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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 focussing solely on Gillespie and in a radio series entitled The Story of Dr. Kildare. He was a member of the theatrical Barrymore family.
Academy Awards
Best Actor
Known For
Grand Hotel
(1932)
Otto Kringelein
The Show
(1927)
The Greek
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Mr. Potter
Key Largo
(1948)
James Temple
You Can't Take It with You
(1938)
Grandpa Martin Vanderhof
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Sen. Jackson McCanles
Camille
(1936)
Monsieur Duval
A Guy Named Joe
(1943)
The General
David Copperfield
(1935)
Dan Peggotty
Mark of the Vampire
(1935)
Professor Zelin
Captains Courageous
(1937)
Captain Disko Troop
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
(1925)
Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
Dinner at Eight
(1933)
Oliver Jordan
Mata Hari
(1931)
General Serge Shubin
That's Entertainment!
(1974)
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Treasure Island
(1934)
Billy Bones
Full Filmography
Acting
The White Caps
(1905)
Fighting Blood
(1911)
The Miser's Heart
(1911)
Jules - the Thief
The Battle
(1911)
Wagon Driver (uncredited)
The God Within
(1912)
The Woman of the Camp's Lover
The Burglar’s Dilemma
(1912)
The Householder
The Chief's Blanket
(1912)
The Young Man
My Baby
(1912)
At table
Heredity
(1912)
Woodsman
The New York Hat
(1912)
Minister
The Massacre
(1912)
My Hero
(1912)
The Informer
(1912)
Union Soldier
The Painted Lady
(1912)
At Ice Cream Festival
Gold and Glitter
(1912)
The Lover
Friends
(1912)
Grizzley Fallon - Dandy Jack's Friend
The Musketeers of Pig Alley
(1912)
The Musician's Friend
Brutality
(1912)
At Wedding
The One She Loved
(1912)
The Neighbor
A Cry for Help
(1912)
The Tramp
So Near, Yet So Far
(1912)
In Club
Oil and Water
(1913)
The Idealist's Friend
A Misunderstood Boy
(1913)
The Father
The Well
(1913)
The Farmer
The Little Tease
(1913)
In Bar
Red Hicks Defies the World
(1913)
The Referee
Three Friends
(1913)
Second Friend
The Wrong Bottle
(1913)
The Father
The Unwelcome Guest
(1913)
At Auction (uncredited)
The Telephone Girl and the Lady
(1913)
The Desk Sergeant
The Ranchero's Revenge
(1913)
The Ranchero
The Switchtower
(1913)
First Counterfeiter
A Timely Interception
(1913)
Uncle James - The Farmer's Brother
Under the Shadow of the Law
(1913)
Charles Darnton - the Employer
Near To Earth
(1913)
Gato
The Strong Man's Burden
(1913)
John - the Elder Brother
All for Science
(1913)
Detective
An Indian's Loyalty
(1913)
The Cattle Buyer
The Perfidy of Mary
(1913)
Mary's Father
The Mirror
(1913)
Daisy's Father
Pa Says
(1913)
Teddy's Rival
The Work Habit
(1913)
The Father
A Gamble with Death
(1913)
Jim Benton, the Bartender
A Chance Deception
(1913)
2nd Policeman
So Runs the Way
(1913)
The Tender Hearted Boy
(1913)
(uncredited)
Almost a Wild Man
(1913)
In Audience (uncredited)
The House of Discord
(1913)
The Husband
The House of Darkness
(1913)
The Doctor
The Enemy's Baby
(1913)
Postmaster Ben Brown
Love in an Apartment Hotel
(1913)
In Hotel Lobby
The Stolen Treaty
(1913)
The Japanese Diplomat
The Suffragette Minstrels
(1913)
(unconfirmed)
I Was Meant for You
(1913)
Lavina's Father
In Diplomatic Circles
(1913)
The Japanese Ambassador
The Sheriff's Baby
(1913)
Third Bandit
Fate
(1913)
Father, Loving Family
The Lady and the Mouse
(1913)
The Father
The Wanderer
(1913)
The Male Lover
Just Gold
(1913)
The Stay-at-Home Brother
Death's Marathon
(1913)
The Financial Backer
The Vengeance of Galora
(1913)
The Yaqui Cur
(1913)
The Easterner
The Crook and the Girl
(1913)
The Nephew
An Adventure in the Autumn Woods
(1913)
The Father
The Seats of the Mighty
(1914)
Monsieur Doltaire
Woman Against Woman
(1914)
Gilbert Craven
The Cracksman's Gratitude
(1914)
Judith of Bethulia
(1914)
Extra (uncredited)
The Exploits of Elaine
(1914)
The Power of the Press
(1914)
Steve Carson
The Woman in Black
(1914)
Robert Crane
The Bartered Crown
(1914)
The Landlord
Men and Women
(1914)
Stephen Rodman / Robert Stevens
Under the Gaslight
(1914)
William Byke
The Span of Life
(1914)
Richard Blunt
Classmates
(1914)
Bubby Dumble
Her Father's Silent Partner
(1914)
Strongheart
(1914)
Billy Saunders
The Romance of Elaine
(1915)
Marcus Del Mar / Mr. X
Wildfire
(1915)
John Keefe
A Yellow Streak
(1915)
Barry Dale
Dora Thorne
(1915)
Lord Earle
The Flaming Sword
(1915)
Steve
The Curious Conduct of Judge Legarde
