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Lionel Barrymore

Highest Rated: 100% Ah, Wilderness! (1935)

Lowest Rated: 43% The Hollywood Revue (1929)

Birthday: Apr 28, 1878

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

The eldest brother in an acting dynasty that included sister Ethel and brother John, Lionel Barrymore became one of his era's most popular thespians. Literally pushed onto the stage as a toddler, the young Barrymore began appearing in silent films like "The New York Hat" (1912), most frequently for director D.W. Griffith. Work on Broadway in such performances as "The Copperhead" also provided income until the actor gradually turned his full attention to Hollywood. "A Free Soul" (1931) earned Barrymore an Oscar for Best Actor, while appearances in hits like "Grand Hotel" (1932), "Dinner at Eight" (1933) and "You Can't Take It With You" (1938) made him a bona fide movie star. A wheelchair user due to arthritis, he originated Dr. Gillespie, a character he would reprise for more than a dozen sequels, in the medical drama "Young Dr. Kildare" (1938). Barrymore's most indelible character was arguably that of Henry Potter, the villainous town elder in Frank Capra's holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), a portrayal balanced out by his turn as the irrepressible James Temple in the Bogie and Bacall thriller "Key Largo" (1948). A man of many talents and interests, Barrymore was also an accomplished artist, composer and author whose celebrated six-decades-long career, while born of necessity, provided audiences with dozens of memorable performances.

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Highest rated movies

100% 57% Ah, Wilderness!
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100% 76% David Copperfield
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100% 100% Broken Lullaby
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100% 74% Treasure Island
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97% 88% Key Largo
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95% 89% Captains Courageous
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94% 88% You Can't Take It With You
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94% 95% It's a Wonderful Life Watchlist
91% 74% Dinner at Eight
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89% 84% Camille
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bell Science - Our Mr. Sun Unknown (Character) - 1956
No Score Yet 58% Lone Star Andrew Jackson (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bannerline Hugo Trimble (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet 44% Malaya John Manchester (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 11% Right Cross Sean O'Malley (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 57% Down to the Sea in Ships Capt. Bering Joy (Character) - 1949
97% 88% Key Largo James Temple (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dark Delusion Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1947
76% 55% Duel in the Sun Sen. Jackson McCanles (Character) - 1946
94% 95% It's a Wonderful Life Mr. Henry F. Potter (Character) $3.3M 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet Three Wise Fools Dr. Richard Gaunght (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet 81% The Valley of Decision Pat Rafferty (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet No Score Yet Three Men in White Dr. Leonard B. Gillespie (Character) - 1944
77% 79% Since You Went Away Clergyman (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet No Score Yet Between Two Women Dr. Leonard B. Gillespie (Character) - 1944
60% 73% A Guy Named Joe The General (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case Dr. Leonard B. Gillespie (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet 100% Tennessee Johnson Thaddeus Stevens (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Kildare's Victory Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Calling Dr. Gillespie Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bad Man Uncle Henry Jones (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet 47% Lady Be Good Judge Murdock (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Penalty "Grandpop" Logan (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet 20% The People vs. Dr. Kildare Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet 29% Dr. Kildare's Crisis Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Kildare Goes Home Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 18% Dr. Kildare's Strange Case Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 9% The Secret of Dr. Kildare Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 100% On Borrowed Time Julian Northrup (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Let Freedom Ring Thomas Logan (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 29% Calling Dr. Kildare Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) - 1939
94% 88% You Can't Take It With You Grandpa Martin Vanderhof (Character) - 1938
67% 68% Test Pilot Howard B. Drake (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 73% Young Dr. Kildare Dr. Gillespie (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 49% A Yank at Oxford Dan Sheridan (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 57% Navy Blue and Gold Captain "Skinny" Dawes (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 85% Saratoga Grandpa Clayton (Character) - 1937
95% 89% Captains Courageous Capt. Disko Troop (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 33% A Family Affair Judge James K. Hardy (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 31% The Gorgeous Hussy Andrew Jackson (Character) - 1936
89% 84% Camille Monsieur Duval (Character) - 1936
79% 71% The Devil Doll Paul Lavond, aka Madame Mandelip (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Voice of Bugle Ann Springfield `'Spring'` Davis (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet 89% The Road to Glory Papa La Roche/Pvt. Morin (Character) - 1936
100% 57% Ah, Wilderness! Nat Miller (Character) - 1935
100% 76% David Copperfield Dan Peggotty (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet 80% The Little Colonel Col. Lloyd (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Return of Peter Grimm Unknown (Character) - 1935
87% 47% Mark of the Vampire Professor Zelen (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet Public Hero No. 1 Dr. Josiah Glass (Character) - 1935
100% 74% Treasure Island Billy Bones (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet 69% The Girl From Missouri T.R. Paige (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet No Score Yet This Side of Heaven Martin Turner (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sweepings Daniel Pardway (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet 20% Night Flight Insp. Robineau (Character) - 1933
91% 74% Dinner at Eight Oliver Jordan (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Christopher Bean Dr. Milton Haggett (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet 20% One Man's Journey Eli Watt (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Should Ladies Behave? Augustus Merrick (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet 60% Looking Forward Tim Benton (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet 57% The Stranger's Return Grandpa Storr (Character) - 1933
100% 100% Broken Lullaby Dr. H. Holderlin (Character) - 1932
87% 77% Grand Hotel Otto Kringelein (Character) - 1932
50% 50% Rasputin and the Empress Grigori Rasputin (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet Washington Masquerade Jeff Keane (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet 53% Arsene Lupin Detective Guerchard (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet 55% Ten Cents a Dance Director - 1931
No Score Yet 58% A Free Soul Stephen Ashe, Defense Attorney (Character) - 1931
67% 54% Mata Hari General Shubin (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet 61% Guilty Hands Richard Grant (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Yellow Ticket Baron Igor Andreeff (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet 19% Free and Easy Director in Bedroom Scene (Character) - 1930
79% 14% The Rogue Song Director - 1930
No Score Yet 67% The Mysterious Island Dakkar (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet His Glorious Night Director - 1929
No Score Yet 25% Madame X Director - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Unholy Night Director - 1929
43% 18% The Hollywood Revue Self - 1929
No Score Yet 81% West of Zanzibar Crane (Character) - 1928
86% 75% Sadie Thompson Alfred Davidson (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alias Jimmy Valentine Doyle (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Show The Greek (Character) - 1927
No Score Yet No Score Yet Body and Soul Dr. Leyden (Character) - 1927
No Score Yet 36% The Bells Mathias (Character) - 1926
No Score Yet 65% The Temptress Canterac (Character) - 1926
63% 62% America Capt. Walter Butler (Character) - 1924
No Score Yet No Score Yet Peg O' My Heart Hawks (Character) - 1923
No Score Yet No Score Yet Boomerang Bill Boomerbang Nill (Character) - 1922
83% 77% The Penalty Unknown (Character) - 1920
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dorian's Divorce Richard Dorian (Character) - 1916
No Score Yet No Score Yet Strongheart Billy Saunders (Character) - 1914
No Score Yet No Score Yet Death's Marathon The Financial Backer (Character) - 1913
No Score Yet No Score Yet The House of Darkness The Doctor (Character) - 1913
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Lady and the Mouse The Young Woman's Father (Character) - 1913
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Burglar's Dilemma The Author (Character) - 1912
No Score Yet No Score Yet The New York Hat Preacher Bolton (Character) - 1912
No Score Yet No Score Yet Friends Grizzley Fallon - Dandy Jack's Friend (Character) - 1912
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Miser's Heart Jules - the Thief (Character) - 1911