Lionel Barrymore

Lore & Background

Lionel Barrymore was born in Philadelphia to actors Georgiana Drew Barrymore and Maurice Barrymore. He was the elder brother of Ethel and John Barrymore. Reluctant to follow his parents' career, he appeared on stage at age 15 with his grandmother Louisa Lane Drew in The Rivals. He later trained as an artist in Paris but returned to the stage in 1909.

He joined Biograph Studios in 1909 and appeared in films directed by D. W. Griffith, making over 60 silent films with him. He signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1926 and won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1931 for A Free Soul. He also directed several early sound films, including The Rogue Song, and was credited with being the first director to move a microphone on a sound stage.

Reader's Guide

Lionel Barrymore's significance lies in his long and versatile career across stage, silent and sound film, and radio. He was a member of the renowned Barrymore family and achieved critical and commercial success in character roles. His portrayal of the villainous Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life remains iconic, while his annual radio broadcasts as Ebenezer Scrooge made him a holiday tradition. His role as Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare series defined a medical franchise.

Barrymore's Academy Award for A Free Soul and his work as a director during the transition to sound film highlight his adaptability. His later career was marked by physical limitations due to a broken hip and arthritis, which confined him to a wheelchair on screen. He never appeared on stage after the advent of sound films in 1927.

Did You Know?

• He broke his hip in an accident, which led him to play Dr. Gillespie in a wheelchair.
• He co-starred with siblings John and Ethel only once, in the 1932 film Rasputin and the Empress.