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Profile - Writer - Barry Shipman

Barry Shipman (1912-1994)(imdb)

Compiled for ctva by Sal Crisanti <crisanti52@netscape.net>

BARRY SHIPMAN'S CAREER BEGAN IN 1936 CO-WRITING CLIFF-HANGER SERIAL
SCRIPTS FOR THE NEWLY FORMED REPUBLIC PICTURES. SERIAL SCRIPTS WERE
WRITTEN BY WRITERS WORKING IN TEAMS. BARRY CO-WROTE 13 CLIFF HANGERS.
TWELVE AT REPUBLIC AND ONE AT UNIVERSAL PICTURES. THAT ONE WAS THE
BUSTER CRABBE CHAPTER PLAY, "FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE" (1940).
SOME OF THE ONE'S HE DID AT REPUBLIC WERE,
"ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND" (1936), HIS FIRST.
"THEN CAME, ZORRO RIDES AGAIN" (1937),
"DICK TRACY RETURNS"(1938),
"DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE"(1939),
LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN (1939), AND SO ON.

BARRY SHIPMAN STAYED AT REPUBLIC UNTIL 1942, THEN DECIDED TO FREELANCE.

IN 1944 HE CO-WROTE WITH WRITER NORMAN HOUSTON A HOPALONG CASSIDY WESTERN
FOR PRODUCER HARRY 'POP' SHERMAN TITLED, "LUMBERJACK"(1944). THIS WAS ONE
OF THE BETTER EPISODES IN THE SERIES, FILLED WITH NON-STOP ACTION FROM
BEGINNING TO END.

SINCE BARRY SHIPMAN'S WRITING ASSIGNMENTS WERE MAINLY
WESTERNS, HE DECIDED TO GO OVER TO COLUMBIA PICTURES TO WORK ON THE
CHARLES STARRETT "DURANGO KID" SERIES. HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE
SERIES LASTED FROM 1946-1952.

A MAJOR CHANGE DID OCCUR DURING THE EARLY 1950'S. LIKE OTHER WRITERS
AND DIRECTORS, BARRY SHIPMAN TOOK ONE GIANT STEP INTO THE NEW
WORLD OF TELEVISION. NOT ONLY DID HE WORK ON A NUMBER OF TV SERIES,
BUT BEGAN WRITING FULL-LENGTH FEATURES FOR THE STUDIO THAT GAVE HIM HIS
START--REPUBLIC PICTURES. SOME OF THE BETTER FEATURES HE WROTE WERE
WESTERNS.
"STRANGER AT MY DOOR"(1956),
"HELL'S CROSSROADS"(1957),
AND "THE LAST STAGECOACH WEST"(1957).

HIS TELEVISION CREDITS WERE DONE ALMOST ENTIRELY FOR REVUE STUDIOS.
THEY WERE,
"ADVENTURES OF KIT CARSON" (1951-1955),
"CITY DETECTIVE" (1953-1956),
"SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE" (1955-1957),
"STATE TROOPER" (1957-1959),
"CORONADO 9" (1959-1960),
"OVERLAND TRAIL" (1960).

BUT HE ALSO WROTE FOR,
"RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE"(1953-1954)
AND "THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN"(1957-1958).

AT REVUE HE WAS ALSO PART OF A WRITING TEAM CONSISTING OF TWO OTHER WRITERS.
THEY WERE LAWRENCE KIMBLE AND FENTON EARNSHAW. BARRY SHIPMAN WAS NOT ONLY
VERY PROLIFIC AT WHAT HE DID, BUT HIS SCRIPTS WERE VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT
STORIES WITH INTERESTING CHARACTERIZATIONS WITH LIBERAL AMOUNTS ACTION AND
DRAMA. BARRY SHIPMAN WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WRITING EXCELLENCE.

Compiled for ctva by Sal Crisanti <crisanti52@netscape.net>

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