John Drew Barrymore (born John Blyth Barrymore Jr.; June 4, 1932 – November 29, 2004) was an American film actor and member of the Barrymore family of actors, which included his father, John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel and Ethel. He was the father of four children, including actor John Blyth Barrymore and actress Drew Barrymore. Diana Barrymore was his half-sister from his father's second marriage.
Barrymore was born in Los Angeles to John Barrymore (born John Blyth) and silent film actress Dolores Costello.[1][2] His parents separated when he was 18 months old, and he rarely saw his father afterward. Educated at private schools, he made his film debut at 17, billed as John Barrymore Jr.[1] One of the schools he attended was the Hollywood Professional School.[3][4] His mother attempted to dissuade him from entering acting, sending him to St. John’s Military Academy.[5] In 1945, at age 13, Barrymore and his cousin Dirk Drew Davenport enlisted in the United States Navy to fight in World War II, posing as 17 year olds.[5][6] As both were tall for their age, the military did not discover until several weeks later that the boys were below the minimum enlistment age and they were subsequently sent home.[5][6]
Barrymore's film career began with a small role in The Sundowners (1950), a Western with Robert Preston.[7] As he was a minor he needed his mother's permission. His fee was $7,500.[8][9] He was promoted to leading man in just his second movie, the Western High Lonesome (1950), written and directed by Alan Le May, who also wrote Barrymore's next film, Quebec (1951).[10] He starred in The Big Night (1951), written and directed by Joseph Losey, and was in Thunderbirds (1952) with John DerekatRepublic. In 1953, he was briefly jailed for failing to appear on three old traffic charges.[11]
Barrymore's films were not particularly successful. He moved into television, guest-starring on shows like Schlitz Playhouse and The 20th Century-Fox Hour . He performed in TV movies, including The Reluctant Redeemer (1954), The Adventures of Lt. Contee (1955), and appeared in several episodes of Matinee Theatre. In 1957 he directed an episode of Matinee Theatre, "One for All." "Television gives me the chance to do what movies didn't," he said.[12] In 1955, Barrymore was sued by Lanny Budd Productions for not making a series of movies in Europe. Barrymore counter-sued.[13] In 1967, he was cast in the role of Lazarus in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode The Alternative Factor but did not show up on the first day of shooting. He was suspended from acting for six months after Star Trek filled a grievance.[14] The role was then recast with Robert Brown in the part.
In 1958, he changed his middle name to Drew, although he had previously been credited in past works as Blyth. He had a supporting role in High School Confidential! (1958) at MGM, and the lead in Never Love a Stranger and MGM's interracial drama, Night of the Quarter Moon (1959) with Julie London.[16] In December 1958, he was sentenced to three weekends in prison after a drunken public fight with his wife in a parking lot.[17] In January 1959, his ex-wife sued for nonpayment of alimony.[18] In March 1959, he was arrested for suspected hit-and-run drunk driving.[19] In October 1959, he quit the touring company of Look Homeward, Angel after a week and a half of rehearsals.[20]
Barrymore returned to Los Angeles. He announced he made 16 films abroad, but "I'm not going to do anything bad any more. I feel I'm straightened out and down the block. Somewhere around the block I lost half my ego, so I don't work for applause."[21] He also said he had started to write scripts. He guest starred on episodes of various television series, including Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, Run for Your Life,[22]Jericho, and Dundee and the Culhane, and appeared in the 1967 television film Winchester '73.
Barrymore's antisocial and erratic behavior continued to obstruct his professional progress. In the 1960s, he was occasionally incarcerated for drug use, public drunkenness, and spousal abuse.[1][23] In 1964, he went to prison for possession of marijuana.[16]
In 1966, Barrymore was signed to play a guest role as Lazarus in the Star Trek episode "The Alternative Factor". However, he failed to show up (replaced at the last minute by Robert Brown), resulting in a SAG suspension of six months.[24]
After the SAG suspension was served to Barrymore in 1967, he sporadically worked on-screen, sometimes with a few years between appearances.
In 1967, he was imprisoned for possession of drugs following a car crash.[25] In 1969, he was again arrested for possession of drugs after another car accident.[26]
Barrymore eventually withdrew from acting, with his final two appearances being a 1974 episode of Kung Fu and an uncredited role in the 1976 film Baby Blue Marine. Barrymore suffered from the same addiction problems that had destroyed his father. Although he continued to appear occasionally onscreen, he became reclusive, disappearing into the wilderness to live a mystical existence that has also been described as derelict. He was estranged from his family, including his children, and his lifestyle continued to worsen as his physical and mental health deteriorated.[27][28]
In 2003, his daughter Drew moved him near her home, despite their estrangement. She paid his medical bills until his death from cancer the following year at age 72. She spread his ashes at Joshua Tree National Park, John's favorite place.[29] He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to television.
All of Barrymore's marriages ended in divorce. His first marriage was to actress Cara Williams in 1952; they had one child, John Blyth Barrymore (b. 1954), before they divorced in 1959. A year later, in 1960, Barrymore married Gabriella Palazzoli. Their daughter, Blyth Dolores Barrymore, was born that same year. Their marriage lasted 10 years before ending in divorce in 1970.[30]
^According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461(account required)
^Thomas R. Whissen (1998). Guide to American cinema, 1930-1965. Greenwood Press. p. 128.
^"John Barrymore Jr. in Films". The New York Times. August 11, 1949. p. 26.
^"John Barrymore Jr. Gets O.K. On Contract". Chicago Daily Tribune. June 3, 1949. p. 14.
^"Barrymore Son Signs Film Contract to Begin at $150: Silent Star Mother Accompanies Youth to Court for Approval of New Career Terms". Los Angeles Times. June 3, 1949. p. 2.
^Schallert, Edwin (May 5, 1957). "John Barrymore Jr., Margaret O'Brien Face Test in 'Romeo'". Los Angeles Times. p. E1.
^ abOliver, Myrna (December 1, 2004). "Obituaries; John Drew Barrymore, 72; Troubled Heir to the Throne of the Royal Family of Acting". Los Angeles Times. p. B.10.
^"John Barrymore Jr. Is JailedThe". The New York Times. January 1, 1958. p. 30.
^"Barrymore's Alimony Lags, Ex-Wife Charges". Los Angeles Times. January 10, 1959. p. B8.
^"John Barrymore Jr. Held in Hit-Run Case". Los Angeles Times. March 8, 1959. p. 32.
^"BARRYMORE QUITS PLAY: Had Been Rehearsing in Tour of 'Look Homeward, Angel'". The New York Times. October 14, 1959. p. 51.
^Hedda Hoppers (August 18, 1964). "John Barrymore Jr. Turning Out Scripts". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. A25.
^"John Barrymore Jr. Joins TV Episode". Los Angeles Times. January 18, 1966. p. c15.
