The youngest of the Barrymores and, of the three, the most brilliant and the most beautiful. John Barrymore worked as a cartoonist on a New York newspaper and spent some time in Paris before making his stage debut in 1903. Tall, stately and seductive, with an unforgettable voice and a truly grand theatrical manner, he became a leading matinee idol; known as the 'Great Profile', he was a fine Shakesperean actor as well as an accomplished light comedian.
His film performances, beginning with "An American Citizen" (1913), were more varied than those of his siblings Lionel and Ethel. He carried several silent films, both romantic ("Don Juan" 1926) and otherwise ("Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 1920). Much of his work is timeless and impressive, some of it overcooked (but sometimes still quite delicious) ham. By 1933, when he played a parody of himself in "Dinner at Eight", his addiction to drink had begun to take its toll; a faltering memory required cue cards to be held up on set. But his genius flared brilliantly elsewhere: "Grand Hotel", "A Bill of Divorcement" (both 1932), "Topaz", "Counsellor-at-Law" (both 1933), "Twentieth Century" (1934) and "Maytime" (1937). Barrymore died penniless in 1942. He was married four times, and his spouses included the volatile Michael Strange, a writer/poetess who matched him for temperament and eccentricity, and two actresses: Dolores Costello and Elaine Barry. Daughter Diana (1921-60) and son John, Jr. (b. 1932) had unimpressive careers as actors and shared some of their father's destructive tendencies--Diana's autobiography, "Too Much, Too Soon" (1957), was made into a 1958 film with Errol Flynn portraying Barrymore.
- Also Credited As:
John Sidney Blyth
- Born:
February 15, 1882 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Died:
May 29, 1942.
-
Job Titles:
Actor, Author, Scenic and poster design, Artist, Illustrator
Family
-
Brother: Lionel Barrymore. born on April 28, 1878; died on November 15, 1954; acted together in film on several occasions
-
Daughter: Diana Blanche Barrymore. born on March 3, 1920; died in 1960; mother, Michael Strange; author of autobiography, Too Much, Too Soon (1957)
-
Daughter: Dolores Ethel Mae Barrymore. born on 1930; mother, Dolores Costello
-
Father: Maurice Barrymore. born on September 21, 1847
-
Granddaughter: Drew Barrymore. born on February 22, 1975
-
Grandson: John Blyth Barrymore. born in 1954
-
Great-grandmother: Eliza Lane.
-
Mother: Georgiana Drew.
-
Sister: Ethel Barrymore. born on August 15, 1879; died on June 18, 1959; acted together with John and with brother Lionel in Rasputin and the Empress (1932)
-
Son: John Blyth Barrymore. born in 1932, mother, Dolores Costello
-
Uncle: John Drew.
Milestones
-
1903 New York debut, Glad of It
-
1903 Stage debut, Magda
-
1909 Achieved matinee idol status in The Fortune Hunter
-
1913 Screen acting debut, An American Citizen
-
1920 Enjoyed great stage successes in New York, London, and on tour, especially with Richard III and Hamlet
-
1926 Starred in first film with recorded and synchronized musical score, Don Juan
-
1929 Recited from Richard III in first sound film appearance, Show of Shows
-
1933 Made Technicolor tests of Hamlet s soliloquies for a film which was never made
-
1934 Seriously ill; journeyed to India upon recovery
-
1936 Realized long ambition to portray a Shakespearian character on film; played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet
-
1942 Recited Hamlet s To be or not to be soliloquy in last film Playmates