Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
"Lionel Barrymore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Lionel Herbert Blythe, April 28, 1878, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died November 15, 1954 (aged 76), Beverly Hills, California
Occupation Actor, director, screenwriter
Years active 1908-1954
Spouse(s) Doris Rankin (1904-1923), Irene Fenwick (1923-1936)
Lionel Barrymore (April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American Academy Award-winning actor of stage, radio and film.
Biography
Personal life
Barrymore was born Lionel Herbert Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of actors Georgiana Drew and Maurice Barrymore (née Blythe). He was the elder brother of Ethel and John Barrymore, the uncle of John Drew Barrymore, and the grand-uncle (or great-uncle) of Drew Barrymore. Barrymore was raised Roman Catholic.[1]
He was married to actresses Doris Rankin and Irene Fenwick, a one-time lover of his brother John. Doris Rankin bore Lionel two daughters, Ethel Barrymore II (born 1909) and Mary Barrymore (born 1910). Unfortunately, neither baby girl survived infancy, though Mary lived a few months. Lionel never truly recovered from the deaths of his girls, and their loss undoubtedly strained his marriage to Doris Rankin which ended in 1923. Years later, Barrymore developed a fatherly affection for Jean Harlow, who was born around the same time as his two daughters and would have been around their age. When Jean died in 1937, Lionel and Clark Gable mourned her as though she had been family.
Career
Barrymore began his stage career in the early 1900s. In 1907, after spending many years in Paris, he came back to Broadway, where he established his reputation as dramatic actor. He and Doris often acted together when in the theater. He proved his talent in many other plays such as Peter Ibbetson (with brother John) (1917), The Copperhead (1918) (with wife Doris) and The Jest (1919) (again with John).
In 1924, he left Broadway for Hollywood. In 1931, he won an Academy Award for his role of an alcoholic lawyer in A Free Soul (1931), after having been nominated in 1930 for Best Director for Madame X. Although he could play many types of characters, such as the evil Rasputin in the 1932 Rasputin and the Empress (in which he co-starred with siblings John and Ethel Barrymore), he was, during the 1930s and 1940s, stereotyped as grouchy, but usually sweet, elderly men in such films as The Mysterious Island (1929), Grand Hotel (1932, with John), Dinner at Eight (1933, the film also featured brother John, but they had no scenes together), Captains Courageous (1937), You Can't Take It with You (1938), Duel in the Sun (1946), and Key Largo (1948).
AFRS ""Concert Hall"" Radio Show, Circa 1947
He played the irascible Doctor Gillespie in a series of Doctor Kildare movies in the 1930s and 1940s, repeating the role in the radio series throughout the 1940s. He also played the title role in another 1940s radio series, Mayor of the Town. Barrymore had broken his hip in an accident, hence he played Gillespie in a wheelchair; later, his worsening arthritis kept him in the chair.[2] The injury also precluded his playing Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1938 MGM film version of A Christmas Carol, a role which Barrymore had played annually on the radio since 1934, and would continue to 1951.
Perhaps his best known role, due to perennial Christmas time replays on television, was Mr. Potter, the miserly and mean-spirited banker in It's a Wonderful Life (1946). The role suggested that of the ""unreformed"" stage of Barrymore's ""Scrooge"" characterization.
Death
Barrymore died on November 15, 1954 from a heart attack in Van Nuys, California, and was entombed in the Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California.[3]
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.
Filmography
Year Film Role Other notes
1911 Fighting Blood Directed by D. W. Griffith
The Battle wagon driver Directed by D. W. Griffith
The Miser's Heart Directed by D. W. Griffith
1912 The Chief's Blanket Directed by D. W. Griffith
Heredity woodsman
The New York Hat minister
Friends Grizzley Fallon (Dandy Jack's friend)
1913 The Tender Hearted Boy
The Work Habit The father
Oil and Water In First Audience/In Second Audience/Visitor
The Strong Man's Burden John
Almost a Wild Man In audience
The Battle at Elderbush Gulch
1914 Judith of Bethulia extra
Strongheart Billy Saunders
1921 The Great Adventure Priam Farll
1924 I Am the Man James McQuade
1926 The Bells Mathias
The Temptress Canterac
1927 The Show The Greek
Body and Soul Dr. Leyden
1928 Sadie Thompson Alfred Davidson
West of Zanzibar Mr. Crane
1929 Madame X director
The Unholy Night director
The Mysterious Island Count Dakkar
1930 The Sea Bat director (uncredited)
1931 A Free Soul Stephen Ashe, Defense Attorney Academy Award for Best Actor
The Yellow Ticket Baron Igor Andrey
1932 Grand Hotel Otto Kringelein
1933 Dinner at Eight Oliver Jordan
Should Ladies Behave Augustus Merrick
One Man's Journey Eli Watt
1934 Treasure Island Billy Bones
Carolina Bob Connelly
The Girl From Missouri Thomas Randall 'T.R.' Paige
1935 The Personal History, Adventures,
Experience, and Observation of David
Copperfield, the Younger Dan’l Peggotty
Ah, Wilderness! Nat Miller
The Little Colonel Col. Lloyd
Mark of the Vampire Professor
1936 The Devil-Doll Paul Lavond
The Gorgeous Hussy Andrew Jackson
Camille Monsieur Duval
The Road to Glory Pvt. Moran
1937 Captains Courageous Disko
A Family Affair Judge James K. Hardy
Navy Blue and Gold Capt. 'Skinny' Dawes
Saratoga Grandpa Clayton
1938 Test Pilot Howard B. Drake
A Yank at Oxford Dan Sheridan
Young Dr. Kildare Dr. Gillespie
You Can't Take It with You Grandpa Martin Vanderhof
1939 The Secret of Dr. Kildare Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie
On Borrowed Time Julian Northrup (Gramps)
Calling Dr. Kildare Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Let Freedom Ring Thomas Logan
1940 The Stars Look Down Narrator voice, uncredited
Dr. Kildare's Crisis Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare Goes Home Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1941 Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The People vs. Dr. Kildare Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Bad Man Uncle Henry Jones
The Penalty 'Grandpop' Logan
Lady Be Good Judge Murdock
1942 Tennessee Johnson Thaddeus Stevens
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Calling Dr. Gillespie Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare's Victory Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1943 A Guy Named Joe The General
The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith Gramps
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1944 Dragon Seed Narrator uncredited voice
Since You Went Away Clergyman
Three Men in White Dr. Leonard B. Gillespie
1945 The Valley of Decision Pat Rafferty
Between Two Women Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1946 Duel in the Sun Sen. Jackson McCanles
The Secret Heart Dr. Rossiger
It's a Wonderful Life Henry F. Potter
Three Wise Fools Dr. Richard Gaunght
1947 Dark Delusion Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1948 Key Largo James Temple
1949 Down to the Sea in Ships Capt. Bering Joy
Malaya John Manchester
1950 Right Cross Sean O'Malley
1951 Bannerline Hugo Trimble
1952 Lone Star Andrew Jackson
See also
Barrymore family
Further reading
Menefee, David W. The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era.
References
^ NOTABLES ATTEND BARRYMORE RITES; Hollywood Stars Join Throng at Burial... - Free Preview - The New York Times
^ Landazuri, Margaret. Archives Spotlight: Young Dr. Kildare. Turner Classic Movies.com. Accessed: 7 December 2007.
^ ""Lionel Barrymore Is Dead at 76."", New York Times (November 16, 1954, Tuesday). Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
This page was last modified on 13 July 2008, at 13:53. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity."