Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
April 28, 1878
Place of Birth:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Social Media
Lionel Barrymore
Biography
Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul (1931), and remains best known to modern audiences for the role of villainous Mr. Potter in Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. He is also particularly remembered as Ebenezer Scrooge in annual broadcasts of A Christmas Carol during his last two decades. He is also known for playing Dr. Leonard Gillespie in MGM's nine Dr. Kildare films, a role he reprised in a further six films focusing solely on Gillespie and in a radio series entitled The Story of Dr. Kildare. He was a member of the theatrical Barrymore family.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It With You | Self (archive footage) |
| 2004 | Checking Out: Grand Hotel | Self / Various roles (archive footage) |
| 2003 | The Mesmerist | The Innkeeper (archive footage) |
| 2003 | Complicated Women | Self (archive footage) |
| 2002 | D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913 | |
| 1987 | James Stewart: A Wonderful Life | Self (archive footage) |
| 1986 | Super Duper Bloopers | Self |
| 1976 | That's Entertainment, Part II | (archive footage) |
| 1976 | Hooray for Hollywood | Self (archive footage) |
| 1974 | That's Entertainment! | (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1972 | Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self (archive footage) |
| 1956 | Our Mr. Sun | Father Time (voice) |
| 1955 | Film Fun | (archive footage) |
| 1953 | Yesterday and Today | (archive footage) |
| 1953 | Main Street to Broadway | Self |
| 1952 | Lone Star | Andrew Jackson |
| 1951 | Bannerline | Hugo Trimble |
| 1951 | The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story | Himself - Giving Introduction |
| 1950 | Right Cross | Sean O'Malley |
| 1950 | Screen Actors | Self (uncredited) |
| 1949 | A Guy Named Joe | The General |
| 1949 | Malaya | John Manchester |
| 1949 | Down to the Sea in Ships | Bering Joy |
| 1949 | Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership | Himself |
| 1949 | Breakdowns of 1949 | Self |
| 1948 | Key Largo | James Temple |
| 1947 | Dark Delusion | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1947 | The Way of the World | Grizzley Fallon (Archive Footage) |
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | Mr. Potter |
| 1946 | Duel in the Sun | Sen. Jackson McCanles |
| 1946 | Three Wise Fools | Dr. Richard Gaunght |
| 1946 | The Secret Heart | Dr. Rossiger |
| 1945 | The Valley of Decision | Pat Rafferty |
| 1945 | Between Two Women | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1944 | Since You Went Away | Clergyman |
| 1944 | 3 Men in White | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1944 | Dragon Seed | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1944 | Twenty Years After | (archive footage) |
| 1943 | Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1943 | The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith | Gramps |
| 1942 | Calling Dr. Gillespie | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1942 | Tennessee Johnson | Thaddeus Stevens |
| 1942 | Dr. Kildare's Victory | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1942 | Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1941 | Lady Be Good | Judge Murdock |
| 1941 | Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1941 | The People Vs. Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1941 | The Penalty | 'Grandpop' Logan |
| 1941 | The Bad Man | Uncle Henry Jones |
| 1940 | Dr. Kildare Goes Home | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1940 | Dr. Kildare's Crisis | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1940 | Dr. Kildare's Strange Case | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1940 | The Stars Look Down | Narrator (U.S. release only) (voice) |
| 1940 | A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound | Self |
| 1940 | Cavalcade of the Academy Awards | Self (archive footage) |
| 1940 | Hollywood: Style Center of the World | Self |
| 1939 | On Borrowed Time | Julian Northrup aka Gramps |
| 1939 | The Secret of Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1939 | Calling Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1939 | Let Freedom Ring | Thomas Logan |
