# Lionel Barrymore on stage, screen and radio

Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; 1878–1954) was an American actor of stage, screen, and radio. He also directed several films, wrote scripts, created etchings, sketches, and composed music. He was the eldest child of the actors Maurice Barrymore and Georgie Drew Barrymore, and his two siblings were John and Ethel; these and other family members were part of an acting dynasty. Reluctant to follow his parents' career, Barrymore appeared together with his grandmother Louisa Lane Drew in a stage production of The Rivals at the age of 15. He soon found success on stage in character roles. Although he took a break from acting in 1906–1909 to train in Paris as a painter, he was not successful as an artist, and returned to the US and acting. He also joined his family troupe, from 1910, in their vaudeville act.
Barrymore began his film career in 1911, appearing in numerous silent films, many of which have subsequently been lost. In 1911, he signed a contract with the Biograph Company and appeared as a character actor in short films, many of them directed by D. W. Griffith, before moving into feature-length productions in 1914. He began writing scripts and directing films shortly afterwards, and for the next five years, he did not act on the legitimate stage. Although he had several successes on Broadway after the First World War, he encountered strongly negative criticism in a 1921 production of Macbeth, and in three productions in a row in 1925. Afterwards, he never again appeared on the New York stage. In 1925, he signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he became a close friend of Louis B. Mayer, for whom he made numerous films. He directed several films from 1929 to 1931, but concentrated on acting afterwards.
Barrymore became well known in curmudgeonly roles. In 1938, he broke his hip, and, aggravated by arthritis, he lived the remainder of his life in a wheelchair. Mayer made sure that roles were found or written to accommodate Barrymore, who continued to act in films until 1953. During that time, he appeared as Dr. Gillespie in the popular Dr. Kildare film series, with Lew Ayres in the title role, and as Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life—a role that was highly placed on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Heroes and Villains in a film that the critic Philip French described as "a complex inspirational work". Beginning in the 1930s, Barrymore increasingly worked in radio, initially as Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, which was broadcast annually from 1934 to 1953, then in Mayor of the Town, beginning in 1942, and also in a radio series spun off from the Dr. Kildare films (playing the same character that he had played in the films), among others.
Two of the films in which Barrymore appeared—Grand Hotel (1932), and You Can't Take It with You (1938)—won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He was considered for the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1929 film, Madame X, and won the Best Actor award for his performance in A Free Soul (1931). He was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960, and is, along with his two siblings, included in the American Theater Hall of Fame.

