John Barrymore, the third of the Drew-Barrymore union to enter the ‘family trade’, transformed his career after years on the stage.
The third child of Maurice and Georgie (Drew) Barrymore, John Sidney Blythe was born February 15, 1882 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother’s death in 1893 and his father’s abandonment of family responsibilities had profound effect upon him.
Professional Artist to Actor
Educated at a military college and a prep school from which he was dismissed, John wanted to be a professional artist, and would not consider an acting career. Unsuccessfully, he attempted to establish a career in his chosen field as illustrator/cartoonist at the New York Evening Journal and as a freelancer.
For a time, his sister Ethel, who achieved stunning success on Broadway and earned a good income, supported John financially, then, as she paid all costs of their father’s sanitarium care, she told her brother to find work. She helped him acquire a small part in Glad of It (1903) for his Broadway debut, and he later admitted that only economic necessity forced him to continue with his stage work. His eagerly anticipated stage performance received mixed reviews with critics commenting on his voice and manner being similar to that of his father.
Reluctant to take the profession seriously, John frequently disturbed his fellow performers with his on-stage antics. In 1909, he rose to the position of Broadway star with his strong portrayal of Nat Duncan in The Fortune Hunter during its 345 performance run at the Gaiety Theatre.
Career Transformation
For many years, people saw their matinee idol as an animated, joyful player on the stage and a colorful New York nightlife figure. Beginning in 1916, with encouragement of playwright Edward Sheldon, he underwent a lengthy and difficult transition that began with voice and diction lessons, and revealed considerable depth in more serious roles – Justice (1916), Peter Ibbetson (1917), Redemption (1918), and The Jest (1919) in which he played opposite his brother Lionel.
Acclaimed as a first-rank tragedian, he presented an inspired performance of Richard III that received almost unanimous critical praise. Due to Barrymore’s ill health caused by intense overwork while preparing the production, the producers closed the play after a limited run of less than four weeks.
Barrymore’s Hamlet
On November 16, 1922, John presented Hamlet in a performance that electrified audiences and critics alike. Instead of portraying the Dane as the genteel, sweet prince of Victorian era tradition, he gave virility, danger, and genius to him. When the production set a record for number of performances (101), which was one more than that of Edwin Booth in 1864-65, Barrymore withdrew. He revived the play and toured with it during the following season, then took it to London in 1925 where he received overwhelming critical praise.
Upon returning to New York, weary of the nightly grind of theatre performances and long runs, the actor who loved the creative aspects of theatre and found repetition unbearable, concentrated on motion picture work. Frequently hired more for his good looks than his talents during movies’ silent era, Barrymore preferred his characterization of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to that of Don Juan.
Motion Picture Career
During the early 1930s, John performed in more than a dozen movies including A Bill of Divorcement, in which he played the father of Katherine Hepburn in her film debut, and Grand Hotel with Greta Garbo and Lionel. Rasputin and the Empress was the only film to present siblings Lionel, Ethel, and John Barrymore together.
Eventually, his hard-drinking and reckless lifestyle took its toll. Married four times, and estranged from his children, he neglected his health and became unable to remember his lines in film work during the early 1940s. He received only scathing reviews for his last performances on Broadway in My Dear Children – a flimsy comedy that parodied his situation as a has-been.
While rehearsing for the Rudy Vallee radio program on which he regularly appeared, he collapsed. The Barrymore known as the greatest Shakespearean actor of his time, and “The Great Profile” died May 29, 1942 in Los Angeles, California.
Sources:
John Barrymore, Shakespearean Actor by Michael A. Morrison and Don B. Wilmeth,
Published by Cambridge University Press, 1999
The Barrymores: Hollywood's First Family by Carol Stein Hoffman and Leonard Maltin, Published by University Press of Kentucky, 2001
Kathleen Airdrie - Kathleen has thirty years' freelance writing experience covering history, biographical profiles, environmental and social issues
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