John Barrymore

Biography

John Barrymore was an American stage, screen, and radio actor from the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, born in Philadelphia. He first appeared on stage with his father, Maurice, in 1900 and with his sister Ethel a year later, then began his career in 1903. He gained attention in light comedy before turning to high drama, appearing in Justice (1916), in Richard III (1920), and in Hamlet (1922); his Hamlet led critics to call him the greatest living American tragedian. After performing Hamlet in London in 1925, he left the stage for 14 years and concentrated on films. In the silent era he was well received in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), and in Sherlock Holmes (1922) and The Sea Beast (1926). His stage-trained voice suited sound films, and Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), and Twentieth Century (1934), along with Midnight (1939), were inducted into the National Film Registry. He was nicknamed the Great Profile.

60years old at death

Born February 15, 1882Philadelphia
Died May 29, 1942Los Angeles
Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
Also credited as Jack Barrymore and John Sidney Blyth

Movie Career

Films: 25
Career span: 56 years1920 to 1976

Genres

Drama60%, 15 films
Romance44%, 11 films
Adventure20%, 5 films
Comedy20%, 5 films
Horror20%, 5 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

First role
Barrymore's first confirmed feature film came in late 1913: the romantic comedy An American Citizen, made with Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company. After its January 1914 release, the picture's success brought him more film work.
Getting ready for a role
Before playing Richard III in 1920, Barrymore trained with voice and diction coach Margaret Carrington for up to six hours a day over six weeks, because he worried about his vocal range.
A first
The play closed in February 1923, but before that Barrymore and Hopkins ended its run at 101 performances, which just beat Edwin Booth's record of one hundred.
A role that slipped away
Barrymore was replaced by Ricardo Cortez in the RKO film Hat, Coat and Glove in 1934 after he could not remember the script, even his character's name.
A first
Barrymore took his first speaking part in a film before starting a contract. In The Show of Shows (1929), he appeared in a single segment as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, from Henry VI, Part 3.

John Barrymore movies on Netflix

That's Entertainment, Part II1976IMDb rating 7.3
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0as Himself
The Invisible Woman1940IMDb rating 5.9as Professor Gibbs
Midnight1939IMDb rating 7.8as Georges Flammarion
The Great Man Votes1939IMDb rating 6.7as Gregory Vance
Bulldog Drummond's Peril1938IMDb rating 5.8as Colonel Nielson
Marie Antoinette1938IMDb rating 7.3as King Louis XV
Bulldog Drummond Comes Back1937IMDb rating 5.9as Colonel Neilson
Bulldog Drummond's Revenge1937IMDb rating 5.8as Colonel Nielson
True Confession1937IMDb rating 6.6as Charles Jasper
Romeo and Juliet1936IMDb rating 6.4as Mercutio
Twentieth Century1934IMDb rating 7.2as Oscar Jaffe
Counsellor at Law1933IMDb rating 7.5as George Simon
Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5as Larry Renault
Night Flight1933IMDb rating 6.1as Riviere
Topaze1933IMDb rating 6.7as Auguste A. Topaze
A Bill of Divorcement1932IMDb rating 6.5as Hilary Fairfield
Grand Hotel1932IMDb rating 7.3as Baron Felix von Gaigern
Svengali1931IMDb rating 6.8as Svengali
The Mad Genius1931IMDb rating 6.3as Vladimar Ivan Tsarakov
General Crack1929IMDb rating 7.4as Prince Christian Rudolph Augustus Kettlar - Duke of Kurland
The Beloved Rogue1927IMDb rating 7.0as François Villon
When a Man Loves1927IMDb rating 7.0as Chevalier Fabien des Grieux
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ1925IMDb rating 7.8as Chariot Race Spectator
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1920IMDb rating 6.9as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Grand Hotel1932 Drama, Romanceas Baron Felix von Gaigern
IMDb rating 7.323K votes
Twentieth Century1934 Comedy, Romanceas Oscar Jaffe
IMDb rating 7.27.9K votes
Dinner at Eight1933as Larry Renault
IMDb rating 7.59.8K votes
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde1920as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
IMDb rating 6.96.7K votes
Midnight1939as Georges Flammarion
IMDb rating 7.86.5K votes
Svengali1931as Svengali
IMDb rating 6.83.0K votes
The Invisible Woman1940as Professor Gibbs
IMDb rating 5.93.9K votes
A Bill of Divorcement1932as Hilary Fairfield
IMDb rating 6.52.1K votes

Most often with

George Cukor directed three of these films, Alan Crosland three and Louis King two. Four actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Lionel Barrymore

Reginald Denny

Luis Alberni

John Howard

Myrna Loy

E.E. Clive

George CukorDirector, 3 films Alan CroslandDirector, 3 films Louis KingDirector, 2 films

