Ethel Barrymore

Ethel Barrymore

Born: August 12, 1879
Died: June 18, 1959
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Ethel Barrymore was the second of three children seemingly destined for the actor's life of their parents Maurice and Georgiana. Maurice Barrymore had emigrated from England in 1875, and after graduating from Cambridge in law had shocked his family by becoming an actor. Georgiana Drew of Philadelphia acted in her parents' stage company. The two met and married as members of Augustin Daly's company in New York. They both acted with some of the great stage personalities of the mid Victorian theater of America and England. The Barrymore children were born and grew up in Philadelphia. Though older brother Lionel Barrymore began acting early with his mother's relatives in the Drew theater company, Ethel, after a traditional girl's schooling, planned on becoming a concert pianist.

The lure of the stage was perhaps congenital, however. She made her debut as a stage actress during the New York City season of 1894. Her youthful stage presence was at once a pleasure, a strikingly pretty and winsome face and large dark eyes that seemed to look out from her very soul. Her natural talent and distinctive voice only reinforced the physical presence of someone destined to command any role set before her. After the opportunity to appear on the London stage with English great Henry Irving in "The Bells" (1897) and later in "Peter the Great" (1898), she returned to New York to star in the Clyde Fitch play "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" (1901) (produced by her friend and benefactor Charles Frohman), which brought her initial American acclaim. Lead roles, such as Nora in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" (1905) and starring in "Alice By the Fire" (also 1905), "Mid-Channel" (1910) and "Trelawney of the Wells" (1911) proved her popularity as a warm and charismatic star of American stage. In the meantime she married stockbroker Russell Griswold Colt in 1909 and gave birth to three children while continuing her acting career.

Although the stage was her first love, she did heed the call of the silver screen, and though not achieving the matinée idol image that younger brother John Barrymore garnered in silent movies after similar chemistry on stage, she won over audiences from her first film appearance in The Nightingale (1914). However, her early film roles, steady through 1919, took a back seat to continued stage triumphs: "Declassee" (1919), her impassioned Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" (1922), "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" (1924) and, especially, "The Constant Wife" (1926).

She harnessed her considerable talents in the role of an activist as well, being a bedrock supporter of the Actors Equity Association and, in fact, had been a prominent figure in the actors strike of 1919. By 1930 she was entering middle age and her movie roles reflected this. Except for Rasputin and the Empress (1932) with her brothers, the roles were elderly mothers and grandmothers, dowager ladies and spinster aunts. Perhaps wisely she put off Hollywood for over a decade, with stage work that included her most endearing role in "The Corn is Green" (a tour that lasted from 1940 to 1942). She finally moved to Southern California in 1940.

When she passed away in 1959, she was interred near her brothers at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.

Movies for Ethel Barrymore...

