Famed actor, composer, artist, author and director. His talents extended to the authoring of the novel "Mr. Cartonwine: A Moral Tale" as well as his autobiography. In 1944, he joined ASCAP, and composed "Russian Dances", "Partita", "Ballet Viennois", "The Woodman and the Elves", "Behind the Horizon", "Fugue Fantasia", "In Memorium", "Hallowe'en", "Preludium & Fugue", "Elegie for Oboe, Orch.", "Farewell Symphony ", "Rondo for Piano" and "Scherzo Grotesque".
He was buried a Roman Catholic next to his second wife and his brother, John Barrymore , in Calvary Cemetery, Hollywood.
He played Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" on the radio annually for 20 tears between 1934 and 1953. He missed only twice, In 1936 brother John replaced him because of the Christmas Eve death of his wife and in 1938 by Reginald Owen, whose MGM version was then in theatrical release.
The three Barrymore siblings appeared in only one film together: Rasputin and the Empress (1932) . Lionel and John appeared without Ethel in Arsne Lupin (1932) , Grand Hotel (1932/I) , Night Flight and Dinner at Eight . A decade after Johns demise, Lionel and Ethel appeared in Main Street to Broadway , Lionels last film.
Screen, stage, radio, vaudeville actor, film producer, and screenwriter.
Acted from wheelchair from 1938 due to the effects of arthritis and hip injury.
Interred at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, USA, in the Main Mausoleum, Block 352.
Son of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore; grandson of Louisa Drew and stage actor John Drew (1827-1862); nephew of Sidney Drew ; cousin of S. Rankin Drew. Fathered two daughters: Ethel (1909-1910) and Mary (1916- 1917).
Reared Roman Catholic by their mother, the three Barrymore siblings all had suffered the stigma of divorce (doubtless connected to the family business) and only Ethel Barrymore was a practicing Catholic in adulthood.
Great uncle of Drew Barrymore.
Portrayed Dr. Gillespie on the syndicated radio show "The Story of Dr. Kildare" (1950-1951), and in the late 30s/40s movie series.
His name appeared in the Looney Toons Cartoon One Froggy Evening (directed by Chuck Jones ) in a newspaper on a park bench before the distraught man was sent to a psychiatric ward because the frog would not sing in front of anyone else.
Uncle of John Drew Barrymore , Diana Barrymore , Samuel Colt , Ethel Colt , and John Drew Colt.
In the 1960s cartoon series "Underdog" , Underdogs nemesis, Simon Bar Sinister, has a voice reminiscent of Barrymore.
He and his sister Ethel Barrymore were the first Oscar-winning brother and sister in acting categories.
Invented the boom microphone.
He was one of the very few screen actors in the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s who had a prolific career despite being in a wheelchair. From 1938, his screen roles were written to accommodate his disability.
Started as a stock player at the Biograph Company.
In 1930, he lived at 802 N. Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
In Rasputin and the Empress (1932) , he played Rasputin, allegedly the lover of Czar Nicholas IIs wife Alexandra, played by Barrymores real life sister Ethel Barrymore. Their brother, John Barrymore played the role of Prince Chegodieff in the same film.
He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - for motion pictures at 1724 Vine Street and for radio at 1651 Vine Street.
Honorary pallbearer at Lon Chaney s funeral.
Had two daughters by his first wife Doris Rankin , both of whom died young. He later left Rankin for Irene Fenwick , a longtime friend and one-time girlfriend of his brother, John Barrymore.
Had extreme problems with his income taxes, and during the last 15 years of his life routinely turned over all of his paycheck to the Internal Revenue Service except for a small sum to maintain his living expenses. The IRS also took the proceeds from a sale of his artwork after his death.
Ex-brother-in-law of Phyllis Rankin , Mrs. Sidney Drew and Harry Davenport.
Directed 2 actors to Oscar nominations: Ruth Chatterton (Best Actress, Madame X , technically not an official nominee), and Lawrence Tibbett (Best Actor, The Rogue Song (1930) ).
Spent most of his screen career under contract to MGM (1926-52).
Barrymore was a member of the historical actors club of New York, The Lambs, in 1900 and remained a member until his death.
He and Spring Byington played husband and wife in Ah Wilderness! (1935) . Three years later, they played father and daughter in You Cant Take It with You .
He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Grand Hotel (1932/I) and You Cant Take It with You . Lee Phelps also appeared in both films.
Studied musical composition with Eugene Zador for ten years.
Was just 22 years older than Jean Arthur , who played his granddaughter in You Cant Take It with You .
This is the age of insincerity. The movies had the misfortune to come,along in the twentieth century, and because they appeal to the masses,there can be no sincerity in them. Hollywood is tied hand and foot to,the demands for artificiality of the masses all over the world.
But I bless him every time it puts me to sleep.
When you act, you move millions of people, shape their lives, give them,a sense of exaltation. No other profession has that power.
To my mind there is nothing so beautiful or so provocative as a secondhand book store. . . To me it is astonishing and miraculous to think that any one of us can poke among the stalls for something to read overnight--and that this something may be the sum of a lifetime of sweat, tears, and genius that some poor, struggling, blessed fellow expended trying to teach us the truth.
The older you get the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness. .
