The Barrymore family

   Actress Ethel Barrymore said of herself and brothers Lionel and John: "We became actors not because we wanted to go on the stage, but because it was the thing we could do best."
The Barrymores were a noted family of ac¬tors who traced their connection with the stage back to Shakespeare's day. Ethel, Li¬onel, and John appeared together on film only once—in Rasputin and the Empress (1932). Separately, they displayed the acting talent that made the name Barrymore a synonym for actor.
   Ethel Barrymore (1879-1959) became a star at the age of 21 in Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines. She appeared in a series of comedies and later in plays by Ibsen and Shakespeare. She crowned her stage career in 1940 in Emlyn Williams' The Corn is Green. She also acted in films, winning an Academy Award for None But the Lonely Heart (1944).
   Lionel Barrymore (1878-1954) was a skillful character actor. In 1918 he made a great hit in The Copperhead, followed by The Jest in 1919 (with his brother), Macbeth (1921). and The Claw (1921). After that he devoted most of his time to motion pictures. Troubled in his later years by a hip injury, he remained active in films, performing from a wheelchair.
   Stunning portrayals of Richard III and Hamlet established John Barrymore (1882-1942) as one of the greatest actors of the English-speaking stage. He later starred in a variety of films, including Grand Hotel (1932) and Twentieth Century (1934). His charm, his classic profile, and his headline romances added a new chapter to the Barrymore legend—a legend that lives on in younger generations of Barrymores, including the actress Drew Barrymore (1975- ).

Lionel, Ethel and John Barrymore