Edna Sedgewick & Red Barry (1938)

A ballerina, Edna Sedgewick (1915-2002) had a featured roles in Ken Murray's 1938 Swing, Sister, Swing and enjoyed a few specialty turns around the same time. Then she was Natacha, a Russian dancer in Universal's 13-chapter serial Red Barry and that was another matter altogether, what with attempting to take possession of Chinese war bonds that she claimed rightfully belonging to her never mind what Mr. Barry (the redoubtable serial hero Buster Crabbe, Flash Gordon himself here sporting his natural, darker hair color) or anybody else said. Miss Sedgewick runs about Red Barry as if to the manor born, so to speak, but the hectic serial may actually have soured her on Hollywood altogether and was her final screen appearance. Her chief claim to fame was probably a turn in the long-running Broadway hit "Boys and Girls Together" (1940), starring Ed Wynn and during which she dated B-Movie lead Dick Purcell (Captain America in 1944 shortly before he suffered a fatal heart attack playing golf). The latter, who was still wed to Broadway star Ethelind Terry at the time, was so smitten with Miss Sedgewick that he “scheduled to fly his own plane here to see her premiere.”

Alas, Purcell proved a minor dalliance and two years later Sedgewick married Texas night club impresario Sam Maceo, a lasting union. Although according to Dr. Robert Wilkins, who wrote a musical about Salvatore "Sam" Maceo and his brother Rosario ("Rose"), "Galveston the Musical," Edna “liked glamour and being noticed [and] she eventually went back to Hollywood where she raised the couple's children.” ”She was never really accepted into Galveston society,” Wilkins added. "Galveston the Musical" was performed locally in 2003.

Edna & Red: Don't touch that phone!"

Meanwhile, back to Red Barry, which I'm enjoying a chapter or so a day. I shall therefore offer you a running commentary of Miss Sedgewick's (alias Natacha) every move. Well, almost every move.

Chapter 1: Natacha listens in on the heroes and then confers with her own accomplishes about the stolen bonds that she believes are rightfully hers.

Chapter 2: Natacha steals the much vaunted bonds and a taxi cab. As Red Barry exclaims in disbelief: “A lady taxi driver?!” Performs a dance to the (public domain) Emperor Waltz at the ubiquitous Lyceum Theatre, after which she is chased around the establishment by Wheeler Oakman et al.

To be continued...

Chapter 3: Natacha is kidnapped by Wing Fu (Cyril Delevanti), who keeps her overnight in order to force her to tell him what she did with the missing bonds. He also has her change into Chinese style clothing, explaining that she will be less likely to attempt to escape wearing “shall we say, such unusual garments.” Hmm! Meanwhile, intrepid girl reporter Mississippi (Frances Robinson), at Wing Fu's to interview the wily Chinaman, notices a woman carrying Natacha's clothing and alerts Red Barry. Who, alas, follows a Chinese decoy right into the lair of nefarious Quong Lee (Frank Lackteen), a strange Asian villain speaking with a heavy Middle Eastern accent. Will Red survive the encounter?

To be continued ...

Chapter 4: with the assistance of Hong Kong (Philip Ahn), and unbeknownst to her Fing Fu himself, Natacha makes her escape from Wing Fu's and is back at the Luceum twirling about to the delight of the usual stock footage audience. She manages to contact her fellow Russian, Mama Zonia (Rita Gould) but is soon trapped in a closet by the Middle-Eastern Chinese Quong Lee.

To be continued ...