John Barrymore: The Life and Legacy of Early 20th Century America's Most Famous Actor
ISBN: 9781713309987
$9.99
*Includes pictures
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents
"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” – John Barrymore
Movie stars are revered for their ability to captivate audiences, and Hollywood began to flourish before the onset of television, allowing movies to enjoy relatively uncontested supremacy over American entertainment. The popularity of various actors would thus extend well beyond the success of any of their individual films, reflecting their much broader cultural significance as monuments of Hollywood during its Golden Age.
In the 1920s, the burgeoning movie industry was starting to come into its own, and virtually no actor was as famous – or infamous – as John Barrymore. Like many other film stars his age, Barrymore’s career had started in other forms of entertainment, in his case theater, and by the time movies were becoming popular, Barrymore was one of the world’s foremost Shakespearean actors. After standout performances in productions of Richard III and Hamlet, Barrymore transitioned for a time to working on films, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922) and The Sea Beast (1926). His career would not be hampered by the end of the silent film era either, and he would continue to star in movies throughout the 1930s, including in critically acclaimed films like Grand Hotel (1932), Twentieth Century (1934) and Midnight (1939).
*Includes a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents
"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” – John Barrymore
Movie stars are revered for their ability to captivate audiences, and Hollywood began to flourish before the onset of television, allowing movies to enjoy relatively uncontested supremacy over American entertainment. The popularity of various actors would thus extend well beyond the success of any of their individual films, reflecting their much broader cultural significance as monuments of Hollywood during its Golden Age.
In the 1920s, the burgeoning movie industry was starting to come into its own, and virtually no actor was as famous – or infamous – as John Barrymore. Like many other film stars his age, Barrymore’s career had started in other forms of entertainment, in his case theater, and by the time movies were becoming popular, Barrymore was one of the world’s foremost Shakespearean actors. After standout performances in productions of Richard III and Hamlet, Barrymore transitioned for a time to working on films, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922) and The Sea Beast (1926). His career would not be hampered by the end of the silent film era either, and he would continue to star in movies throughout the 1930s, including in critically acclaimed films like Grand Hotel (1932), Twentieth Century (1934) and Midnight (1939).