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Lionel Barrymore

Lionel Barrymore

Acting1878Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

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.

Acting History

2004
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
as Self / Various roles (archive footage)
2003
The Mesmerist
as The Innkeeper (archive footage)
Complicated Women
as Self (archive footage)
1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self (archive footage)
1976
That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage)
1974
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1972
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
as Self (archive footage)
1956
Our Mr. Sun
as Father Time (voice)
1955
Film Fun
as (archive footage)
MGM Parade
TVas Self / self
1953
1952
Lone Star
as Andrew Jackson
1951
Bannerline
as Hugo Trimble
1950
Right Cross
as Sean O'Malley
1949
Malaya
as John Manchester
1948
Key Largo
as James Temple
1947
Dark Delusion
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1946
Duel in the Sun
as Sen. Jackson McCanles
The Secret Heart
as Dr. Rossiger
Three Wise Fools
as Dr. Richard Gaunght
1945
The Valley of Decision
as Pat Rafferty
Between Two Women
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1944
Dragon Seed
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
3 Men in White
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
A Guy Named Joe
as The General
1943
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1942
Calling Dr. Gillespie
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Tennessee Johnson
as Thaddeus Stevens
Dr. Kildare's Victory
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
1941
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Bad Man
as Uncle Henry Jones
Lady Be Good
as Judge Murdock
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Penalty
as 'Grandpop' Logan
1940
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Stars Look Down
as Narrator (U.S. release only) (voice)
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
as Self (archive footage)
1939
On Borrowed Time
as Julian Northrup aka Gramps
Calling Dr. Kildare
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Let Freedom Ring
as Thomas Logan
The Movies March On
as Self (segment The New York Hat) (archive footage)
1938
Test Pilot
as Howard B. Drake
You Can't Take It with You
as Martin Vanderhof
Young Dr. Kildare
as Dr. Leonard Gillespie
A Yank at Oxford
as Dan Sheridan
1937
A Family Affair
as Judge Hardy
Captains Courageous
as Captain Disko Troop
Saratoga
as Grandpa Clayton
Navy Blue and Gold
as Captain 'Skinny' Dawes
1936
The Devil-Doll
as Paul Lavond
Camille
as Monsieur Duval
The Road to Glory
as Papa La Roche / Pvt. Morin
The Gorgeous Hussy
as Andrew Jackson
The Voice of Bugle Ann
as Springfield Davis
1935
Public Hero Number 1
as Dr. Josiah Glass
Ah, Wilderness!
as Nat Miller
The Little Colonel
as Colonel Lloyd
Mark of the Vampire
as Professor Zelin
David Copperfield
as Dan Peggotty
1934
This Side of Heaven
as Martin Turner
Carolina
as Bob Connelly
Treasure Island
as Billy Bones
1933
Should Ladies Behave
as Augustus Merrick
Night Flight
as Robineau
Christopher Bean
as Dr. Milton Haggett
Sweepings
as Daniel Pardway
The Stranger's Return
as Grandpa Cyrus Tatum Storr
Dinner at Eight
as Oliver Jordan
Looking Forward
as Tim Benton
1932
Rasputin and the Empress
as Grigori Rasputin
Broken Lullaby
as Dr. H. Holderlin
Arsène Lupin
as Detective Guerchard
Grand Hotel
as Otto Kringelein
The Washington Masquerade
as Jefferson "Jeff" Keane
1931
Mata Hari
as General Serge Shubin
The Yellow Ticket
as Baron Igor Andreeff
Guilty Hands
as Richard Grant
The Christmas Party
as Himself (uncredited)
A Free Soul
as Stephen Ashe
1930
Free and Easy
as Bedroom Scene
Estrellados
as Self (Guest Appearance)
Redemption
Director
The Sea Bat
Director
1929
The Mysterious Island
as Andre Dakkar
Madame X
Director
1928
Sadie Thompson
as Alfred Davidson
Drums of Love
as Duke Cathos de Alvia
1927
The Show
as The Greek
Body and Soul
as Dr. Leyden
1926
The Bells
as Mathias
Wife Tamers
as Mr. Barry
The Temptress
as Canterac
1925
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
1924
America
as Capt. Walter Butler
1923
The Eternal City
as Baron Bonelli
Unseeing Eyes
as Conrad Dean
1921
The Great Adventure
as Priam Farll
1920
The Devil's Garden
as William Dale
1917
The Millionaire's Double
as Bide Bennington
1916
The Quitter
as Happy Jack Lewis
1915
Wildfire
as John Keefe
1914
Judith of Bethulia
as Extra (uncredited)
Strongheart
as Billy Saunders
Classmates
as Bubby Dumble
1913
An Indian's Loyalty
as The Cattle Buyer
Fate
as Father, Loving Family
Death's Marathon
as The Financial Backer
The Yaqui Cur
as The Easterner
The Wanderer
as The Male Lover
The Switchtower
as First Counterfeiter
Three Friends
as Second Friend
1912
The New York Hat
as Minister
Brutality
as At Wedding
My Baby
as At table
The Musketeers of Pig Alley
as The Musician's Friend
Friends
as Grizzley Fallon - Dandy Jack's Friend
The Burglar’s Dilemma
as The Householder
The Painted Lady
as At Ice Cream Festival
1911
The Miser's Heart
as Jules - the Thief
The Battle
as Wagon Driver (uncredited)
1905

Social Media

IMDb

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
4/28/1878
Day of Death
11/15/1954
Place of Birth
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA