Eric Barker is most remembered for his roles in the popular British Carry On films, although he only appeared in the early films in the series, apart from returning for Carry On Emmannuelle in 1978.
14 Facts About Eric Barker
2.
Eric Barker was born in Thornton Heath, London, on 20 February 1912, the youngest of three children.
3.
Eric Barker was brought up in Croydon, Surrey, and educated at Whitgift School.
4.
Eric Barker joined his father's paper merchants' company in the city but left to concentrate full-time on writing.
5.
Eric Barker wrote short stories and plays, appearing in the latter himself and gradually turned to writing and performing lyrics, revues and sketches for stage and on radio.
6.
Eric Barker later became one of the most familiar faces in British comedy in his day.
7.
Eric Barker had already appeared as an adult in nine films, including Carry On London, a 45-minute crime short in 1937.
8.
Eric Barker found his niche in playing variations on the busybody sticking his nose in everyone's business, or as some authority figure, Carry On Constable being a good example.
9.
Eric Barker was one of only three actors to appear in both the first of the original series of Carry On films, Carry On Sergeant, and the last, Carry On Emmannuelle.
10.
Eric Barker's other Carry On appearance was in Carry On Spying.
11.
Eric Barker took his "authoritarian busybody" characterisation to the limit, with the twist that Mr Lovegrove existed only in spy John Drake's semi-unconscious mind after crashing his car on his way to the airport, inspired by one of the responding ambulance operators attending the scene of Drake's accident.
12.
Eric Barker married the actress Pearl Hackney with whom he often worked, though she had a comedy career of her own.
13.
In 1971, Eric Barker was the subject of the British ITV television show This Is Your Life.
14.
Eric Barker died in Canterbury, Kent, and was buried in the churchyard of St Mary's, Stalisfield Green, near Faversham, where he had lived for a number of years.