## Stage appearances

Barrymore's stage appearances :
| Production | Date | Theatre (New York City, unless stated) | Role | Notes |
| The Rivals | November 28, 1893 | The Auditorium, Kansas City | | Billed as Lional Barrymore |
| The Road to Ruin | January 15, 1894 | Star Theatre | Footman | |
| The Bachelor's Baby | October 21, 1895 | Park Theatre, Boston | Sgt. Jones | Subsequently, at the Star Theatre, Buffalo, from January 12, 1897. |
| Mary Pennington, Spinster | October 12, 1896 | Palmer's Theatre | Watson | |
| Squire Kate | October 26, 1896 | Palmer's Theatre | Lord Silversnake | |
| Cumberland '61 | October 18, 1897 | 14th Street Theatre | Adolfus Drayton Lenox | |
| A Wife's Peril | 1898 | Minneapolis–Saint Paul | | |
| Magda | 1898 | Minneapolis–Saint Paul | | |
| Oliver Twist | 1898 | Minneapolis–Saint Paul | | |
| East Lynne | 1898 | Minneapolis–Saint Paul | | |
| Camille | 1898 | Minneapolis–Saint Paul | | |
| Uncle Dick | October 6, 1898 | Star Theatre, Buffalo | Lawrence Sherman | |
| Honorable John Rigsby | November 28, 1898 | New National Theatre, Washington | Harold Marson | Subsequently, at the Powers' Theatre, Chicago from January 23, 1899, for two weeks. |
| Arizona | February 11, 1900 | Chicago Grand Opera House, Chicago | Sgt. Kellar | |
| Rain Clouds | 1900 | Albany, New York | | |
| The Rivals | 1900 | Albany, New York | | |
| An Arabian Night | 1900 | Albany, New York | | |
| Sag Harbor | September 27, 1900 – December 1900 | Republic Theatre | Frank Turner | Ran for 76 performances |
| Brixton Burglary | May 20, 1901 – July 8, 1901 | Herald Square Theatre | | Ran for 48 performances |
| The Second in Command | September 2, 1901 – December 1901 | Empire Theatre | | Ran for 128 performances |
| The Mummy and the Hummingbird | September 4, 1902 – November 1902 and April 1903 – ? | Empire Theatre | Giuseppe | Ran for 85 performances in 1902 and then a second run in 1903 |
| The Best of Friends | October 19, 1903 – December 1903 | Academy of Music | Kid Garvey | Ran for 65 performances |
| The Other Girl | December 29, 1903 – May 1904 | Criterion Theatre | Mr. Sheldon | Ran for 160 performances, transferring to the Empire Theatre on January 25, 1904, and then to the Lyceum Theatre on May 2, 1904 |
| Pantaloon/Alice Sit-by-the-Fire | December 25, 1905 – March 1906 | Criterion Theatre | Pantaloon | Ran for 81 performances; double bill with his siblings |
| The Fires of Fate | December 6, 1909 | Illinois Theatre, Chicago | Abdulla | Barrymore left the production at the end of December |
| The Jail Bird | January 31, 1910 | Victoria Theater | | |
| The White Slaver | February 22, 1910 | Majestic Theatre, Chicago | Italian laborer | Written by Barrymore; co-starred first wife Doris Rankin |
| Bob Acres | September 11, 1911 | Brooklyn | Sir Lucius O'Trigger | |
| Stalled | 1912 | | | |
| The Still Voice | March 26, 1912 | Cincinnati | | |
| Peter Ibbetson | April 17, 1917 – June 1917 | Republic Theatre | Colonel Ibbetson | Ran for 71 performances; with John Barrymore |
| The Copperhead | February 18, 1918 – June 1918 | Shubert Theatre | Milt Shanks | Ran for 120 performances |
| The Jest | April 9, 1919 – February 28, 1920 | Plymouth Theatre | Neri Chiaramantesi | Ran for 77 performances and then another 179 performances after a summer break; adapted play with E. Sheldon and John Barrymore (co-star) |
| The Letter of the Law | February 23, 1920 – July 1920 | Criterion Theatre | Mouzon | Ran for 89 performances |
| Macbeth | February 17, 1921 –March 1921 | Apollo Theatre | Macbeth | Ran for 28 performances |
| The Claw | October 17, 1921 – January 1922 | Broadhurst Theatre | Achille Cortelon | Ran for 115 performances; co-starred Doris Rankin and Irene Fenwick (second wife) |
| Laugh, Clown, Laugh | November 28, 1923 – March 1924 | Belasco Theatre | Tito Beppi, Flik | Ran for 133 performances |
| The Piker | January 15, 1925 – February 1925 | Eltinge Theatre | Bernie Kaplan | Ran for 44 performances |
| Taps | April 14, 1925 – May 1925 | Broadhurst Theatre | Sergeant Volkhardt | Ran for 32 performances |
| Man or Devil | May 21, 1925 – June 1925 | Broadhurst Theatre | Nicholas Snyders | Ran for 20 performances |

