 His film career was cut short in 1947 due to an undiagnosable illness contracted during the war.He was married to actress Diana Churchill, and worked with his wife on stage during the 1940s and 1950s, taking West End revivals of "The Admirable Crichton" and "On Approval" on profitable tours.Barnes originally was going to be a mechanic but changed his mind and decided to be an actor.