1879-1959
Famous stage and film actress, and Barrymore family member, Ethel Barrymore was born Ethel Mae Blythe on this day in Philadelphia. She was the sister of actors John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (the family surname was Blythe, but their famous stage acting father Maurice used "Barrymore" as a stage name). The entire family, on both sides, were deeply involved with the theater. When she was was five, she sailed with her family to England, where they remained for two years. Maurice had ideas of staging in the Haymarket Theater there. She recalled the two years in England as the happiest of her childhood. Back in the United States, she determined that she wished to become a concert pianist. Her (their) mother Georgia, however, was suffering from tuberculosis and eventually died in California on a health retreat--Ethel had accompanied her mother. Georgie was only 37 years old; Ethel and Lionel were both in their teens at the time and they were forced to go to work, cutting their Catholic educations short. Ethel made her Broadway debut in 1895 in a play that her uncle (her mother's brother) was starring in. She would appear in at least one other play that he, John Drew Jr., was starring in as well. In 1897 she was offered the opportunity to return to England and act in a play there. She took the role with success; and as she was set to return to the U.S., she was offered a role in a play touring in the London area. She chose this over touring a larger area with a troupe in the U.S. She wound up at the end of the tour in a part that was specially written for her. She gained the admiration of young men far and wide of greater London, including a younger Winston Churchill, who reportedly went so far as to ask her to marry him. Upon returning to the U.S. she was cast in play that opened on the 4th of February in 1901 at the Garrick Theater. One of her performances of this role would wind up being the only time that her father saw her act professionally--he was impressed. By the end of the run, she was the undisputed queen of the stage. Her popularity only grew from this point, and she was eventually dubbed "The First Lady of the American Theatre." Throughout her career she was a strong supporter of the Actor's Equity Association. By the time she achieved such stage success, she had already appeared in her first film; this came with what can only be called the most prominent uncredited role in How a French Nobleman Got a Wife Through the "New York Herald" Personal Columns a 1904 Edison comedic short. She would have one more film appearance in 1904 in yet another uncredited role, and would not return to the medium until 1914. When she did, she was a star, and so she naturally got a leading role in a feature film. The film was The Nightingale. She appeared in several films during the 1910's--most of them in 1917. Though after 1919 she would not return to film acting until 1926 and that was a "fancy." It was a home movie of Dumas' Camille; amazing because it still survives! It only 30 minute long and even features an appearance by Clarence Darrow. She was the queen of theater after all, so it comes as no surprise that she did not appear in front of the camera again until the dawn of the talking era. She starred, along side of her brother Lionel, in the 1932 Rasputin and the Empress made for MGM. Though she was a lifelong stage actress of great skill, she continued to appear in front the camera almost right up to the year of her death. She made her television debut in 1950 as the narrator in an episode of NBC Television Opera Theatre, Die Fledermaus. Her last film appearance came in Johnny Trouble in 1957. She also had a short lived radio career as well. She died on 18th of June in 1959 from cardiovascular disease. She is interred in the Catholic Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles that was near both of her brothers at the time (her brother John was subsequently removed, cremated and reburied next to their parents in Philadelphia by his son John [father of Drew]). The Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York is named for her.
For More:
Obituary in the New York Times
Leave Virtual Flowers @ Find A Grave
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