverse talents early on.
Lex Barker briefly attended Princeton but dropped out to pursue acting in summer stock theatre. This decision reportedly alienated his family. In 1938, he made his only Broadway appearance in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. He also joined a troubled production of Orson Welles’s Five Kings, which closed before reaching New York.
Wartime Service & Early Breakthrough
In February 1941, Barker dramatically shifted paths, enlisting in the U.S. Army nearly ten months before Pearl Harbor. He rose to the rank of major and was wounded in Sicily, receiving two Purple Hearts and even a small silver plate in his skull following surgery.
After recovering in a military hospital in Arkansas, he moved to Los Angeles. In 1945, he landed his first film role in “Doll Face,” followed by small parts in “Two Guys from Milwaukee,” “Cloak and Dagger,” “Return of the Bad Men,” and others.
Tarzan & Hollywood Identity
In 1949, Barker achieved mainstream fame as the tenth official Tarzan. He starred in Tarzan’s Magic Fountain, Tarzan and the Slave Girl, Tarzan’s Peril, Tarzan’s Savage Fury, and Tarzan and the She‑Devil between 1949 and 1953.
Noted for his tall (6′3″/1.91 m), muscular frame and status as a clean-cut, oboe‑playing, Eastern‑prep‑school graduate, Barker brought both athleticism and refinement to the Tarzan image. Rumor has it that producers insisted on full-body waxing to accentuate his physique in the Jungle Hero role.
While the Tarzan series provided instant visibility, Barker soon grew restless; at a party, fans would demand his Tarzan yell or challenge him to display his chest. “It’s great to be able to wear clothes again,” he reportedly quipped after leaving the franchise.
Transition to Westerns & War Films
After Tarzan, Barker transitioned into Western and adventure films. Notable roles included Battles of Chief Pontiac (1952), the WWII drama Away All Boats (1956), and the western The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955), where he starred as a federal investigator confronting betrayal and romance in a frontier town. He also appeared in War Drums (1957) alongside Joan Taylor and Ben Johnson.
Despite these efforts, by 1957 Hollywood offered fewer opportunities for his type, so he made a bold decision.
European Leap & Multilingual Success
Barker relocated to Europe in 1957, where he found a new lease on his career. Fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, and German, he quickly became a staple across international productions—working in Italy, Spain, France, Yugoslavia, Brazil, Lebanon, and more.
His supporting role in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960) as Anita Ekberg’s fiancé, nicknamed “Sexy Lexy,” marked a turning point in his career. It transformed him into a sophisticated international star and solidified his reputation beyond traditional action roles.
German Stardom & Karl May Classics
Europe’s turning point came via his work in West Germany. In 1961–62, Barker starred as FBI agent Joe Como in two Dr. Mabuse thrillers—The Invisible Claws of Dr. Mabuse and Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse—directed by Artur Brauner. These performances caught the attention of German producers and helped solidify his popularity in Europe.
His true breakout: portraying Old Shatterhand (and later Dr. Karl Sternau and Kara Ben Nemsi) in over a dozen Karl May adaptations during the 1960s. Films such as Treasure of the Silver Lake (1962) and Apache Gold (Winnetou I, 1963) elevated him to cult status in German-speaking countries. These productions, filmed in Croatia, Spain, and Almería, cemented the genre and brought Barker household-level fame.
His popularity in Germany soared—he recorded two German-language songs in 1965: “Ich bin morgen auf dem Weg zu dir” and “Mädchen in Samt und Seide.” In 1966, he was honored with Germany’s Bambi Award as Best Foreign Actor.
He starred in the Euro‑spy film Spy Today, Die Tomorrow and the German‑Spanish horror The Blood Demon, both released in 1967. That same year, he also appeared alongside Shirley MacLaine in the anthology film Woman Times Seven.
Personal Life & Marriages
Lex Barker’s personal life was as dramatic as his screen roles. He married five times:
- Constance Rhodes Thurlow (1942–1950), with whom he had two children (Lynn and Alexander III).
- Arlene Dahl (1951–1952), Hollywood actress.
- Lana Turner (1953–1957)—his most high-profile union. Turner’s daughter Cheryl Crane later claimed, 15 years after his death, that Barker had abused her during childhood, though no charges were filed and the divorce papers made no mention of it.
- Irene Labhardt, a Swiss actress, married in 1957 until she died in 1962—they had a son, Christopher Barker, who later became an actor and singer.
- Tita Cervera (Miss Spain 1962), married in 1965 (divorced in 1972)—a glamorous figure and future art collector, though their divorce reportedly lacked legal clarity.
Final Years & Untimely Death
By the early 1970s, Barker had effectively retired from filmmaking and settled on Spain’s Costa Brava, though a new TV series in the U.S. had been planned—one that never came to fruition.
On May 11, 1973, just three days after turning 54, Barker suffered a massive heart attack while walking in Manhattan and died instantly on Lexington Avenue. He was on his way to meet longtime companion Karen Kondazian. His death cut short an actor who had reinvented himself multiple times across continents, languages, and cinematic styles.
Legacy & Lasting Appeal
Lex Barker’s career spanned from Tarzan in the jungle to Wild West hero, spy, and horror lead, showing rare flexibility for his time. In Hollywood, he was known as an athletic, handsome hero. In Europe, especially Germany, he embodied Kurt May’s literary heroes. Fans adored him for his moral strength, loyalty, and stoic charm.
His legacy lives on:
- European Westerns: Barker helped popularize the German Winnetou series. These films remain staples of European TV and nostalgic fandom.
- Cross‑cultural actor: Few American actors of his era achieved comparable success abroad; he is remembered as a cosmopolitan lead.
- Film history footnote: He worked with directors like Fellini and starred in genre classics, embodying a transitional era between studio‑system action heroes and international charisma.
- Popular culture: In Germany, even today, many remember him through reruns of Karl May films; he still ranks among the most beloved foreign actors of the 1960s.
Why Lex Barker Deserves to Be Remembered
- Dual‑continent star – Few American actors made a second act like Barker’s in Europe.
- Linguistic versatility – His facility in multiple languages made him ideal for international productions.
- Resistance to typecasting – He rejected roles he thought limiting, even walking away from Superman.
- Legacy as Tarzan – Though one of several jungle lords, Barker is one of the few still regularly revisited by fans.
- Cultural impact in Germany – His Old Shatterhand was once more recognizable in European households than many U.S. stars.
In Closing
Lex Barker pursued a restless ambition: to become more than just Tarzan, break free from Hollywood’s pigeonholes, and build a truly global screen persona. Though his life ended too soon—and controversies shadowed his personal story—his legacy endures. In Germany and beyond, he remains immortalized as the idealized adventurer: tall, articulate, athletic and charming.
His journey from Ivy League hopeful to war hero to Hollywood actor to European icon reminds us how reinvention—and the courage to pursue it—can shape a truly unforgettable career.
