Citizendia
Your Ad Here

This article is about John Barrymore, Sr. For his son John Barrymore, Jr. , see John Drew Barrymore. John Drew Barrymore, born John Blyth Barrymore Jr ( June 4, 1932 &ndash November 29, 2004) was a member of the Barrymore
John Barrymore

John Barrymore (aged 40) (1922)
Born John Sidney Blyth
February 15, 1882(1882-02-15)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died May 29, 1942 (aged 60)
Los Angeles, California
Spouse(s) Katherine Corri Harris (1910-1917)
Blanche Oelrichs (1920-1928)
Dolores Costello (1928-1934)
Elaine Barrie (1936-1940)

John Sidney Blyth Barrymore (February 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942), was an American actor, frequently called the greatest of his generation. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Katherine Corri Harris, also known as Katherine Harris Barrymore (b Blanche Oelrichs ( October 1, 1890 – November 5, 1950) was an American Poet, Dolores Costello ( September 17, 1903 – March 1, 1979) was an American Film Actress who achieved her greatest Elaine Barrie ( July 16, 1915, New York City, New York – March 1, 2003, New York New York was an American actress who Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works He first gained fame as a stage actor, lauded for his portrayals of Hamlet and Richard III. Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591 His success continued with motion pictures in both the silent and sound eras. His classic nose and distinguished features won him the nickname "The Great Profile".

A member of a multi-generation theatrical dynasty, he was the brother of Lionel Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore, and the grandfather of Drew Barrymore. Lionel Barrymore ( April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American Academy Award -winning actor of stage radio Ethel Barrymore ( August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an Academy Award -winning American actress and a member of Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22 1975 is an American actress and Film producer.

Contents

Background

Barrymore was born into an illustrious theatrical family. His parents were Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew. Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blythe ( September 21, 1849 – March 26, 1905) is the Patriarch of the Barrymore acting family Georgiana Emma Drew aka Georgie Drew Barrymore ( July 11, 1856 – July 2, 1893) was an American stage actress His maternal grandmother was Louisa Lane Drew (aka Mrs Drew), a prominent and well-respected 19th century actress and theater manager, who instilled in John, his sister Ethel and brother Lionel the ways of acting and theatre life. Louisa Lane Drew ( January 10, 1820 &ndash August 31, 1897 in Philadelphia) was a British - American actress and His uncles were John Drew Jr. and Sidney Drew. John Drew Jr ( November 13, 1853 &ndash July 9, 1927) was an American stage actor noted for his roles in Shakespearean Mr & Mrs Sidney Drew were a comedy team on stage and screen Biography Sidney Drew ( August 28, 1863 - April 9,

John fondly remembered the summer of 1896 in his youth spent on his father's rambling farm on Long Island. Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches He and Lionel lived a Robinson Crusoe-like existence, attended by a black cook named Edward . The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (of York Mariner Who lived Eight and Twenty Years all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America near the Mouth He was expelled from Georgetown Preparatory School in 1898 after being caught patronizing a bordello. Georgetown Preparatory School is an American Jesuit college preparatory school for grades 9 through 12 and is the oldest All boys school in America For the 2008 film of this name see The Brothel. For the television series of this name see Cathouse The Series. He was a hard-drinking adventurer with a jaunty personality.

While still a teenager, he courted showgirl Evelyn Nesbit in 1901 and 1902. A showgirl is a Dancer or Performer in a stage entertainment show (Florence Evelyn Nesbit ( December 25, 1884 &ndash January 17, 1967) was an American artists' model and chorus girl When Nesbit became pregnant -- she aged 17 and he 19 -- Barrymore proposed marriage. But her "sponsor" Stanford White intervened, and arranged for the still-teenaged Evelyn to undergo an operation for "appendicitis". Stanford White ( November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American Architect and partner in the architectural firm of Appendicitis (or epityphlitis) is a condition characterized by Inflammation of the appendix. White was later murdered by Nesbit's vengeful husband, Pittsburgh millionaire Harry K. Thaw.

He was staying at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco when the 1906 earthquake struck. The Westin St Francis is an historic luxury Hotel located on Union Square in San Francisco California. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city He had starred in a production of The Dictator and was booked to tour Australia with it. Since he loathed this prospect, he hid, spending the next few days drinking at the home of a friend on Van Ness Avenue. During his drinking jag, he worked out a plan to exploit the earthquake for his own ends. He decided to present himself as an on-the-scene "reporter", making up vitually everything he claimed to have witnessed. Twenty years later, Barrymore finally confessed to his deception, but by then, he was so famous that the world merely smiled indulgently at his admission. "[1] His account was written as a "letter to my sister Ethel". He was sure the letter would be "worth at least a hundred dollars. " In terms of publicity it earned Barrymore a thousand times that amount. [1]

Early theater and film career

Barrymore delivered some of the most critically acclaimed performances in theatre and cinema history and was regarded by many as the screen's greatest performer during a movie career spanning 25 years as a leading man in more than 60 films. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one

