Evening star., 1942-05-30
Barrymore Joked
About farewell
In Final Broadcast
Actor Once Scared Two
Curious Women Away
By Feignine Madness
BY HUBBARD KEAVY
Associated Press staff Writer

ance, but neither ne nor his joke
writer's knew how prophetic those
words were,
Yes" said John to Rudy Vallee
on May IA, This is my farewell ap-
pearance I'm retiring"
You mean" asked Mr. Vallee,
"you are leaving acting f1at?"
And John responded, Why not?"
That's how it left me. :" and
so on.
During the rehearsal that after
noon at the N. B. C. studio, some
one suggested that perhaps the Sc
quence was not in good taste.
"Bosh and bunk" laughed Mr..
Barrymore. Its only a gag. Leave
it in"
And John went on kidding about
an appearance that was to be his
last.
Witticisms Legion.
The stories about the great Bar
rymore-wit, collector of incuna-
bula, connoisseur of wines and birds,
actor and great lover-told about
him as well as by him are legion.
Mr.. Barrymore's escapadeS in
spired more than two plays, "The
Royal Family" and My Dear Chill
dren," both uater filmed, and two
movies, Sing, Baby, Sing" based on
his cross country derby with Elaine
Barrie. and The Great Profile"
One time I asked Mr.. Barrymore
how he got his name. John Blythe
was his real name.
Father took the name when he
went on the stage" John explained,
ITO escape parental wrath. My
mothers people were Barrymores.
The Barrymores we're a family of
noted English rakes. One of them
thought he was an actor. I take
after him."
Friends Helped Pay Bill.
A few years ago, when John was
financially distressed, his friends
here took up a collection to help
him pay his bills and his alimony.
Gene Fowler, the writer, headed
the informal committee. Mr.. Fow-
Ter naturally met some opposition,
for Mr.. Barrymore probably had
gone through a million or more in
his lifetime. To those reluctant to
give, Mr.. Fowler said:
I'VE are doing this for the Barry
more that Was-uot the RarrV1aora
t:aa. s."
A friend once said to John, u
wish women would fall at my feet
the way they do at yours"
To which John replied:
mo woman ever fell at my feet,
unless she was drunk or fainting." :"
Scared Women Away.
Two curious women visitors once
found their way to the Barrymore
estate. A caretaker tried to shoe
them away, but they refused until
they had seen Mr.. Barrymore. John
at that time was recuperating from
jungle fever. He heard the argu-
ment.
He got up out of bed, strange,
unshaven sight in woolen night
dress. Sticking his head out of the
window, he yelled like madman,
waving his arms and threatening to
jump.
The women fed, panic stricken.
Mr.. Barrymore went to Guatemala
TO find a rare bird, quezal. There
he contracted fever.
"I know it sounds foolish" he
said, when you consider how many
rare birds there are right in Holly
wood"
Mr.. Barrymore always read three
or four books. on unrelated subjects,
at once. He'd read a page from one,
law it down, pick up another and SO
on.
mo, not mental gymnastics" he'd
explain, lust my screwy way of do
ing things"
Read Dialogue From Blackboard.
During his latter years. John al
ways read his movie dialogue-be-
cause he couldn't or wouldn't re-
member-from blackboard placed
off f-scene. He said the blackboard
was like a safety net for acrobats.
In the first place, you have to be
far-sighted. I am far-sighted."
Then with a Barrymorish grin, "of
course, when I say this, I am speak
ing purely technically"
An extra player, whom John did
not know, once addressed him as
Jack"
Don't be so formal" said Mr..
Barrymore. Just call me Kid"
Monkey Jealous of Dolores.
When John built his huge ram
bling estate in Beverly Hills, whittier
he took his third bride, Dolores Cos
tello, he had a large aviary contain
ing almost 500 rare birds. He also
kept Clementine. a Japanese mon
key, which was jealous of Dolores.
John liked to annoy the monkey
by putting his arms around Dolores.
Clementine would jump at the door
of her cage, almost shaking it off
its hinges. Once she got loose and
made straight for Dolores, biting her
on the ankle. John grabbed the
monkey by the throat. Clementine
went to a pet shop that afternoon.
The Barrymores also had cats,
dozens of them, which had the run
of the house. Kittens were given
away, it being easy to place cats
with such distinguished associations.
The cats remained in the house,
after Dolores left there when she
divorced John.
John likes cats" she said.
Proposed Macbeth" in Bowl.
One of Johns unrealized afnbi-
tions was to stage Macbeth" in the
Hollywood bowl.
Imagine ,it-outdoors, in its
proper setting" John said with great
enthusiasm.
Picture the armies of Malcolm
and Macbeth. marching over that
NIL. CThere is large hill back of
the bowls stage.) I'd have every
extra in Hollywood In those armies,
each armed with fir tree. What
sight!
Why, it ought to cost me a for
tune"
Johns vast and varied collection
disappeared in recent years. He in
vested q great deal of money in first