Jess Barker (June 4, 1912 – August 8, 2000) was an American actor who was active between the 1940s and 1970s.

[citation needed] Barker's movie career was damaged because of the publicity resulting from a bitter custody dispute, but he still managed to find work as an actor on radio and films in supporting roles.

[citation needed] Barker appeared as an art critic in Fritz Lang's Scarlet Street (1945) and the Abbott and Costello film The Time of Their Lives (1946).

[2][3] They had twin sons together during their ten-year marriage, whose custody was won by Hayward after a bitter court battle.

Judge Walter H. Odemar ruled that Barker was the father of Morgana, a daughter born to actress Yvonne Doughty.