## Filmography
### As actor

The list does not include the 1913 film The Vengeance of Galora, which Barrymore wrote. Although some sources list him as also appearing in the film, his biographers, James Kotsilibas-Davis and Margot Peters, separately state he did not. Kotsilibas-Davis also lists Fighting Blood (1911), My Hero (1912), and The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) as films in which Barrymore did not appear, despite claims of other biographers to the contrary; Peters does not list the films in her filmography of the actor.
Barrymore's filmography :
| Film | Year | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| Fighting Blood | 1911 | | Debut with Biograph. | |
| The Battle | 1911 | Wagon driver | Uncredited | |
| The Miser's Heart | 1911 | Jules | | |
| Home Folks | 1912 | – | | |
| Friends | 1912 | Grizzley Fallon | | |
| So Near, Yet so Far | 1912 | – | | |
| The Chief's Blanket | 1912 | Young man | Lost film | |
| The One She Loved | 1912 | Neighbor | | |
| The Painted Lady | 1912 | Woodsman | | |
| Heredity | 1912 | – | Lost film | [35] [36] |
| Gold and Glitter | 1912 | – | | |
| My Baby | 1912 | – | | |
| The Informer | 1912 | Union soldier | | |
| Brutality | 1912 | – | | |
| The New York Hat | 1912 | Preacher Bolton | | |
| The Burglar's Dilemma | 1912 | Householder | Actor and writer | |
| A Cry for Help | 1912 | – | Lost film | |
| The God Within | 1912 | – | | |
| Three Friends | 1913 | Second friend | Lost film | |
| The Telephone Girl and the Lady | 1913 | Desk sergeant | | |
| An Adventure in the Autumn Woods | 1913 | Father | Lost film | |
| The Tender Hearted Boy | 1913 | – | Actor and writer Lost film | |
| Oil and Water | 1913 | – | | |
| A Chance Deception | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| Love in an Apartment Hotel | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Wrong Bottle | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| A Girl's Stratagem | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Unwelcome Guest | 1913 | – | | |
| Near to Earth | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| Fate | 1913 | – | | |
| The Sheriff's Baby | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Perfidy of Mary | 1913 | – | | |
| The Little Tease | 1913 | – | | |
| A Misunderstood Boy | 1913 | – | | |
| The Lady and the Mouse | 1913 | – | | |
| The Wanderer | 1913 | – | | |
| The House of Darkness | 1913 | – | | |
| The Yaqui Cur | 1913 | – | | |
| Just Gold | 1913 | – | | |
| The Ranchero's Revenge | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| A Timely Interception | 1913 | – | | |
| Red Hicks Defies the World | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Well | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| Death's Marathon | 1913 | Financial backer | | |
| The Switch Tower | 1913 | – | | |
| Almost a Wild Man | 1913 | – | | |
| In Diplomatic Circles | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| A Gamble with Death | 1913 | Jim Benton | Lost film | |
| The Enemy's Baby | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| Pa Says | 1913 | Teddy's Rival | | |
| The Mirror | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| Under the Shadow of the Law | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| I Was Meant for You | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| An Indian's Loyalty | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Suffragette Minstrels | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Work Habit | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Crook and the Girl | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Strong Man's Burden | 1913 | – | *Lionel designed the lobby poster for this movie. Lost film | |
| The Stolen Treaty | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| So Runs the Way | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| All for Science | 1913 | – | Lost film | |
| The Battle at Elderbush Gulch | 1913 | – | | |
| The House of Discord | 1913 | – | | |
| The Bartered Crown | 1914 | Landlord | Lost film | |
| Classmates | 1914 | Dumble | | |
| Her Father's Silent Partner | 1914 | – | Lost film | |
| The Massacre | 1914 | – | | |
| Judith of Bethulia | 1914 | – | | |
| Strongheart | 1914 | – | Lost film | |
| Brute Force | 1914 | – | | |
| Woman Against Woman | 1914 | – | | |
| The Cracksman's Gratitude | 1914 | – | Lost film | |
| Men and Women | 1914 | – | | |
| The Power of the Press | 1914 | Steve Carson | | |
| The Woman in Black | 1914 | Robert Crane | | |
| The Span of Life | 1914 | Richard Blunt | Lost film | |
| The Seats of the Mighty | 1914 | Monsieur Doltaire | Lost film | |
| Under the Gaslight | 1914 | William Byke | Lost film | |
| Wildfire | 1915 | John Keefe | | |
| A Modern Magdalen | 1915 | Lindsay | Lost film | |
| The Curious Conduct of Judge Legarde | 1915 | Judge Randolph Legarde | Lost film | |
| The Romance of Elaine | 1915 | Elaine | Lost film | |
| The Flaming Sword | 1915 | – | Lost film | |
| Dora Thorne | 1915 | Lord Earle | Lost film | |
| A Yellow Streak | 1915 | Barry Dale | Lost film | |
| Dorian's Divorce | 1916 | Richard Dorian | | |
| The Quitter | 1916 | "Happy Jack" Lewis | | |
| The Upheaval | 1916 | Jim Gordon | | |
| The Brand of Cowardice | 1916 | Cyril Hamilton | Lost film | |
| The End of the Tour | 1917 | Byron Bennett | Lost film | |
| His Father's Son | 1917 | J. Dabney Barron | | |
| The Millionaire's Double | 1917 | Bide Bennington | Lost film | |
| National Red Cross Pageant | 1917 | Himself | Lost film; Ethel appeared with Lionel in Camille scene | |
| The Copperhead | 1920 | Milt Shanks | | |
| The Master Mind | 1920 | Henry Allen | Lost film | |
| The Devil's Garden | 1920 | William Dale | Lost film | |
| The Great Adventure | 1921 | Priam Farll | | |
| Jim the Penman | 1921 | James Ralston | Incomplete film | |
| Boomerang Bill | 1922 | Boomerang Bill | Incomplete film | |
| The Face in the Fog | 1922 | Boston Blackie Dawson | Incomplete film | |
| Enemies of Women | 1923 | Prince Lubimoff | Incomplete film | |
| Unseeing Eyes | 1923 | Conrad Dean | Lost film | |
