$4.49
Details
John Barrymore: The Life and Legacy of Early 20th Century America's Most Famous Actor
Author: Charles River Editors
Narrator: Bill Hare
Unabridged: 1 hr 23 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Published: 12/06/2019
Genre: Biography & Autobiography - Entertainment & Performing Arts
Synopsis
In the 1920s, the burgeoning movie industry was starting to come into its own, and virtually no actor was as famous – or infamous – as John Barrymore. Like many other film stars his age, Barrymore’s career had started in other forms of entertainment, in his case theater, and by the time movies were becoming popular, Barrymore was one of the world’s foremost Shakespearean actors. After standout performances in productions of Richard III and Hamlet, Barrymore transitioned for a time to working on films, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922) and The Sea Beast (1926). His career would not be hampered by the end of the silent film era either, and he would continue to star in movies throughout the 1930s, including in critically acclaimed films like Grand Hotel (1932), Twentieth Century (1934) and Midnight (1939).
For a time, Barrymore was one of the most popular actors of the day, but more than 75 years after his death, he is likely better remembered more for his family lineage and his contributions to pop culture, voluntarily and involuntarily. Barrymore hailed from an acting family, and he would become the patriarch whose descendants continued to be acclaimed actors, most recently his granddaughter Drew Barrymore. But while that might be his most tangential legacy in the 21st century, Barrymore’s personal life continues to draw interest, from his many marriages and paramours to the substance abuse that was common knowledge by the end of his life. Barrymore even tried to play to his reputation and get in on the joke, often taking on roles that served as parodies of his own outlandish behavior. In a self-deprecating reference to his love life, he once joked, “I am thinking of taking a fifth wife. Why not? Solomon had a thousand wives and he is a synonym for wisdom.”
by Mario Puzo
In this entertaining and insightful essay, Mario Puzo chronicles his rise from struggling writer to overnight success after the publication of The Godfather. With equal parts cynicism and humor, Puzo recounts the book deal and his experiences in Ho...
Published: 06/25/2013
by Columbus Short
The life of actor, choreographer, and musician Columbus Short has been punctuated with trauma that extends well beyond the plot lines of his previous role on the hit series Scandal. Short has lived many lives packed into one—from a family fill...
Published: 09/29/2020
by Greg Laurie
Join Greg Laurie as he takes a cross-country drive in his 1968 Highland Green Ford Mustang 390 GT through the canyons of Malibu, the alleys of Hollywood, the wide and open roads of the Midwest, the streets of New York, as he traces the wooly geograp...
Published: 06/13/2017
by James Acaster
The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages.PERFECT SOUND WHATEVER is a love letter to the healing power of music, and how one man's obsessive quest saw him def...
Published: 08/22/2019
by Geoffrey Giuliano
The music of Janis Joplin lives forever but just who was this brash young woman from rural Texas? In this exciting audio event, author Giuliano takes up the task via rare archival interviews and insightful commentary.
Published: 07/18/2019
by Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher reads her New York Times Bestselling Memoir! Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman st...
Published: 02/17/2009
by Carrie Fisher
Infused with Carrie Fisher’s trademark incisive wit and perfectly poised on the heels of Wishful Drinking’s instant New York Times bestselling success, Shockaholic takes listeners on another rollicking ride into her crazy life. Told wit...
Published: 11/01/2011
by Introbooks Team
Bruce lee, the little phoenix, is dedicated to the legends 75th birthday that is to be celebrated this November, towards his humongous number of fans, and followers all over the world, even today. If avid readers of Bruce lee legend are not a fan or...
Published: 05/08/2016
by Pattie Mallette
Most people only know her as Justin Bieber's mom, but Pattie Mallette has had an incredible journey of her own. Many people have heard of her son's rags to riches triumph. A few know she was a teen mom who had to overcome a drug and alcohol addictio...
Published: 09/28/2012