Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-01

.OutIiUes
Himself
BY CHARLES GENTRY

THEY HAVE rung down the
last curtain on the career Of one
of the most fabulous figures thel
American stage and screen hasI
ever known but the applause con-
tinues to ring from coast to coast.
There Is no need TO mourn Johnl
Barrymore because he had al
capacity for living few people have
ever possessed and he gained RICH
returns for every minute Of time
he invested.
1t was Robespierre, who said of
the French Revolution. "Duringl
those six years we lived 600' and
Lit was even a greater rate OF in-l
terest which Barrymore drew.
\ His trips to Detroit were spo-l
radio, but always colorful. Many
theater-goers here will recall hisl
first appearance here in 1907 asI
the beautiful young Byronic hero,
Peter Ibbetson."
The matinee idol to end ALL
matinee idols, he became boredl
| with having women gasp and
swoon over his looks and took tol
such serious performances as those
in Galsworthy's Justice" and with
his brother, Lionel. in The Jest.
Then came his Hamlet" which,
broke all New York records and
which even made Shakespearean
authorities in London beat their
palms to a pulp.
SHAKESPEARE PERIOD
His Richard III and his
Romeo and Juliet" with Jane
Cowl were OF the same period and
then came the movies which he
Idisdained at first as photo
graphed nightmares"
But Detroit filn-goes were al
ways his fans. "Moby Dick ran
here so long that they had to get
a new whale. And do you recall
the excitement when he pranced
across the screen OF what is now
the Lafayette Theater as Don
Juan" is one OF the first sound
pictures
Then for the next 10 years, De-
Itroit only saw him in celluloid.
while he continued 10 be chatter
for the Hollywood columns.
OUTDID HOLLYWOOD
Everything he did, from threat
ching 10 take his ex-wife. Michael
Strange and her husband along
with Dolores (No. - on the
yacht, Infants. 10 hunt white
seals. 10 his declaration that he
married Elaine Barrie because She
gave him a $1,000 chandeliers
which once belonged TO the assassi-
mated Archduke Ferdinand, for an
Easter gift.
He left his hilltop show place
which he called Chinese Tene-I
ment" TO come East in 1889 10 do
a play with Elaine and il was in
MY Dear Children that Detroit
saw him in person for the last
time. the following year.
Elaine had walked out OF the
cast by that time and Doris
Dudley Was doing the CeFHelia to-
Johns King Lear"
Having separated from his
fourth wife. John let go with his
wicked wit and told us some Of
the most amusing stories we have
ever heard.
Master Of the epigran1. he loved
10 describe situations in capsule
sentences.
He told us. MY ideal Is a COM
poSite of my former wives. kathe-
rine, Michael. Dolores and Elaine.
without reminding me Of any OF
them"
TOUJOURS la QUIP
Also "A pessimist is a man who
thinks all women are tickle. An
optimist is one who hopes it's
true"
When we asked him how IL felt
10 be without a wife he ad-libbed
on the scriptures. I'm Genesis i'll
says that il is not good for man
to be alone. But sometimes it's
a great relief. I'm just a senti-
mental ostrich with his head buried
in the sands OF tomorrow and his
tail feathers being curled by the
hot sun OF today"
DIVORCE AUTHORITY
Two OF his classics we recall
were about subject on which hel