Barrymore, often described as a ‘theatrical genius’, was a profligate spender – a serious problem because he endured extended periods of unemployment due to his alcoholism.
“Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?” ~ John Barrymore
John Barrymore was born John Sidney Blyth on 14th or 15th February 1882, in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Drew and Barrymore families of theatrical fame and regarded by many as the greatest among them.
He was a star of the stage screen and radio.
Barrymore died of cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure complicated by pneumonia on 29th May 1942 in Los Angeles, California.
In his obituary, The New York Times referred to Barrymore’s work in Justice, Richard III, and Hamlet and noted that he “was accepted by most critics as the foremost English-speaking actor of his time.”