Lionel Barrymore

Apr 28, 1878 - Nov 15, 1954 (76 years old) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

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.

Known For

It's a Wonderful Life

Mr. Potter

Arsène Lupin

Detective Guerchard

Dragon Seed

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Mata Hari

General Serge Shubin

Captains Courageous

Captain Disko Troop

Tennessee Johnson

Thaddeus Stevens

Right Cross

Sean O'Malley

Lone Star

Andrew Jackson

Fifty-Fifty

Frederick Harmon

Test Pilot

Howard B. Drake

Credits

Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It With You 2008

Self (archive footage)

★ NR
Checking Out: Grand Hotel 2004

Self / Various roles (archive footage)

★ 7
The Mesmerist 2003

The Innkeeper (archive footage)

★ 8
Complicated Women 2003

Self (archive footage)

★ 6.7
D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913 2002

★ NR
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life 1987

Self (archive footage)

★ 6
Super Duper Bloopers 1986

Self

★ 6
That's Entertainment, Part II 1976

(archive footage)

★ 6.9
Hooray for Hollywood 1976

Self (archive footage)

★ NR
That's Entertainment! 1974

(archive footage) (uncredited)

★ 7.4
Hollywood: The Dream Factory 1972

Self (archive footage)

★ 6
Our Mr. Sun 1956

Father Time (voice)

★ 7.5
MGM Parade 1955

★ NR
Film Fun 1955

(archive footage)

★ 4
Yesterday and Today 1953

(archive footage)

★ NR
Main Street to Broadway 1953

Self

★ 6.5
Lone Star 1952

Andrew Jackson

★ 5.6
Bannerline 1951

Hugo Trimble

★ 6
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story 1951

Himself - Giving Introduction

★ 2
Right Cross 1950

Sean O'Malley

★ 6.6
Screen Actors 1950

Self (uncredited)

★ 6
Breakdowns of 1949 1949

Self

★ 6
Malaya 1949

John Manchester

★ 6.5
Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership 1949

Himself

★ NR
Down to the Sea in Ships 1949

Bering Joy

★ 7
A Guy Named Joe 1949

The General

★ 6.6
Key Largo 1948

James Temple

★ 7.4
Dark Delusion 1947

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6
The Way of the World 1947

Grizzley Fallon (Archive Footage)

★ NR
Duel in the Sun 1946

Sen. Jackson McCanles

★ 6.3
The Secret Heart 1946

Dr. Rossiger

★ 6.3
It's a Wonderful Life 1946

Mr. Potter

★ 8.3
Three Wise Fools 1946

Dr. Richard Gaunght

★ 5
The Valley of Decision 1945

Pat Rafferty

★ 7.3
Between Two Women 1945

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 5.9
Dragon Seed 1944

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

★ 6.6
Since You Went Away 1944

Clergyman

★ 6.5
3 Men in White 1944

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6
Twenty Years After 1944

(archive footage)

★ 6
The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith 1943

Gramps

★ 10
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case 1943

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 5.5
Tennessee Johnson 1942

Thaddeus Stevens

★ 6.1
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant 1942

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 5.3
Calling Dr. Gillespie 1942

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6.5
Dr. Kildare's Victory 1942

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 5.8
Lady Be Good 1941

Judge Murdock

★ 5.4
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day 1941

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6.6
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare 1941

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6.8
The Bad Man 1941

Uncle Henry Jones

★ 5.4
The Penalty 1941

'Grandpop' Logan

★ 6
Dr. Kildare's Crisis 1940

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound 1940

Self

★ 6.7
Dr. Kildare Goes Home 1940

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6.8
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards 1940

Self (archive footage)

★ 6.5
Hollywood: Style Center of the World 1940

Self

★ 5.5
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case 1940

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 4.6
The Stars Look Down 1940

Narrator (U.S. release only) (voice)

★ 6.4
The Secret of Dr. Kildare 1939

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 5.6
On Borrowed Time 1939

Julian Northrup aka Gramps

★ 7.5
The Movies March On 1939

Self (segment The New York Hat) (archive footage)

