Barbara Kent, born Barbara Cloutman on December 16, 1907, in Gadsby, Alberta, Canada, was a prominent Canadian-American film actress who rose to fame during the silent era and early talkies of the 1920s and 1930s.

After her family relocated to California in 1913, she graduated from Hollywood High School in 1925 and won the Miss Hollywood Beauty Pageant that same year, which launched her into acting despite having no prior experience. Universal Studios quickly signed her to a contract, and she debuted in the western Prowlers of the Night (1926), soon gaining notice for her petite brunette charm and comedic flair opposite stars like Reginald Denny.​

Her breakthrough came with her role as Hertha in MGM's Flesh and the Devil (1926), where she played the wholesome rival to Greta Garbo's femme fatale in a romantic triangle with John Gilbert, marking her as a rising talent.

She stirred controversy and acclaim in No Man's Law (1927) with a simulated nude swimming scene using a flesh-colored bathing suit, leading to her selection as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1927. Transitioning seamlessly to sound films, she starred as Billie Lee opposite Harold Lloyd in Welcome Danger (1929) and Feet First (1930), and earned praise for her portrayal of Rose Maylie in the 1933 adaptation of Oliver Twist.​

Her filmography encompassed over 30 features, including Lonesome (1928), Indiscreet (1931) with Gloria Swanson, and Emma (1932) with Marie Dressler, blending comedy, drama, and romance before her career tapered off in the mid-1930s.

Barbara Kent also appeared on stage, starring in The Perfect Alibi (1932) at the Beverly Hills Little Theatre. She married talent agent and producer Harry Edington on her 25th birthday in 1932, and after his death in 1949, she wed Lockheed engineer Jack Monroe in 1954, embracing a private life filled with golf, fly fishing, hunting, gardening, and even piloting light aircraft until age 85.​

The couple lived in Sun Valley, Idaho, before settling in Palm Desert, California, where she remained active in country clubs and entertaining until her death at age 103 on October 13, 2011.