And the Oscar Goes To...
Title: And the Oscar Goes To...
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: February 1, 2014
Type: Movie
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement.
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Title: Legends
Character: Aunt Jessie Tuttle (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: November 17, 2006
Type: TV
The story of the big names that have shaped the musical genres, plus an occasional stopgap for the new rock 'n' roll - comedy.
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That's Entertainment!
Title: That's Entertainment!
Character: (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: June 21, 1974
Type: Movie
Various MGM stars from yesterday present their favorite musical moments from the studio's 50 year history.
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Johnny Trouble
Title: Johnny Trouble
Character: Katherine Chandler
Released: September 24, 1957
Type: Movie
An elderly woman becomes convinced that a trouble-making college student is her grandson she's never met.
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Eloise
Title: Eloise
Character: Herself
Released: November 22, 1956
Type: Movie
It's not so much that Eloise is a mischievous child, but the darnedest things do happen when she's around.
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Title: Playhouse 90
Character: Herself
Released: October 4, 1956
Type: TV
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s were usually hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual, a weekly series of hour-and-a-half dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Playhouse 90 began as a pitch by Frank Stanton—the formidable, forward-thinking right-hand man to CBS chairman William S. Paley—during a brainstorming session for program ideas. The project was ultimately developed by Hubbell Robinson, a CBS vice president who received no screen credit on Playhouse 90 but is often described as its creator.
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Young at Heart
Title: Young at Heart
Character: Aunt Jessie Tuttle
Released: December 1, 1954
Type: Movie
The lives and romances of three sisters in a musical family; the youngest daughter's life is complicated by the subsequent arrival of a charming composer and a cynical music arranger.
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Title: Climax!
Character: Mme. Rosalie La Grange
Released: October 7, 1954
Type: TV
Climax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live.
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Main Street to Broadway
Title: Main Street to Broadway
Character: Self
Released: October 12, 1953
Type: Movie
In New York, a surly, down-on-his-heels playwright meets a country girl who's giving up trying to act and returning home. He goes with her for inspiration when his agent convinces a stage star to take his next effort. When he returns to Broadway, his girl stays behind and starts seeing a local businessman.
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The Story of Three Loves
Title: The Story of Three Loves
Character: Mrs. Hazel Pennicott
Released: March 26, 1953
Type: Movie
Passengers on an ocean liner recall their greatest loves.
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Title: General Electric Theater
Character: Mother
Released: February 1, 1953
Type: TV
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
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Title: Omnibus
Released: November 9, 1952
Type: TV
Omnibus is an American, commercially sponsored, educational television series.
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Just for You
Title: Just for You
Character: Alida De Bronkhart
Released: September 27, 1952
Type: Movie
Jordan Blake (a widower) is a successful Broadway Producer who has always been to busy for his children, Barbara and Jerry. Girlfriend, Carolina a musical comedy star, urges Jordan to take his kids on a vacation and get to know them before they are all grown up. Is Jordan already too late?
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Deadline - U.S.A.
Title: Deadline - U.S.A.
Character: Margaret Garrison
Released: March 14, 1952
Type: Movie
With three days before his paper folds, a crusading editor tries to expose a vicious gangster.
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It's a Big Country
Title: It's a Big Country
Character: Mrs. Brian Patrick Riordan
Released: November 20, 1951
Type: Movie
Comprised of eight unrelated episodes of inconsistent quality, this anthology piece of American propaganda features some of MGM Studios' best directors, screenwriters and actors; it is narrated by Louis Calhern. Stories are framed by the lecture of a university professor. In one tale a Boston resident becomes angry when the census forgets to record her presence. Another sketch chronicles the achievements of African Americans while still another pays tongue-in-cheek tribute to Texas.
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The Secret of Convict Lake
Title: The Secret of Convict Lake
Character: Granny
Released: July 29, 1951
Type: Movie
After a group of convicts escapes from prison, they take refuge in the wilderness. While most of the crew are ruthless sociopaths, Jim Canfield is an innocent man who was jailed under false pretenses. When Canfield and his fellow fugitives reach an isolated farming settlement where the men are all away, it creates tension with the local women. Things get direr when rumors of hidden money arise, and Canfield discovers that the man who framed him is part of the community.
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Kind Lady
Title: Kind Lady
Character: Mary Herries
Released: June 20, 1951
Type: Movie