★ 3.5
Land of Liberty 1939

(archive footage)

★ NR
From the Ends of the Earth 1939

Self

★ NR
Calling Dr. Kildare 1939

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6.1
Let Freedom Ring 1939

Thomas Logan

★ 6
A Fireside Chat with Lionel Barrymore 1938

Self

★ NR
Young Dr. Kildare 1938

Dr. Leonard Gillespie

★ 6.5
You Can't Take It with You 1938

Martin Vanderhof

★ 7.5
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 1938

Lionel Barrymore

★ 6
Test Pilot 1938

Howard B. Drake

★ 6.5
A Yank at Oxford 1938

Dan Sheridan

★ 6.7
Navy Blue and Gold 1937

Captain 'Skinny' Dawes

★ 5.2
Saratoga 1937

Grandpa Clayton

★ 6.2
Captains Courageous 1937

Captain Disko Troop

★ 7.4
A Family Affair 1937

Judge Hardy

★ 5.7
Camille 1936

Monsieur Duval

★ 6.9
The Road to Glory 1936

Papa La Roche / Pvt. Morin

★ 6.3
The Gorgeous Hussy 1936

Andrew Jackson

★ 5.3
The Devil-Doll 1936

Paul Lavond

★ 6.8
The Voice of Bugle Ann 1936

Springfield Davis

★ 5
Ah, Wilderness! 1935

Nat Miller

★ 6.5
The Return Of Peter Grimm 1935

Peter Grimm

★ 5.2
Public Hero Number 1 1935

Dr. Josiah Glass

★ 6.2
Mark of the Vampire 1935

Professor Zelin

★ 6.1
The Little Colonel 1935

Colonel Lloyd

★ 6.5
David Copperfield 1935

Dan Peggotty

★ 6.6
Treasure Island 1934

Billy Bones

★ 6.5
The Girl from Missouri 1934

T.R. Paige

★ 6.9
This Side of Heaven 1934

Martin Turner

★ 7
Carolina 1934

Bob Connelly

★ 6
Dinner at Eight 1933

Oliver Jordan

★ 6.7
Should Ladies Behave 1933

Augustus Merrick

★ 4.1
Christopher Bean 1933

Dr. Milton Haggett

★ NR
Night Flight 1933

Robineau

★ 5.6
One Man's Journey 1933

Eli Watt

★ 6.5
The Stranger's Return 1933

Grandpa Cyrus Tatum Storr

★ 6.2
Looking Forward 1933

Tim Benton

★ 6.2
Sweepings 1933

Daniel Pardway

★ 5.1
Rasputin and the Empress 1932

Grigori Rasputin

★ 5.1
The Washington Masquerade 1932

Jefferson "Jeff" Keane

★ 6.5
Grand Hotel 1932

Otto Kringelein

★ 7
Arsène Lupin 1932

Detective Guerchard

★ 6.9
Broken Lullaby 1932

Dr. H. Holderlin

★ 7.5
Mata Hari 1931

General Serge Shubin

★ 6.2
The Christmas Party 1931

Himself (uncredited)

★ 4.9
The Yellow Ticket 1931

Baron Igor Andreeff

★ 4.7
Guilty Hands 1931

Richard Grant

★ 5.9
A Free Soul 1931

Stephen Ashe

★ 6
Estrellados 1930

Self (Guest Appearance)

★ NR
Free and Easy 1930

Bedroom Scene

★ 6
The Hollywood Revue of 1929 1929

Self - Director of 'Romeo and Juliet' (uncredited)

