Lionel Barrymore
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.
Photos
Lionel Barrymore
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bell Science - Our Mr. Sun | Unknown (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lone Star | Andrew Jackson (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bannerline | Hugo Trimble (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet |
|
Malaya | John Manchester (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet |
|
Right Cross | Sean O'Malley (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet |
|
Down to the Sea in Ships | Capt. Bering Joy (Character) | - | 1949 |
97% |
|
Key Largo | James Temple (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dark Delusion | Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) | - | 1947 |
76% |
|
Duel in the Sun | Sen. Jackson McCanles (Character) | - | 1946 |
94% |
|
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 |
|
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% |
|
Since You Went Away | Clergyman (Character) | - | 1944 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Between Two Women | Dr. Leonard B. Gillespie (Character) | - | 1944 |
60% |
|
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 |
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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 |
|
Lady Be Good | Judge Murdock (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Penalty | "Grandpop" Logan (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
|
The People vs. Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
|
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 |
|
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case | Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet |
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The Secret of Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet |
|
On Borrowed Time | Julian Northrup (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Let Freedom Ring | Thomas Logan (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet |
|
Calling Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Character) | - | 1939 |
94% |
|
You Can't Take It With You | Grandpa Martin Vanderhof (Character) | - | 1938 |
67% |
|
Test Pilot | Howard B. Drake (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet |
|
Young Dr. Kildare | Dr. Gillespie (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Yank at Oxford | Dan Sheridan (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet |
|
Navy Blue and Gold | Captain "Skinny" Dawes (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
Saratoga | Grandpa Clayton (Character) | - | 1937 |
95% |
|
Captains Courageous | Capt. Disko Troop (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Family Affair | Judge James K. Hardy (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Gorgeous Hussy | Andrew Jackson (Character) | - | 1936 |
89% |
|
Camille | Monsieur Duval (Character) | - | 1936 |
79% |
|
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 |
|
The Road to Glory |
Papa La Roche/ |
- | 1936 |
100% |
|
Ah, Wilderness! | Nat Miller (Character) | - | 1935 |
100% |
|
David Copperfield | Dan Peggotty (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Little Colonel | Col. Lloyd (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Return of Peter Grimm | Unknown (Character) | - | 1935 |
87% |
|
Mark of the Vampire | Professor Zelen (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Public Hero No. 1 | Dr. Josiah Glass (Character) | - | 1935 |
100% |
|
Treasure Island | Billy Bones (Character) | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet |
|
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 |
|
Night Flight | Insp. Robineau (Character) | - | 1933 |
91% |
|
Dinner at Eight | Oliver Jordan (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Christopher Bean | Dr. Milton Haggett (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet |
|
One Man's Journey | Eli Watt (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Should Ladies Behave? | Augustus Merrick (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet |
|
Looking Forward | Tim Benton (Character) | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Stranger's Return | Grandpa Storr (Character) | - | 1933 |
100% |
|
Broken Lullaby | Dr. H. Holderlin (Character) | - | 1932 |
87% |
|
Grand Hotel | Otto Kringelein (Character) | - | 1932 |
50% |
|
Rasputin and the Empress | Grigori Rasputin (Character) | - | 1932 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Washington Masquerade | Jeff Keane (Character) | - | 1932 |
No Score Yet |
|
Arsene Lupin | Detective Guerchard (Character) | - | 1932 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ten Cents a Dance | Director | - | 1931 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Free Soul | Stephen Ashe, Defense Attorney (Character) | - | 1931 |
67% |
|
Mata Hari | General Shubin (Character) | - | 1931 |
No Score Yet |
|
Guilty Hands | Richard Grant (Character) | - | 1931 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Yellow Ticket | Baron Igor Andreeff (Character) | - | 1931 |
No Score Yet |
|
Free and Easy | Director in Bedroom Scene (Character) | - | 1930 |
79% |
|
The Rogue Song | Director | - | 1930 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Mysterious Island | Dakkar (Character) | - | 1929 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | His Glorious Night | Director | - | 1929 |
No Score Yet |
|
Madame X | Director | - | 1929 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Unholy Night | Director | - | 1929 |
43% |
|
The Hollywood Revue | Self | - | 1929 |
No Score Yet |
|
West of Zanzibar | Crane (Character) | - | 1928 |
86% |
|
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 |
|
The Bells | Mathias (Character) | - | 1926 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Temptress | Canterac (Character) | - | 1926 |
63% |
|
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% |
|
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 |