John Barrymore

Also known as John Sidney Blyth, Jack Barrymore

American actor (1882–1942)

AI overview

John Barrymore was an American actor who lived from 1882 to 1942 and became one of the most celebrated performers of his era, known for his work in stage and film during Hollywood's early years. He comes from the famous Barrymore theatrical family and is remembered as an influential figure in American entertainment history.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born: 1882
Died: 1942
Works: 8

Top works

Don Juan
My dear children
Confessions of an actor
My dear children
Confessions of an actor

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

John Sidney Blyth Barrymore (February 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III. His success continued with motion pictures in various genres in both the silent and sound eras. Barrymore's personal life has been…

Known for

Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker — Archival Footage2021
Synthwave Horror: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde2015
Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood — Self (archive footage)2005
Checking Out: Grand Hotel — Self / Various roles (archive footage)2004
Complicated Women — Self (archive footage)2003
The Casting Couch1995
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio — Hamlet (archive sound)1991
Going Hollywood: The '30s — (archive footage)1984
The Horror of It All — Svengali (archive footage)1983
The Horror Show — (archive footage)1979

via TMDB

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: John
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Philadelphia
Place of death: Los Angeles
Spouse: Katherine Corri Harris
Child: Diana Barrymore
Father: Maurice Barrymore
Mother: Georgiana Drew
Sibling: Lionel Barrymore
Occupation: screenwriter
Employer: Warner Bros. Entertainment
Languages spoken: English language
Native language: English language
Award: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Family: Barrymore family
Student of: William Collier Sr.
Image: John Barrymore.jpg

Show 9 more facts

Commons category: John Barrymore
date of birth: 1882-02-14
date of death: 1942-05-29
cause of death: pneumonia
manner of death: natural causes
Commons gallery: John Barrymore
name in native language: John Barrymore
start of work period: 1903-00-00
writing language: English language

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage and briefly attempted a career as a visual artist, but appeared on stage together with his father, Maurice, in 1900, and then his sister Ethel the following year. He began his career in 1903 and first gained attention as a stage actor in light comedy, then high drama, culminating in productions of Justice (1916), Richard III (1920), and Hamlet (1922); his portrayal of Hamlet led to him being called the "greatest living American tragedian".

After a success as Hamlet in London in 1925, Barrymore left the stage for 14 years and instead focused entirely on films. In the silent film era, he was well received in such pictures as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922), and The Sea Beast (1926). During this period, he gained his nickname, the Great Profile. His stage-trained voice proved an asset when sound films were introduced, and four of his works, Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), Twentieth Century (1934), and Midnight (1939), have been inducted into the National Film Registry.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “John Barrymore” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.