He specialized in trivial comedies until creating a sensation in John Galsworthy's Justice (1916). John Galsworthy OM (ˈgɔːlzwɝːðɪ ( 14 August, 1867 — 31 January, 1933) was an English Novelist and JUSTICE is a Human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year He followed this triumph up with Broadway successes in Peter Ibbetson (1917), a role his father Maurice had wanted to play, and The Jest (1919), co-starring his brother Lionel, reaching what seemed to be the zenith of his career as Richard III in 1920. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Peter Ibbetson is an American Black-and-white Drama film released in 1935 and directed by Henry Hathaway. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Lionel Barrymore ( April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American Academy Award -winning actor of stage radio Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591 Barrymore had a conspicuous failure in his wife Michael Strange's strange play Clair de Lune (1921), but followed it with the greatest success of his career with Hamlet in 1920 which he played on Broadway for 101 performances and then took to London in 1925. Blanche Oelrichs ( October 1, 1890 – November 5, 1950) was an American Poet, Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

His silent-film roles included A.J. Raffles in Raffles the Amateur Cracksman (1917), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922), Beau Brummel (1924), The Sea Beast (1926, as Captain Ahab), and Don Juan (1926). Arthur J Raffles is a character created in the 1890s by E W Hornung, a brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. See also Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1920/II film Dr Jekyll and Mr The stories of Sherlock Holmes were very popular as adaptations for the stage and later film and still later television Beau Brummell, né George Bryan Brummell (7 June 1778 London, England &ndash, Caen, France was the Arbiter of men's The Sea Beast ( 1926) is a Silent film adaptation of the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville, a story about a monomanical Don Juan ( 1926) is a Warner Brothers film directed by Alan Crosland. When talking pictures arrived, Barrymore's stage-trained voice added a new dimension to his work. He made his talkie debut with a dramatic reading from Henry VI in Warner Brothers' musical revue The Show of Shows, and reprised his Captain Ahab role in Moby-Dick (1930). Henry VI may refer to Henry VI Holy Roman Emperor (1165–1197 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Moby-Dick is an 1851 Novel by Herman Melville. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael and his voyage on the whaleship His other leads included The Man from Blankley's (1930), Svengali (1931), The Mad Genius (1931), Grand Hotel (1932) (in which he displays an affectionate chemistry with his brother Lionel), Dinner at Eight (1933), Topaze (1933) and Twentieth Century (1934). The Man from Blankley's is a 1903 play by F Anstey. The play was made into a 1930 film by Alfred E Svengali ( 1931) is a Drama / Horror film starring John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, and Bramwell Fletcher directed by The Mad Genius ( 1931) is a Drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Donald Grand Hotel is a 1932 MGM Pre-Code Art Deco Film that won the Best Picture Oscar. Dinner at Eight is a Pre-Code 1933 Comedy of manners /drama produced by MGM Studios. Twentieth Century is a American Screwball comedy Film, set on the 20th Century Limited, a luxury train travelling from He worked opposite many of the screen's foremost leading ladies, including Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, and Carole Lombard. Greta Garbo ( 18 September 1905 &ndash 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress during Hollywood 's Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12 1907 – June 29 2003 was an American actress of film television and stage Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; ( March 23, 1905 - May 10, 1977) Crawford was signed to a motion picture Carole Lombard ( October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) born Jane Alice Peters in Fort Wayne Indiana, was an Oscar-nominated In 1933, Barrymore appeared as a Jewish attorney in the title role of Counsellor-at-Law based on Elmer Rice's 1931 play. Elmer Rice (b Elmer L Reizenstein September 28 1892, New York New York; d As critic Pauline Kael later wrote, he "seems an unlikely choice for the ghetto-born lawyer. Pauline Kael (June 19 1919 &ndash September 3 2001 was an American Film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991 . . but this is one of the few screen roles that reveal his measure as an actor. His 'presence' is apparent in every scene; so are his restraint, his humor, and his zest. "

Later career

In the late 1930s, alcoholism and possibly Alzheimer's Disease encroached on his ability to remember his lines, and his diminished abilities were apparent in an surviving screen test that he made for an aborted film of Hamlet in 1934. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions Alzheimer's disease ( AD) also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of Dementia. Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 From then on, he insisted on reading his dialogue from cue cards. Cue cards, also known as note cards are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say He continued to give creditable performances in lesser pictures, for example as Inspector Nielson in some of Paramount Pictures' Bulldog Drummond mysteries, and offered one last bravura dramatic turn in RKO's 1939 feature The Great Man Votes. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Bulldog Drummond is a British Fictional character created by "Sapper" a Pseudonym of Herman Cyril McNeile (1888-1937 in imitation The Great Man Votes is a 1939 Drama film starring John Barrymore as a widowed professor turned drunkard who has the deciding vote in an election After that, his remaining screen roles were broad caricatures of himself, as in The Great Profile (with a demeaning choice of theme music: "Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love") and World Premiere. In the otherwise undistinguished Playmates with bandleader Kay Kyser, the failing Barrymore recited the Hamlet soliloquy with care and conviction. James Kern (“Kay” Kyser ( June 18, 1905, Rocky Mount North Carolina – July 23, 1985, Chapel Hill North Carolina In 1937, Barrymore visited India, the land where his father had been born. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In his private life, during his last years, he was married to his fourth and last wife, Elaine Barrie, which turned out to be disastrous. His brother Lionel tried to help John find a small place near himself and to convince John to stay away from impetuous marriages which usually ended in divorce and put a strain on his once-large income.

