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Lionel Barrymore

Lionel Barrymore

Lionel Barrymore (born April 28, 1878, died November 15, 1954), original name: Lionel Blythe, was an American actor of stage, radio and film, elder brother of Ethel and John Barrymore. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in Van Nuys, California.

Barrymore made a name for himself on stage before going to Hollywood in 1924. He won an Oscar in 1931 for best actor in Free Soul, after having been nominated in 1930 for best director for Madame X.

He played the irascible Doctor Gillespie in a series of Doctor Kildare and Doctor Gillespie movies in the 1930s and 1940s. Years later, after breaking his hip twice, he was confined to a wheelchair, but still acted. He is perhaps currently best known as Mr. Potter, the miserly banker, in It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.

Lionel Barrymore is interred in the Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2003.

Lionel Barrymore Facts

Birth NameLionel Blythe
OccupationActor
BirthdayApril 28, 1878
SignTaurus
BirthplacePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Date of deathNovember 15, 1954 (age 76)
Height6' (1m83)  How tall is Lionel Barrymore compared to you?
Awards1931 Academy Awards: Best Actor (for A Free Soul)

Selected Filmography

It's A Wonderful Life
Key Largo
You Can't Take It with You
The Valley of Decision
Grand Hotel
Captains Courageous
Dinner at Eight
On Borrowed Time
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