Films together

Lionel Barrymore4 films together, 1925 to 1933
Lionel Barrymore's page
- Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5Barrymore as Larry RenaultBarrymore as Oliver Jordan
- Night Flight1933IMDb rating 6.1Barrymore as RiviereBarrymore as Robineau
- Grand Hotel1932IMDb rating 7.3Barrymore as Baron Felix von GaigernBarrymore as Otto Kringelein
- Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ1925IMDb rating 7.8Barrymore as Chariot Race SpectatorBarrymore as Chariot Race Spectator
Reginald Denny4 films together, 1936 to 1938
Reginald Denny's page
- Bulldog Drummond's Peril1938IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel NielsonDenny as Algy Longworth
- Bulldog Drummond Comes Back1937IMDb rating 5.9Barrymore as Colonel NeilsonDenny as Algy Longworth
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge1937IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel NielsonDenny as Algy Longworth
- Romeo and Juliet1936IMDb rating 6.4Barrymore as MercutioDenny as Benvolio
Luis Alberni4 films together, 1931 to 1939
Luis Alberni's page
- The Great Man Votes1939IMDb rating 6.7Barrymore as Gregory VanceAlberni as Manos
- Topaze1933IMDb rating 6.7Barrymore as Auguste A. TopazeAlberni as Dr. Bomb
- Svengali1931IMDb rating 6.8Barrymore as SvengaliAlberni as Gecko
- The Mad Genius1931IMDb rating 6.3Barrymore as Vladimar Ivan TsarakovAlberni as Sergei Bankieff
John Howard4 films together, 1937 to 1940
John Howard's page
- The Invisible Woman1940IMDb rating 5.9Barrymore as Professor GibbsHoward as Richard Russell
- Bulldog Drummond's Peril1938IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel NielsonHoward as Captain Hugh C. 'Bulldog' Drummond
- Bulldog Drummond Comes Back1937IMDb rating 5.9Barrymore as Colonel NeilsonHoward as Captain Hugh C. 'Bulldog' Drummond
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge1937IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel NielsonHoward as Captain Hugh C. 'Bulldog' Drummond
Myrna Loy3 films together, 1927 to 1933
Myrna Loy's page
- Night Flight1933IMDb rating 6.1Barrymore as RiviereLoy as Wife of Brazilian Pilot
- Topaze1933IMDb rating 6.7Barrymore as Auguste A. TopazeLoy as Coco
- When a Man Loves1927IMDb rating 7.0Barrymore as Chevalier Fabien des GrieuxLoy as Convict Behind Manon
E.E. Clive3 films together, 1937 to 1938
E.E. Clive's page
- Bulldog Drummond's Peril1938IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel NielsonClive as Tenny
- Bulldog Drummond Comes Back1937IMDb rating 5.9Barrymore as Colonel NeilsonClive as Tenny
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge1937IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel NielsonClive as Tenny
George CukorDirector, 3 films, 1932 to 1936
All films by George Cukor
- Romeo and Juliet1936IMDb rating 6.4Barrymore as Mercutio
- Dinner at Eight1933IMDb rating 7.5Barrymore as Larry Renault
- A Bill of Divorcement1932IMDb rating 6.5Barrymore as Hilary Fairfield
Alan CroslandDirector, 3 films, 1927 to 1929
All films by Alan Crosland
- General Crack1929IMDb rating 7.4Barrymore as Prince Christian Rudolph Augustus Kettlar - Duke of Kurland
- The Beloved Rogue1927IMDb rating 7.0Barrymore as François Villon
- When a Man Loves1927IMDb rating 7.0Barrymore as Chevalier Fabien des Grieux
Louis KingDirector, 2 films, 1937
All films by Louis King
- Bulldog Drummond Comes Back1937IMDb rating 5.9Barrymore as Colonel Neilson
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge1937IMDb rating 5.8Barrymore as Colonel Nielson
Also three films together4 more actors
- Elizabeth PattersonBulldog Drummond's Peril (1938), Dinner at Eight (1933) and A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
- Rose DioneSvengali (1931), The Beloved Rogue (1927) and When a Man Loves (1927)
- Carmel MyersSvengali (1931), The Mad Genius (1931) and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
- Louise CampbellBulldog Drummond's Peril (1938), Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937) and Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What John Barrymore's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$17.8 million

5 of the 25 films have a worldwide figure.

5Worldwide figure
1Never in cinemas
19Figure not found

Top grosser

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ1925Chariot Race Spectator$9.0 million

Highest grossing

The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ1925as Chariot Race Spectator
$9.0M50.5% of the total
2
That's Entertainment, Part II1976
$5.0M27.9% of the total
3
Dinner at Eight1933as Larry Renault
$2.2M12.1% of the total
4
When a Man Loves1927as Chevalier Fabien des Grieux
$1.0M5.8% of the total
5
The Invisible Woman1940as Professor Gibbs
$660K3.7% of the total