He was known for calling people by nicknames of his own creation. Dolores Costello was known in his writing alternately as "Small Cat," "Catkiwee," "Winkie", and "Egg. Dolores Costello ( September 17, 1903 – March 1, 1979) was an American Film Actress who achieved her greatest " He called Lionel "Mike", and Ethel called John "Jake". He was fond of sailing, and owned his own yacht, The Mariner, on which he could escape unhappy wives, mistresses, lawyers, and creditors.

Death

Barrymore collapsed while appearing on a radio show and died some days later in his hospital room. His dying words were "Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him. " Gene Fowler attributes different dying words to Barrymore in his biography Good Night, Sweet Prince. Gene Fowler (born Eugene Devlan ( March 8, 1890 – July 2, 1960) was an American journalist author and dramatist According to Fowler, John Barrymore roused as if to say something to his brother Lionel; Lionel asked John to repeat himself, and John simply replied, "You heard me, Mike. "

According to Errol Flynn's memoirs, film director Raoul Walsh "borrowed" Barrymore's body after the funeral, and left his corpse propped in a chair for a drunken Flynn to discover when he returned home from The Cock and Bull Bar. Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn ( June 20, 1909 &ndash October 14, 1959) was an Australian Film Actor, most Raoul Walsh (born March 11, 1887 in New York City, died December 31, 1980 in Simi Valley CA) was an American This was re-created in the movie W.C. Fields and Me. WC Fields and Me is a 1976 American Biographical film directed by Arthur Hiller. Other accounts of this classic Hollywood tale substitute actor Peter Lorre in the place of Walsh, but Raoul Walsh himself tells the story in Richard Schickel's 1973 documentary The Men Who Made the Movies. Peter Lorre ( June 26 1904 &ndash March 23 1964) born László Löwenstein, was a Hungarian - Austrian

Legacy

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, John Barrymore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Hollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood Los Angeles California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest

Barrymore had been a friend and contemporary (and drinking buddy) of his fellow Philadelphian W. C. Fields. W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor In the 1976 film W. C. Fields and Me, Barrymore was played by Jack Cassidy. John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy ( March 5, 1927 &ndash December 12, 1976) was an American Actor of stage He was also portrayed by Christopher Plummer in the 1996 one-man show Barrymore. Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer, CC (born December 13 1929 is a Canadian Theater, Film and Television actor. Barrymore is a one-person play by William Luce which depicts John Barrymore a few months before his death in 1942 rehearsing a revival of his 1920 Broadway

He is mentioned in the lyrics of the song I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful) by Harry Sullivan and Harry Ruskin, written in 1929, which became the theme song of the Apollo Theater in New York, and which was recorded by many artists including Doris Day in 1950. Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1922) is an American Singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate known as The line is "You might be John Barrymore", meaning that you might be someone wonderful (it is a love song).

Marriages

  1. Katherine Corri Harris (1891-1927), an actress who starred in the 1918 film The House of Mirth, on September 1, 1910 and divorced in 1917 . Katherine Corri Harris, also known as Katherine Harris Barrymore (b Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The House of Mirth (1905 Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting
  2. Blanche Marie Louise Oelrichs (1890-1950), aka "Michael Strange," on August 5, 1920 and divorced her in 1925 . Blanche Oelrichs ( October 1, 1890 – November 5, 1950) was an American Poet, Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar They had one child:
    • Diana Blanche Barrymore (1921-1960), whose tragic life ended at age 38. Diana Barrymore ( March 3, 1921 – January 25, 1960) was an American film and stage actress. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A semi-autobiographical story of her life was depicted in Too Much, Too Soon, starring Errol Flynn as her father
  3. Dolores Costello (1903-1979), actress and model best known for Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) & The Magnificent Ambersons(1941); they married on November 24, 1928 and divorced in 1935 . Too Much Too Soon is a 1958 Biographical film made by Warner Bros Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn ( June 20, 1909 &ndash October 14, 1959) was an Australian Film Actor, most Dolores Costello ( September 17, 1903 – March 1, 1979) was an American Film Actress who achieved her greatest Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Fauntleroy redirects here For other uses see Fauntleroy (disambiguation. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Magnificent Ambersons is a American Drama film written and directed by Orson Welles. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They had two children:
  4. Elaine Barrie (née Elaine Jacobs), (1916-2003), an actress; married November 9, 1936 and divorced 1940

Quotations

References

  1. ^ a b Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts: The San Francisco Earthquake, Stein and Day, New York and Souvenir Press, London, 1971; reprinted Dell, 1972, SBN 440-07631, page 212
  2. ^ Fowler, Gene: Good Night, Sweet Prince (Viking Press, 1944; page 463)

See also

References

External links

Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic