ACTOR
Lionel Barrymore
32 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (32)
- #001
Lionel Barrymore invented the boom microphone.
- #002
Lionel Barrymore was one of the few film actors to sustain a prolific career through the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s despite being in a wheelchair. From 1938 onward, his screen roles were written to accommodate his disability.
- #003
Lionel Barrymore and his sister Ethel Barrymore were the first brother and sister to win Oscars in acting categories.
- #004
Lionel Barrymore was Drew Barrymore's great-uncle.
- #005
Lionel Barrymore used a wheelchair from 1938 onward because of the effects of arthritis and a hip injury.
- #006
Lionel Barrymore was an honorary pallbearer at Lon Chaney's funeral.
- #007
Raised as Roman Catholics by their mother, all three Barrymore siblings bore the stigma of divorce (undoubtedly connected to the family business), and only Ethel Barrymore practiced Catholicism in adulthood.
- #008
Lionel Barrymore appeared in two films that won the Best Picture Oscar: Grand Hotel (1932) and You Can't Take It with You (1938). Lee Phelps also appeared in both films.
- #009
In Rasputin and the Empress (1932), Lionel Barrymore played Rasputin, the alleged lover of Alexandra, wife of Tsar Nicholas II, a role played by his real-life sister Ethel Barrymore. Their brother John Barrymore took the part of Prince Chegodieff in the same film.
- #010
Lionel Barrymore had severe problems with income taxes and, for the last 15 years of his life, routinely turned over his entire paycheck to the Internal Revenue Service except for a small sum he used for living expenses. After his death, the IRS also took the proceeds from the sale of his artworks.
- #011
Lionel Barrymore's name appeared on a newspaper on a park bench in the Looney Tunes cartoon One Froggy Evening (1955), directed by Chuck Jones, before the distraught man is sent to a psychiatric ward because the frog would not sing for anyone.
- #012
Lionel Barrymore has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: at 1724 Vine Street for motion pictures and at 1651 Vine Street for radio.
- #013
The three Barrymore siblings appeared together in only one film: Rasputin and the Empress (1932). Lionel and John appeared without Ethel in Arsène Lupin (1932), Grand Hotel (1932), Night Flight (1933) and Dinner at Eight (1933). Ten years after John's death, Lionel and Ethel appeared together in Main Street to Broadway (1953), Lionel's last film.
- #014
Lionel Barrymore was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles, California, USA, in the Main Mausoleum, Block 352.
- #015
Lionel Barrymore began his career as a stock company player at the Biograph Company.
- #016
Lionel Barrymore was buried as a Roman Catholic at Calvary Cemetery in Hollywood, beside his second wife and his brother John Barrymore.
- #017
Lionel Barrymore directed two actors to Oscar nominations: Ruth Chatterton (Best Actress, Madame X (1929), technically not an official nomination) and Lawrence Tibbett (Best Actor, The Rogue Song (1930)).
- #018
Lionel Barrymore and Spring Byington played husband and wife in Ah Wilderness! (1935). Three years later they played father and daughter in You Can't Take It with You (1938).
- #019
Lionel Barrymore spent most of his film career under contract to MGM (1926-52).
- #020
Barrymore was a member of The Lambs, New York's historic actors' club, in 1900 and remained a member until his death.
- #021
He was a screen, stage, radio and vaudeville actor, film producer and screenwriter.
- #022
He was only 22 years older than Jean Arthur, who played his granddaughter in You Can't Take It with You (1938).
- #023
He was the son of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore; the grandson of Louisa Drew and the stage actor John Drew (1827-1862); the nephew of Sidney Drew; and the cousin of S. Rankin Drew. He was the father of two daughters: Ethel (1909-1910) and Mary (1916-1917).
- #024
He appeared in seven Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929), Grand Hotel (1932), Captains Courageous (1937), Test Pilot (1938), You Can't Take It with You (1938), Since You Went Away (1944) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Grand Hotel and You Can't Take It with You won.
- #025
He was the uncle of John Drew Barrymore, Diana Barrymore, Samuel Colt, Ethel Colt and John Drew Colt.
- #026
He studied music composition with Eugene Zador for ten years.
- #027
He and his sister Ethel are the only brother and sister to win Oscars.
- #028
Counting unofficial nominations, he is the first person nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor (for A Free Soul (1931), which he won) and Best Director (for Madame X (1929)).
- #029
He was the former brother-in-law of Phyllis Rankin, Mrs. Sidney Drew and Harry Davenport.
- #030
In the 1960s cartoon series Underdog (1964), Underdog's enemy Simon Bar Sinister has a voice reminiscent of Barrymore, though the voice was actually provided by Allen Swift.
- #031
In 1930 he lived at 802 N. Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
- #032
In the 1950 census he is the tenant of Florence R Wheeler, Maryellen Wheeler and Violet Grace Wheeler.
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