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The Silent Collection By Tammy Stone Featuring: John Barrymore |
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| See John Barrymore On the IMDB |
If ever there were a movie family of legendary
figures spanning generations, it would be the Barrymore clan. Both in films and
real life, from the golden days of the silent screen until today, the Barrymores
have lit silver screen and paraded their temperamental sides in public life. It
is no secret that family feuds run rampant in this family – starlet Drew
Barrymore, the E.T. girl, one of Charlie’s Angels, and the latest in a long line
of screen legends, refers to Steven Spielberg as the major father figure in her
life. But to get to the heart of this family feud, one must go back to the
beginning, to a time when John Barrymore became one of cinema’s first matinee
idols.
John Blyth Barrymore, born February 15, 1882 in Philadelphia, was the youngest
of three siblings, all of whom caught the acting bug when the new medium of
motion pictures was taking hold in the first decade of the 20th century. Before
turning toward the movies, however, John was an ambitious young man who
worked
as a cartoonist with a New York newspaper. He also moved to Paris for a time to
acquire some worldly experience before realizing he wanted to be an actor,
around 1903. He certainly had the looks for it. Any photo of John will readily
reveal his dark good looks; adding to that his tall frame and darkly alluring
eyes, and it isn’t difficult to see how this star was born.
In 1903, he made his debut on the stage, his smooth, booming baritone voice
complementing is handsome physique to lend him a remarkable presence before a
live audience. A few performances in, and everyone knew who John Barrymore was.
What’s more, everyone had to see him, especially the women. He became known,
through a flurry of press coverage, as the “Great Profile”, a witty play on
words describing his intriguing, media-friendly persona and his beguiling good
looks. Here was a man whose range had him excel in Shakespearean roles and in
whimsical comedy. Barely into his career and John could do no wrong.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his less attractive, less talented
siblings, Lionel and Ethel, whose stars faded a lot more quickly than that of
their little brother.
John’s first film role was in 1913’s “An American Citizen”, and right from the
start it was apparent that he was as versatile on the big screen as he was on
the stage. From 1920s dark and serious (if campy) “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, to
1926’s “Don Juan”, John tapped into all sides of his psyche to portray endless
variations of mood and emotion – a rare feat in the days of melodramatic
overacting. These two films alone indicate his legacy as one of the earliest
film stars, as many remakes have been made of both films, with John’s
performances the benchmark for all future actors assuming these roles. It’s
incredible, in fact, how timeless his performances are, how well they stand up
over 70 years after he immortalized them. It also should not go without notice
that John seamlessly made the transition from silent film to sound, a feat many
of his peers did not succeed in accomplishing. Thanks to his wonderful voice, he
was able to survive and prosper when the medium changed forever when
synchronized sound was introduced in 1927.
John was so famous that he was able, by 1933, to parody himself in the film
“Dinner at Eight.” By the time people begin the poke fun at themselves, it’s
usually an indication that a turning point has been reached, and John Barrymore
is no exception. A hard drinker, his life and career were beginning to suffer.
His performances began to dull, and he would even need cue cards on set to
remember his lines. Not to say that he didn’t have some standout performances
left in him: most memorable include 1932’s
Grand Hotel and A Bill of
Divorcement, 1933’s Topaz and Counsellor-at-Law, and 1937’s Maytime.
John Barrymore lived hard and played harder. He married four times. His
writer/poet wife Michael Strange was as volatile as John was always known to be,
so their marriage inevitable ended – on tempestuous terms. John also married two
actresses: Dolores Costello and Elaine Barry. He had two children, Diana
(1921-1960) and John, Jr. (1932-). Both went into acting but neither had the
natural magnetism of their father, and neither made a big splash on the
industry. It didn’t help that they both inherited their father’s moodiness and
penchant for self-destruction, although Diana used her rocky life to her benefit
– she wrote an autobiography called Too Much, Too Soon in 1957 that was made
into a film a year later, starring Errol Flynn.
John died on May 19, 1942 in Hollywood, the year America actively joined the
Second World War. He was penniless and miserable. In stark contrast to his sad
demise, the legacy he left behind, both through future generations of Barrymores,
and his films, will light up movie screens forever. But ultimately, the man
behind the stunning looks remain an enigma. As his brother Lionel once famously
said about him: “Setting down words to explain Jack Barrymore ... is like
seeking the mystery of Hamlet himself in the monosyllables of basic English.”
#
Tammy Stone is a freelance writer and
journalist based in Toronto. Watch for her regular column on the greats of the
Silent Screen here in the M.P.P.N. twice monthly. Next issue,
Clara Bow.
Other John Barrymore Pages:
John
Barrymore, Shakespearean Actor -- Web site for the book by
Michael Morrison which also has informative links including a bio of The Great
Profile, photo gallery, and an audio clip of Barrymore as Hamlet.
Masters of Disguise by Stephen Schochet -- Another page right here on things-and-other-stuff.com
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