| The Eternal City | 1923 | Baron Bonelli | Incomplete film, only last two reels exists | |
| America | 1924 | Capt. Walter Butler | | |
| Decameron Nights | 1924 | Saladin | Lost film | |
| Meddling Women | 1924 | Edwin Ainsworth/John Wells | | |
| I Am the Man | 1924 | James McQuade | Lost film | |
| A Man of Iron | 1925 | Philip Durban | Lost film | |
| The Girl Who Wouldn't Work | 1925 | Gordon Kent | | |
| Children of the Whirlwind | 1925 | Joe Ellison | Lost film | |
| The Wrongdoers | 1925 | Daniel Abbott | | |
| Fifty-Fifty | 1925 | Frederick Harmon | Lost film | |
| The Splendid Road | 1925 | Dan Clehollis | Lost film | |
| The Woman Who Did | 1925 | Allan Merrick | Lost film | |
| Ben-Hur | 1925 | Extra | | |
| Brooding Eyes | 1926 | Slim Jim Carey | Lost film | |
| The Barrier | 1926 | Stark Bennett | Lost film | |
| Wife Tamers | 1926 | Mr. Barry | | |
| Paris at Midnight | 1926 | Vautrin | | |
| The Lucky Lady | 1926 | Count Ferranzo | | |
| The Bells | 1926 | Mathias | | |
| The Temptress | 1926 | Canterac | | |
| The Show | 1927 | The Greek | | |
| Women Love Diamonds | 1927 | Hugo Harlan | | |
| Body and Soul | 1927 | Dr. Leyden | | |
| The Thirteenth Hour | 1927 | Professor Leroy | | |
| Sadie Thompson | 1928 | Alfred Davidson | | |
| Drums of Love | 1928 | Duke Cathos de Alvia | | |
| The Lion and the Mouse | 1928 | "Ready Money" Ryder | | |
| Road House | 1928 | Henry Grayson | Lost film | |
| Alias Jimmy Valentine | 1928 | Doyle | Lost film | |
| West of Zanzibar | 1928 | Crane | | |
| The River Woman | 1928 | Bill Lefty | | |
| The Mysterious Island | 1929 | Count Andre Dakkar | | |
| The Hollywood Revue of 1929 | 1929 | Himself | – | |
| Free and Easy | 1930 | Himself | | |
| Guilty Hands | 1931 | Richard Grant | | |
| A Free Soul | 1931 | Stephen Ashe | Barrymore won the Academy Award for Best Actor | |
| The Yellow Ticket | 1931 | Baron Igor Andreeff | | |
| Mata Hari | 1931 | General Serge Shubin | | |
| Broken Lullaby | 1932 | Dr. Holderlin | | |
| Arsène Lupin | 1932 | Guerchard | | |
| Grand Hotel | 1932 | Otto Kringelein | | |
| The Washington Masquerade | 1932 | Jefferson Keane | | |
| Rasputin and the Empress | 1932 | Rasputin | | |
| Sweepings | 1933 | Daniel Pardway | | |
| Looking Forward | 1933 | Benton | | |
| The Stranger's Return | 1933 | Grandpa Storr | | |
| Dinner at Eight | 1933 | Oliver Jordan | | |
| One Man's Journey | 1933 | Eli Watt | | |
| Night Flight | 1933 | Inspector Robineau | | |
| Christopher Bean | 1933 | Dr. Milton Haggett | | |
| Should Ladies Behave | 1933 | Augustus Merrick | | |
| This Side of Heaven | 1934 | Martin Turner | | |
| Carolina | 1934 | Bob Connelly | | |
| The Girl from Missouri | 1934 | T. R. Paige | | |
| Treasure Island | 1934 | Billy Bones | | |
| David Copperfield | 1935 | Dan Peggotty | | |
| The Little Colonel | 1935 | Colonel Lloyd | | |
| Mark of the Vampire | 1935 | Professor Zelin | | |
| Public Hero No. 1 | 1935 | Dr. Josiah Glass | | |
| The Return of Peter Grimm | 1935 | Peter Grimm | | |
| Ah, Wilderness! | 1935 | Nat Miller | | |
| The Voice of Bugle Ann | 1936 | Spring Davis | | |
| The Road to Glory | 1936 | La Roche | The character is also known as Private Morain | |
| The Devil-Doll | 1936 | Paul Lavond | | |
| The Gorgeous Hussy | 1936 | Andrew Jackson | | |
| Camille | 1936 | Monsieur Duval | | |
| A Family Affair | 1937 | Judge James K. Hardy | | |
| Captains Courageous | 1937 | Capt. Disko Troop | | |
| Saratoga | 1937 | Grandpa Clayton | | |
| Navy Blue and Gold | 1937 | Captain "Skinny" Dawes | | |
| A Yank at Oxford | 1938 | Dan Sheridan | | |
| Test Pilot | 1938 | Howard B. Drake | | |
| You Can't Take It with You | 1938 | Martin Vanderhof | | |
| Young Dr. Kildare | 1938 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Let Freedom Ring | 1939 | Thomas Logan | | |
| Calling Dr. Kildare | 1939 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| On Borrowed Time | 1939 | Julian Northrup | | |
| The Secret of Dr. Kildare | 1939 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| The Stars Look Down | 1940 | Narrator | Barrymore's narration is on the US release only | |
| Dr. Kildare's Strange Case | 1940 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Dr. Kildare Goes Home | 1940 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Dr. Kildare's Crisis | 1940 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| The Penalty | 1941 | "Grandpa" Logan | | |
| The Bad Man | 1941 | Uncle Henry Jones | | |
| The People vs. Dr. Kildare | 1941 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day | 1941 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | Barrymore also composed the music | |
| Lady Be Good | 1941 | Judge Murdock | | |
| Dr. Kildare's Victory | 1942 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Calling Dr. Gillespie | 1942 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant | 1942 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Tennessee Johnson | 1942 | Thaddeus Stevens | | |
| Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case | 1943 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith | 1943 | Gramps | Short | |
| A Guy Named Joe | 1943 | The General | | |
| 3 Men in White | 1944 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Since You Went Away | 1944 | Clergyman | | |
| Dragon Seed | 1944 | Narrator | | |
| Thousands Cheer | 1944 | Announcer | | |
| Between Two Women | 1945 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| The Valley of Decision | 1945 | Pat Rafferty | | |
| Three Wise Fools | 1946 | Dr. Richard Gaunght | | |
| It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 | Henry F. Potter | | |
| The Secret Heart | 1946 | Dr. Rossiger | | |
| Duel in the Sun | 1946 | Senator Jackson McCanles | | |
| Dark Delusion | 1947 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | | |
| Key Largo | 1948 | James Temple | | |
| Down to the Sea in Ships | 1949 | Captain Bering Joy | | |
| Malaya | 1949 | John Manchester | | |
| Right Cross | 1950 | Sean O'Malley | | |
| Bannerline | 1951 | Hugo Trimble | | |
| Lone Star | 1952 | Andrew Jackson | | |
| Main Street to Broadway | 1953 | Himself | | |