Mary Herries has a passion for art and fine furniture. Even though she is getting on in years, she enjoys being around these priceless articles. One day she meets a strange young painter named Elcott, who uses his painting skill to enter into her life. Little does she expect that his only interest in Mary is to covet everything she has.
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Title: What's My Line?
Character: Self - Mystery Guest
Released: February 2, 1950
Type: TV
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.
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The Red Danube
Title: The Red Danube
Character: Mother Superior ('Mother Auxilia')
Released: October 14, 1949
Type: Movie
A Russian ballerina in Vienna tries to flee KGB agents and defect.
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Pinky
Title: Pinky
Character: Miss Em
Released: September 28, 1949
Type: Movie
Pinky, a light skinned black woman, returns to her grandmother's house in the South after graduating from a Northern nursing school. Pinky tells her grandmother that she has been "passing" for white while at school in the North. In addition, she has fallen in love with a young white doctor, who knows nothing about her black heritage.
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That Midnight Kiss
Title: That Midnight Kiss
Character: Abigail Trent Budell
Released: September 22, 1949
Type: Movie
Opera singer Prudence Budell, overhears truck driver Johnny Donnetti singing opera, and persuades her opera company to give him a chance in her new opera. They fall in love, but on meeting his colleague Mary while visiting Johnny's work, Prudence becomes convinced Johnny is in love with her.
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The Great Sinner
Title: The Great Sinner
Character: Grandmother Ostrovsky
Released: June 29, 1949
Type: Movie
A young man succumbs to gambling fever.
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Portrait of Jennie
Title: Portrait of Jennie
Character: Miss Spinney
Released: December 25, 1948
Type: Movie
A mysterious girl inspires a struggling artist.
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Moonrise
Title: Moonrise
Character: Grandma
Released: October 1, 1948
Type: Movie
Stigmatized from infancy by the fate of his criminal father, a man is bruised and bullied until one night, in a fit of rage, he kills his most persistent tormentor. As the police close in around him, he makes a desperate bid for the love of the dead man’s fiancée, a schoolteacher who sees the wounded soul behind his aggression.
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Night Song
Title: Night Song
Character: Miss Willey
Released: January 20, 1948
Type: Movie
A socialite pretends to be poor and blind in her plan to help a blinded pianist.
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The Paradine Case
Title: The Paradine Case
Character: Lady Sophie Horfield
Released: December 31, 1947
Type: Movie
Attorney Anthony Keane agrees to represent Londonite Mrs. Paradine, who has been fingered in her husband's murder. From the start, the married lawyer is drawn to the enigmatic beauty, and he begins to cast about for a way to exonerate his client. Keane puts the Paradine household servant on the stand, suggesting he is the killer. But Keane soon loses his way in the courtroom, and his half-baked plan sets off a stunning chain of events.
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Moss Rose
Title: Moss Rose
Character: Lady Margaret Drego
Released: May 30, 1947
Type: Movie
When a music-hall dancer is murdered, a moss rose marks the page of a Bible next to her body. Luckily, another chorus girl saw a gentleman leaving the lodgings. She approaches him directly, saying she'll go to the police if he doesn't meet her demands, but he brushes her off contemptuously. When he learns she's dead serious, he tries to buy her off with a thick wad of pound notes. But it's not money she's after; all she wants is two weeks at his country estate, living the life of a lady.
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The Farmer's Daughter
Title: The Farmer's Daughter
Character: Agatha Morley
Released: March 26, 1947
Type: Movie
After leaving her family's farm to study nursing in the city, a young woman finds herself on an unexpected path towards politics.
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The Spiral Staircase
Title: The Spiral Staircase
Character: Mrs. Warren
Released: February 6, 1946
Type: Movie
On a stormy night, the mute servant to an ailing matriarch is stalked by a serial killer.
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None But the Lonely Heart
Title: None But the Lonely Heart
Character: Ma Mott
Released: October 17, 1944
Type: Movie
When an itinerant reluctantly returns home to help his sickly mother run her shop, they're both tempted to turn to crime to help make ends meet.
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Show-Business at War
Title: Show-Business at War
Character: Self
Released: May 21, 1943
Type: Movie
A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort.
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Rasputin and the Empress
Title: Rasputin and the Empress
Character: Czarina Alexandra
Released: December 23, 1932
Type: Movie
The story of corrupt, power-hungry, manipulative Grigori Rasputin's influence on members of the Russian Imperial family and others, and what resulted.
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Camille: The Fate of a Coquette
Title: Camille: The Fate of a Coquette
Character: Olympe
Released: January 1, 1926
Type: Movie
A home movie version of the Dumas play. A young woman becomes a courtesan and tragedy befalls her. Appearances are made by many socialites of 1920s Paris and New York.
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The Divorcee