★ 5.6
The Mysterious Island 1929

Andre Dakkar

★ 5.2
The River Woman 1928

Bill Lefty

★ NR
West of Zanzibar 1928

Crane

★ 6.8
Alias Jimmy Valentine 1928

Doyle

★ NR
Road House 1928

Henry Grayson

★ NR
The Lion and the Mouse 1928

John Ryder

★ NR
Drums of Love 1928

Duke Cathos de Alvia

★ 5
Sadie Thompson 1928

Alfred Davidson

★ 6.5
The Thirteenth Hour 1927

Prof. Leroy

★ 7
Body and Soul 1927

Dr. Leyden

★ NR
Women Love Diamonds 1927

Hugo Harlan

★ NR
The Show 1927

The Greek

★ 6
The Temptress 1926

Canterac

★ 6.5
The Bells 1926

Mathias

★ 6.2
The Lucky Lady 1926

Count Ferranzo

★ 5.5
Paris at Midnight 1926

Vautrin

★ 9
Wife Tamers 1926

Mr. Barry

★ 6
The Barrier 1926

Stark Bennett

★ 6
Brooding Eyes 1926

Slim Jim Carey

★ NR
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ 1925

Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

★ 7.3
The Splendid Road 1925

Dan Clehollis

★ NR
The Woman Who Did 1925

Allan Merrick

★ NR
Fifty-Fifty 1925

Frederick Harmon

★ NR
The Wrongdoers 1925

Daniel Abbott

★ NR
The Girl Who Wouldn't Work 1925

Gordon Kent

★ NR
Children of the Whirlwind 1925

Joe Ellison

★ NR
A Man of Iron 1925

Philip Durban

★ NR
I Am the Man 1924

James McQuade

★ NR
Meddling Women 1924

Edwin Ainsworth / John Wells (duel role)

★ NR
America 1924

Capt. Walter Butler

★ 5.7
Decameron Nights 1924

Saladin

★ NR
The Eternal City 1923

Baron Bonelli

★ 6
Unseeing Eyes 1923

Conrad Dean

★ NR
Enemies of Women 1923

Prince Lubimoff

★ 5.2
The Face in the Fog 1922

Boston Blackie Dawson

★ 6
Boomerang Bill 1922

Boomerang Bill

★ 2
Jim the Penman 1921

James Ralston

★ NR
The Great Adventure 1921

Priam Farll

★ NR
The Devil's Garden 1920

William Dale

★ NR
The Master Mind 1920

Henry Allen

★ NR
The Copperhead 1920

Milt Shanks

★ 5.5
National Red Cross Pageant 1917

★ NR
The Millionaire's Double 1917

Bide Bennington

★ NR
His Father's Son 1917

J. Dabney Barro

★ NR
The End of the Tour 1917

Byron Bennett

★ NR
The Brand of Cowardice 1916

Cyril Hamilton

★ NR
The Upheaval 1916

Jim Gordon

★ NR
The Quitter 1916

Happy Jack Lewis

★ NR
Dorian's Divorce 1916

Richard Dorian

★ NR
A Yellow Streak 1915

Barry Dale

★ NR
Dora Thorne 1915

Lord Earle

★ NR
The Flaming Sword 1915

Steve

★ NR
The Romance of Elaine 1915

Marcus Del Mar / Mr. X

★ NR
The Curious Conduct of Judge Legarde 1915

Judge Randolph Legarde

★ NR
A Modern Magdalen 1915

Lindsay

★ NR
Wildfire 1915

John Keefe

★ NR
The Exploits of Elaine 1914

★ 6
The Span of Life 1914

Richard Blunt

★ NR
The Seats of the Mighty 1914

Monsieur Doltaire

★ NR
Under the Gaslight 1914

William Byke

★ NR
The Woman in Black 1914

Robert Crane

★ 5
The Power of the Press 1914

Steve Carson

★ NR
Men and Women 1914

Stephen Rodman / Robert Stevens

★ NR
The Cracksman's Gratitude 1914

★ NR
Woman Against Woman 1914

Gilbert Craven

★ NR
Judith of Bethulia 1914

Extra (uncredited)

