Name:
Cliff Barnes
Born:
1952
First
line: “You work for Jock Ewing personally,
or Ewing Oil?” Cliff
questions Phil Bradley at a senate investigative hearing
into Ewing Oil. (“Digger’s Daughter”
Episode 1, 1978)
Last
line: “I’m Cliff Barnes. I’m
... an old friend of your mother’s.” Cliff
introduces himself to Pamela Rebecca, his teenage daughter.
(“JR Returns” 1996)
Marital
History: Engaged to Penny Ames before her death
in 1968. Married in 1985 to Jamie Ewing, who died in
1987. Briefly engaged to Liz Adams in 1990. Married
Michelle Stevens, 1991.
Occupations:
Attorney (1970’s); Head of the Office of Land
Management (1979-1980); Assistant District Attorney
for Dallas County (1980); legislative counsel to Dave
Culver during his campaign for the U.S. Senate (1980-81);
legislative counsel to Texas State Senator Bobby Ewing
(1981); President of Wentworth Tool & Dye (1981-82);
Vice President of Operations,
Stonehurst Oil (1982); CEO of Barnes/Wentworth Oil (1982-1988);
CEO of Ewing Oil (1988-1989,1991-1996); Head of the
Oil Regulatory Commission (1990-91).
Most
likely to say: “My daddy is the one who
found the oil that the Ewings have been sucking out
of the ground for all these years.”
JR
to Cliff: “Tomorrow the janitor is gonna
come in here and sweep you out with the rest of the
trash, unless you do the decent thing: get in elevator,
go up to the roof and jump off.”
Family
Father: Willard “Digger” Barnes (deceased
1980)
Mother: Rebecca Barnes Wentworth
Brothers: Tyler Barnes (deceased 1952)
Half sisters: Pamela Barnes Ewing, Katherine Wentworth
Daughter: Pamela Rebecca Cooper
Love
interests
Penny Ames: Cliff’s fiancé, who died during
an illegal abortion in 1968.
Julie Grey: JR Ewing’s private secretary and mistress,
she had a brief fling with Cliff in 1978 and gave him
confidential Ewing Oil documents.
Sue Ellen Ewing: JR’s wife, they had an affair
in 1979 which ended when she discovered she was pregnant.
Donna Culver: Sam Culver’s widow, their relationship
(1980-81) ended badly when she failed to endorse him
for Dave Culver’s senate seat.
Afton Cooper: JR’s mistress, their on-off three
year affair began in 1981.
Sue Ellen Ewing: Now JR’s ex-wife, they resumed
their affair in 1982. When she turned down his marriage
proposal, he attempted suicide before reconciling with
...
Afton:
They moved into together in 1983 but that did not prevent
Cliff from sleeping with ...
Marilee Stone, in order to consummate a business deal.
Afton left town that same year and later gave birth
to Cliff’s daughter, while Cliff rebounded with
...
Mandy Winger: A model who got him off an attempted murder
charge, she left him in 1984 because of his preoccupation
with ...
Jamie Ewing: Cliff married her in 1985 in order to get
his hands on Ewing Oil. His plans failed and the couple
separated in 1986, but Jamie was killed before filing
for divorce.
Between 1987 and 1990 Cliff went through a semi-celibate
phase, platonically dating the likes of April Stevens,
Lisa Alden, Tammy Miller, Michelle Stevens and, again,
Afton Cooper before meeting ...
Liz Adams: an oil heiress-cum-supermodel-cum-gangster’s
moll-cum-secret agent, she broke off her engagement
to Cliff in 1990, leaving him free to trick ...
Michelle Stevens into marriage in 1991, in order to
get his hands on Ewing Oil.
Cliff was last seen in 1996, getting reacquainted with
Afton and their
teenage daughter.
Enemies
The Barnes/Ewing feud is Cliff’s obsession, with
he and JR its main players.
High
points
Being awarded the Oil Baron of the Year Award, and publicly
denouncing the
Ewings in his acceptance speech. Striking it rich in
the Gulf and becoming a billionaire. Discovering that
his estranged wife Jamie, who owned 10% of Ewing Oil,
had died intestate, leaving him as her sole heir.
Low
points
Attempting suicide having being exposed as an embezzler,
and disowned by his mother, sister and Sue Ellen. Learning
that his mother had died in a plane crash after taking
his place on a business trip while he was on a drunken
binge. Pam’s disappearance.