| 1939 | Land of Liberty | (archive footage) |
| 1939 | From the Ends of the Earth | Self |
| 1939 | The Movies March On | Self (segment The New York Hat) (archive footage) |
| 1938 | You Can't Take It with You | Martin Vanderhof |
| 1938 | Test Pilot | Howard B. Drake |
| 1938 | A Yank at Oxford | Dan Sheridan |
| 1938 | Young Dr. Kildare | Dr. Leonard Gillespie |
| 1938 | Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 | Lionel Barrymore |
| 1938 | A Fireside Chat with Lionel Barrymore | Self |
| 1937 | Saratoga | Grandpa Clayton |
| 1937 | Captains Courageous | Captain Disko Troop |
| 1937 | A Family Affair | Judge Hardy |
| 1937 | Navy Blue and Gold | Captain 'Skinny' Dawes |
| 1936 | The Devil-Doll | Paul Lavond |
| 1936 | Camille | Monsieur Duval |
| 1936 | The Road to Glory | Papa La Roche / Pvt. Morin |
| 1936 | The Gorgeous Hussy | Andrew Jackson |
| 1936 | The Voice of Bugle Ann | Springfield Davis |
| 1935 | Public Hero Number 1 | Dr. Josiah Glass |
| 1935 | Mark of the Vampire | Professor Zelin |
| 1935 | The Little Colonel | Colonel Lloyd |
| 1935 | David Copperfield | Dan Peggotty |
| 1935 | Ah, Wilderness! | Nat Miller |
| 1935 | The Return Of Peter Grimm | Peter Grimm |
| 1934 | Treasure Island | Billy Bones |
| 1934 | The Girl from Missouri | T.R. Paige |
| 1934 | This Side of Heaven | Martin Turner |
| 1934 | Carolina | Bob Connelly |
| 1933 | Dinner at Eight | Oliver Jordan |
| 1933 | Night Flight | Robineau |
| 1933 | The Stranger's Return | Grandpa Cyrus Tatum Storr |
| 1933 | Should Ladies Behave | Augustus Merrick |
| 1933 | Sweepings | Daniel Pardway |
| 1933 | One Man's Journey | Eli Watt |
| 1933 | Looking Forward | Tim Benton |
| 1933 | Christopher Bean | Dr. Milton Haggett |
| 1932 | Grand Hotel | Otto Kringelein |
| 1932 | Rasputin and the Empress | Grigori Rasputin |
| 1932 | Broken Lullaby | Dr. H. Holderlin |
| 1932 | Arsène Lupin | Detective Guerchard |
| 1932 | The Washington Masquerade | Jefferson "Jeff" Keane |
| 1931 | Mata Hari | General Serge Shubin |
| 1931 | A Free Soul | Stephen Ashe |
| 1931 | The Yellow Ticket | Baron Igor Andreeff |
| 1931 | Guilty Hands | Richard Grant |
| 1931 | The Christmas Party | Himself (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Estrellados | Self (Guest Appearance) |
| 1930 | Free and Easy | Bedroom Scene |
| 1929 | The Hollywood Revue of 1929 | Self - Director of 'Romeo and Juliet' (uncredited) |
| 1929 | The Mysterious Island | Andre Dakkar |
| 1928 | West of Zanzibar | Crane |
| 1928 | Sadie Thompson | Alfred Davidson |
| 1928 | Road House | Henry Grayson |
| 1928 | Drums of Love | Duke Cathos de Alvia |
| 1928 | Alias Jimmy Valentine | Doyle |
| 1928 | The Lion and the Mouse | John Ryder |
| 1928 | The River Woman | Bill Lefty |
| 1927 | The Show | The Greek |
| 1927 | Body and Soul | Dr. Leyden |
| 1927 | Women Love Diamonds | Hugo Harlan |
| 1927 | The Thirteenth Hour | Prof. Leroy |
| 1926 | The Temptress | Canterac |
| 1926 | The Barrier | Stark Bennett |
| 1926 | The Bells | Mathias |
| 1926 | Wife Tamers | Mr. Barry |
| 1926 | Paris at Midnight | Vautrin |
| 1926 | The Lucky Lady | Count Ferranzo |
| 1926 | Brooding Eyes | Slim Jim Carey |
| 1925 | The Splendid Road | Dan Clehollis |
| 1925 | The Woman Who Did | Allan Merrick |
| 1925 | The Wrongdoers | Daniel Abbott |
| 1925 | A Man of Iron | Philip Durban |
| 1925 | The Girl Who Wouldn't Work | Gordon Kent |
| 1925 | Fifty-Fifty | Frederick Harmon |
| 1925 | Children of the Whirlwind | Joe Ellison |
| 1925 | Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ | Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited) |
| 1924 | I Am the Man | James McQuade |
| 1924 | America | Capt. Walter Butler |
| 1924 | Decameron Nights | Saladin |
| 1924 | Meddling Women | Edwin Ainsworth / John Wells (duel role) |
| 1923 | Unseeing Eyes | Conrad Dean |
| 1923 | The Eternal City | Baron Bonelli |
| 1923 | Enemies of Women | Prince Lubimoff |
| 1922 | Boomerang Bill | Boomerang Bill |
| 1922 | The Face in the Fog | Boston Blackie Dawson |
| 1921 | The Great Adventure | Priam Farll |
| 1921 | Jim the Penman | James Ralston |
| 1920 | The Devil's Garden | William Dale |
| 1920 | The Copperhead | Milt Shanks |
| 1920 | The Master Mind | Henry Allen |