★ 6.1
Strongheart 1914

Billy Saunders

★ 5
Her Father's Silent Partner 1914

★ NR
Classmates 1914

Bubby Dumble

★ NR
The Bartered Crown 1914

The Landlord

★ NR
The House of Discord 1913

The Husband

★ NR
All for Science 1913

Detective

★ NR
So Runs the Way 1913

★ NR
The Stolen Treaty 1913

The Japanese Diplomat

★ NR
The Strong Man's Burden 1913

John - the Elder Brother

★ 5
The Crook and the Girl 1913

The Nephew

★ NR
The Work Habit 1913

The Father

★ NR
The Suffragette Minstrels 1913

(unconfirmed)

★ NR
An Indian's Loyalty 1913

The Cattle Buyer

★ NR
Under the Shadow of the Law 1913

Charles Darnton - the Employer

★ 6
I Was Meant for You 1913

Lavina's Father

★ NR
The Vengeance of Galora 1913

★ NR
The Mirror 1913

Daisy's Father

★ NR
Pa Says 1913

Teddy's Rival

★ NR
A Gamble with Death 1913

Jim Benton, the Bartender

★ NR
In Diplomatic Circles 1913

The Japanese Ambassador

★ NR
Almost a Wild Man 1913

In Audience (uncredited)

★ NR
The Switchtower 1913

First Counterfeiter

★ 5
Death's Marathon 1913

The Financial Backer

★ 5.7
The Well 1913

The Farmer

★ NR
The Enemy's Baby 1913

Postmaster Ben Brown

★ NR
Red Hicks Defies the World 1913

The Referee

★ NR
A Timely Interception 1913

Uncle James - The Farmer's Brother

★ 4.8
The Ranchero's Revenge 1913

The Ranchero

★ NR
Just Gold 1913

The Stay-at-Home Brother

★ NR
The Yaqui Cur 1913

The Easterner

★ NR
The House of Darkness 1913

The Doctor

★ 5
The Wanderer 1913

The Male Lover

★ 5.5
The Lady and the Mouse 1913

The Father

★ NR
A Misunderstood Boy 1913

The Father

★ NR
The Little Tease 1913

In Bar

★ 5
The Perfidy of Mary 1913

Mary's Father

★ NR
The Sheriff's Baby 1913

Third Bandit

★ 5
Fate 1913

Father, Loving Family

★ 5.7
Near To Earth 1913

Gato

★ NR
The Unwelcome Guest 1913

At Auction (uncredited)

★ 5
The Wrong Bottle 1913

The Father

★ NR
Love in an Apartment Hotel 1913

In Hotel Lobby

★ NR
A Chance Deception 1913

2nd Policeman

★ NR
Oil and Water 1913

The Idealist's Friend

★ NR
The Tender Hearted Boy 1913

(uncredited)

★ NR
An Adventure in the Autumn Woods 1913

The Father

★ NR
The Telephone Girl and the Lady 1913

The Desk Sergeant

★ 5.7
Three Friends 1913

Second Friend

★ 5
The God Within 1912

The Woman of the Camp's Lover

★ NR
A Cry for Help 1912

The Tramp

★ NR
The Burglar’s Dilemma 1912

The Householder

★ 5.3
My Hero 1912

★ NR
The New York Hat 1912

Minister

★ 5.6
Brutality 1912

At Wedding

★ NR
The Informer 1912

Union Soldier

★ NR
My Baby 1912

At table

★ 5.5
Gold and Glitter 1912

The Lover

★ NR
Heredity 1912

Woodsman

★ NR
The Musketeers of Pig Alley 1912

The Musician's Friend

★ 6.2
The Painted Lady 1912

At Ice Cream Festival

★ 5.5
The One She Loved 1912

The Neighbor

★ NR
The Chief's Blanket 1912

The Young Man

★ NR
So Near, Yet So Far 1912

In Club

★ 5.9
Friends 1912

Grizzley Fallon - Dandy Jack's Friend

★ 5.5
The Miser's Heart 1911

Jules - the Thief

★ 6
The Battle 1911

Wagon Driver (uncredited)

★ 4.8
Fighting Blood 1911

★ 6.3
The White Caps 1905

★ 5

Lionel Barrymore

Known For

Credits

Images