Title: The Divorcee
Character: Lady Frederick Berolles
Released: January 20, 1919
Type: Movie
Based on the 1907 play 'Lady Frederick' by W. Somerset Maugham, this tells the story of Betsy O'Hara in her pursuit of romance and love.
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Our Mrs. McChesney
Title: Our Mrs. McChesney
Character: Emma McChesney
Released: September 9, 1918
Type: Movie
Mrs. Emma McChesney is a determined and successful traveling saleswoman for T. A. Buck's Featherbloom Petticoat Company. When Buck dies and his son, T. A. Buck, Jr., takes charge, the company suffers and Emma nearly accepts a job offer from Buck's rival, Abel Fromkin.
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An American Widow
Title: An American Widow
Character: Elizabeth Carter
Released: December 17, 1917
Type: Movie
Wealthy American widow Elizabeth Carter plans to marry the Earl of Dettminster when lawyer Augustus Tucker informs her of a codicil in her late husband's will. The Carter fortune will go to nephew Pitney Carter, who is in love with Elizabeth, if her second husband is not an American. Elizabeth therefore pays penniless playwright Jasper Mallory $50,000 to marry her and schemes with actress Mme. Albani to provide grounds for divorce so that she may then make the earl her third husband.
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National Red Cross Pageant
Title: National Red Cross Pageant
Character: Flanders / Belgium - Flemish & Final episodes
Released: December 1, 1917
Type: Movie
The National Red Cross Pageant (1917) was an American war pageant that was performed in order to sell war bonds, support the National Red Cross, and promote a positive opinion about American involvement in World War I.
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The Eternal Mother
Title: The Eternal Mother
Character: Maris
Released: November 26, 1917
Type: Movie
Maris, having married Lynch, a worthless man who deserts her, taking their daughter Felice with him, marries mill owner Dwight Alden after receiving notification that her husband and child are dead. Discovering that Alden employs child labor, Maris, assisted by the village minister, tries to persuade him that this is wrong, but he will tolerate no interference in his business.
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Life's Whirlpool
Title: Life's Whirlpool
Character: Esther Carey
Released: November 8, 1917
Type: Movie
Ethel Barrymore plays the wife of an abusive country squire. So nasty is her husband that he all but forces her to seek solace in the arms of her former sweetheart (played by Alan Hale in his leading-man period). Their clandestine relationship finally comes out in the open when the nasty husband is killed by his irate tenants.
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The Lifted Veil
Title: The Lifted Veil
Character: Clorinda Gildersleeve
Released: September 10, 1917
Type: Movie
Overcome with guilt after having an affair with her best friends husband, Clorinda hopes to escape her past by moving to Europe, where she meets Malcolm, a decent man who falls in love with her.
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The Greatest Power
Title: The Greatest Power
Character: Miriam Monroe
Released: June 18, 1917
Type: Movie
Miriam Monroe and John Conrad are two young scientific workers who, independently of each other, have discovered a chemical called exonite. Miriam discovered it while searching for a cure for cancer, while Conrad used it as a basis for a powerful explosive.
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The Call of Her People
Title: The Call of Her People
Character: Egypt
Released: May 27, 1917
Type: Movie
Faro Black, the chief of the Gypsies, finds out that his son Faro and his girlfriend Egypt have gotten married. Infuriated, he tells that their marriage isn't valid, since Egypt is actually the daughter of wealthy Gordon Lindsay, who is on his way to the gypsy camp to claim her. The two promise to remain faithful to each other, but as time passes and she never hears from Faro, her love turns to bitterness.
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The White Raven
Title: The White Raven
Character: Nan Baldwin
Released: January 14, 1917
Type: Movie
William Baldwin, ruined in business by his partner, John Blaisdell, implores Blaisdell's aid, and receives in answer a five-dollar bill across the face of which is written, "Spend this for a gun and use it on yourself."
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The Awakening of Helena Ritchie
Title: The Awakening of Helena Ritchie
Character: Helena Richie
Released: December 18, 1916
Type: Movie
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The Kiss of Hate
Title: The Kiss of Hate
Character: Nadia Turgeneff
Released: April 3, 1916
Type: Movie
When Count Peter Turgeneff, his daughter, Nadia, and Paul, his generous-hearted son, came to live in the Governor's palace in the Russian province of Valogda, there was rejoicing among the oppressed race whose home was in the Ghetto.
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The Final Judgment
Title: The Final Judgment
Character: Jane Carleson - Mrs. Murray Campbell
Released: October 18, 1915
Type: Movie
Actress Jane Carleson has three admirers: Henry Strong (a millionaire), Hamilton Ross (a chemist), and Murray Campbell (a district attorney). When Jane weds Campbell, Ross writes an anonymous letter to Campbell, warning him that Strong is after his wife.
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The Nightingale
Title: The Nightingale
Character: Isola Franti - 'The Nightingale'
Released: October 5, 1914
Type: Movie
Franti, an organ grinder of the poor districts of New York, has a daughter, Isola, who sings to his street piano's accompaniment.