### As director

Barrymore's director credits :
| Film | Year | Notes |
| His Secret | 1914 | Lost film |
| Where's the Baby? | 1914 | Lost film |
| No Place for Father | 1914 | Lost film |
| Just Boys | 1914 | Lost film |
| Chocolate Dynamite | 1914 | Lost film |
| Life's Whirlpool | 1917 | Also writer; lost film |
| His Glorious Night | 1929 | Barrymore also composed the music |
| Madame X | 1929 | Barrymore was considered for the Academy Award for Best Director |
| The Unholy Night | 1929 | |
| Confession | 1929 | |
| The Rogue Song | 1930 | |
| Redemption | 1930 | Only for retakes |
| The Sea Bat | 1930 | Uncredited |
| Guilty Hands | 1931 | Uncredited |
| Ten Cents a Dance | 1931 | |

## Radio broadcasts

Barrymore's radio credits (selected) :
| Title | Date | Role | Network | Notes |
| A Christmas Carol | December 25, 1934 – December 25, 1953 | Ebenezer Scrooge | CBS | Broadcast annually on Christmas Day |
| Mayor of the Town | 1942–1949 | The Mayor | ABC, CBS, Mutual, and NBC | Barrymore also composed the theme |
| Screen Guild Players: "The Old Lady Shows Her Medals" | October 7, 1946 | Narrator | CBS | Barrymore played the narration as the author, J. M. Barrie |
| Dr. Kildare | 1949–1952 | Dr. Leonard Gillespie | Syndicated | |
| The Hallmark Hall of Fame | 1953–1955 | Host | CBS | |

## Television broadcast

Barrymore's television credit :
| Title | Date | Role | Network | Notes | Ref. |
| Our Mr. Sun | November 19, 1956 | Father Time | CBS | Posthumous Release | |