| 1917 | The End of the Tour | Byron Bennett |
| 1917 | His Father's Son | J. Dabney Barro |
| 1917 | The Millionaire's Double | Bide Bennington |
| 1917 | National Red Cross Pageant | |
| 1916 | The Brand of Cowardice | Cyril Hamilton |
| 1916 | The Quitter | Happy Jack Lewis |
| 1916 | The Upheaval | Jim Gordon |
| 1916 | Dorian's Divorce | Richard Dorian |
| 1915 | The Romance of Elaine | Marcus Del Mar / Mr. X |
| 1915 | The Flaming Sword | Steve |
| 1915 | The Curious Conduct of Judge Legarde | Judge Randolph Legarde |
| 1915 | A Yellow Streak | Barry Dale |
| 1915 | Dora Thorne | Lord Earle |
| 1915 | A Modern Magdalen | Lindsay |
| 1915 | Wildfire | John Keefe |
| 1914 | Her Father's Silent Partner | |
| 1914 | Judith of Bethulia | Extra (uncredited) |
| 1914 | Woman Against Woman | Gilbert Craven |
| 1914 | The Bartered Crown | The Landlord |
| 1914 | The Cracksman's Gratitude | |
| 1914 | Men and Women | Stephen Rodman / Robert Stevens |
| 1914 | The Power of the Press | Steve Carson |
| 1914 | The Seats of the Mighty | Monsieur Doltaire |
| 1914 | The Span of Life | Richard Blunt |
| 1914 | Under the Gaslight | William Byke |
| 1914 | The Exploits of Elaine | |
| 1914 | Strongheart | Billy Saunders |
| 1914 | Classmates | Bubby Dumble |
| 1914 | The Woman in Black | Robert Crane |
| 1913 | The Sheriff's Baby | Third Bandit |
| 1913 | Love in an Apartment Hotel | In Hotel Lobby |
| 1913 | A Chance Deception | 2nd Policeman |
| 1913 | So Runs the Way | |
| 1913 | The Wrong Bottle | The Father |
| 1913 | An Adventure in the Autumn Woods | The Father |
| 1913 | Just Gold | The Stay-at-Home Brother |
| 1913 | The Unwelcome Guest | At Auction (uncredited) |
| 1913 | Near To Earth | Gato |
| 1913 | The Well | The Farmer |
| 1913 | The Ranchero's Revenge | The Ranchero |
| 1913 | Red Hicks Defies the World | The Referee |
| 1913 | In Diplomatic Circles | The Japanese Ambassador |
| 1913 | A Gamble with Death | Jim Benton, the Bartender |
| 1913 | The Enemy's Baby | Postmaster Ben Brown |
| 1913 | The Mirror | Daisy's Father |
| 1913 | I Was Meant for You | Lavina's Father |
| 1913 | Under the Shadow of the Law | Charles Darnton - the Employer |
| 1913 | The Crook and the Girl | The Nephew |
| 1913 | The Work Habit | The Father |
| 1913 | The Stolen Treaty | The Japanese Diplomat |
| 1913 | All for Science | Detective |
| 1913 | A Misunderstood Boy | The Father |
| 1913 | Death's Marathon | The Financial Backer |
| 1913 | The Perfidy of Mary | Mary's Father |
| 1913 | The Tender Hearted Boy | (uncredited) |
| 1913 | Pa Says | Teddy's Rival |
| 1913 | The Vengeance of Galora | |
| 1913 | The Suffragette Minstrels | (unconfirmed) |
| 1913 | The House of Discord | The Husband |
| 1913 | The Yaqui Cur | The Easterner |
| 1913 | The Switchtower | First Counterfeiter |
| 1913 | The Wanderer | The Male Lover |
| 1913 | Almost a Wild Man | In Audience (uncredited) |
| 1913 | Three Friends | Second Friend |
| 1913 | An Indian's Loyalty | The Cattle Buyer |
| 1913 | The Strong Man's Burden | John - the Elder Brother |
| 1913 | Fate | Father, Loving Family |
| 1913 | The Telephone Girl and the Lady | The Desk Sergeant |
| 1913 | The Little Tease | In Bar |
| 1913 | Oil and Water | The Idealist's Friend |
| 1913 | A Timely Interception | Uncle James - The Farmer's Brother |
| 1913 | The Lady and the Mouse | The Father |
| 1913 | The House of Darkness | The Doctor |
| 1912 | The Musketeers of Pig Alley | The Musician's Friend |
| 1912 | A Cry for Help | The Tramp |
| 1912 | Gold and Glitter | The Lover |
| 1912 | The Informer | Union Soldier |
| 1912 | Brutality | At Wedding |
| 1912 | Heredity | Woodsman |
| 1912 | My Hero | |
| 1912 | The New York Hat | Minister |
| 1912 | The Painted Lady | At Ice Cream Festival |
| 1912 | The Chief's Blanket | The Young Man |
| 1912 | So Near, Yet So Far | In Club |
| 1912 | Friends | Grizzley Fallon - Dandy Jack's Friend |
| 1912 | The Burglar’s Dilemma | The Householder |
| 1912 | My Baby | At table |
| 1912 | The One She Loved | The Neighbor |
| 1912 | The God Within | The Woman of the Camp's Lover |
| 1911 | Fighting Blood | |
| 1911 | The Miser's Heart | Jules - the Thief |
| 1911 | The Battle | Wagon Driver (uncredited) |
| 1905 | The White Caps |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Self |