(1915)
Judge Randolph Legarde
A Modern Magdalen
(1915)
Lindsay
Dorian's Divorce
(1916)
Richard Dorian
The Upheaval
(1916)
Jim Gordon
The Quitter
(1916)
Happy Jack Lewis
The Brand of Cowardice
(1916)
Cyril Hamilton
National Red Cross Pageant
(1917)
The Millionaire's Double
(1917)
Bide Bennington
His Father's Son
(1917)
J. Dabney Barro
The End of the Tour
(1917)
Byron Bennett
The Copperhead
(1920)
Milt Shanks
The Devil's Garden
(1920)
William Dale
The Master Mind
(1920)
Henry Allen
The Great Adventure
(1921)
Priam Farll
Jim the Penman
(1921)
James Ralston
The Face in the Fog
(1922)
Boston Blackie Dawson
Boomerang Bill
(1922)
Boomerang Bill
Enemies of Women
(1923)
Prince Lubimoff
The Eternal City
(1923)
Baron Bonelli
Unseeing Eyes
(1923)
Conrad Dean
Meddling Women
(1924)
Edwin Ainsworth / John Wells (duel role)
America
(1924)
Capt. Walter Butler
I Am the Man
(1924)
James McQuade
Decameron Nights
(1924)
Saladin
The Woman Who Did
(1925)
Allan Merrick
The Splendid Road
(1925)
Dan Clehollis
The Girl Who Wouldn't Work
(1925)
Gordon Kent
The Wrongdoers
(1925)
Daniel Abbott
A Man of Iron
(1925)
Philip Durban
Fifty-Fifty
(1925)
Frederick Harmon
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
(1925)
Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
Children of the Whirlwind
(1925)
Joe Ellison
The Lucky Lady
(1926)
Count Ferranzo
Paris at Midnight
(1926)
Vautrin
Brooding Eyes
(1926)
Slim Jim Carey
Wife Tamers
(1926)
Mr. Barry
The Bells
(1926)
Mathias
The Temptress
(1926)
Canterac
The Barrier
(1926)
Stark Bennett
Body and Soul
(1927)
Dr. Leyden
The Thirteenth Hour
(1927)
Prof. Leroy
The Show
(1927)
The Greek
Women Love Diamonds
(1927)
Hugo Harlan
Drums of Love
(1928)
Duke Cathos de Alvia
Alias Jimmy Valentine
(1928)
Doyle
The Lion and the Mouse
(1928)
John Ryder
Sadie Thompson
(1928)
Alfred Davidson
The River Woman
(1928)
Bill Lefty
West of Zanzibar
(1928)
Crane
Road House
(1928)
Henry Grayson
The Mysterious Island
(1929)
Andre Dakkar
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
(1929)
Self - Director of 'Romeo and Juliet' (uncredited)
Estrellados
(1930)
Self (Guest Appearance)
Free and Easy
(1930)
Bedroom Scene
The Christmas Party
(1931)
Himself (uncredited)
Guilty Hands
(1931)
Richard Grant
The Yellow Ticket
(1931)
Baron Igor Andreeff
A Free Soul
(1931)
Stephen Ashe
Mata Hari
(1931)
General Serge Shubin
Arsène Lupin
(1932)
Detective Guerchard
The Washington Masquerade
(1932)
Jefferson "Jeff" Keane
Broken Lullaby
(1932)
Dr. H. Holderlin
Rasputin and the Empress
(1932)
Grigori Rasputin
Grand Hotel
(1932)
Otto Kringelein
The Stranger's Return
(1933)
Grandpa Cyrus Tatum Storr
Looking Forward
(1933)
Tim Benton
One Man's Journey
(1933)
Eli Watt
Sweepings
(1933)
Daniel Pardway
Christopher Bean
(1933)
Dr. Milton Haggett
Should Ladies Behave
(1933)
Augustus Merrick
Night Flight
(1933)
Robineau
Dinner at Eight
(1933)
Oliver Jordan
This Side of Heaven
(1934)
Martin Turner
Carolina
(1934)
Bob Connelly
The Girl from Missouri
(1934)
T.R. Paige
Treasure Island
(1934)
Billy Bones
Ah, Wilderness!
(1935)
Nat Miller
The Return Of Peter Grimm
(1935)
Peter Grimm
David Copperfield
(1935)
Dan Peggotty
Mark of the Vampire
(1935)
Professor Zelin
The Little Colonel
(1935)
Colonel Lloyd
Public Hero Number 1
(1935)
Dr. Josiah Glass
The Voice of Bugle Ann
(1936)
Springfield Davis
The Gorgeous Hussy
(1936)
Andrew Jackson
The Road to Glory
(1936)
Papa La Roche / Pvt. Morin
Camille
(1936)
Monsieur Duval
The Devil-Doll
(1936)
Paul Lavond
Navy Blue and Gold
(1937)
Captain 'Skinny' Dawes
A Family Affair
(1937)
Judge Hardy
Saratoga
(1937)
Grandpa Clayton
Captains Courageous
(1937)
Captain Disko Troop
A Fireside Chat with Lionel Barrymore
(1938)
Self
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
(1938)
Lionel Barrymore
A Yank at Oxford
(1938)
Dan Sheridan
Young Dr. Kildare
(1938)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Test Pilot
(1938)
Howard B. Drake
You Can't Take It with You
(1938)
Grandpa Martin Vanderhof
The Movies March On
(1939)
Self (segment The New York Hat) (archive footage)
Land of Liberty
(1939)
(archive footage)
From the Ends of the Earth
(1939)
Self
Let Freedom Ring
(1939)
Thomas Logan
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
(1939)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Calling Dr. Kildare
(1939)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
On Borrowed Time
(1939)
Julian Northrup aka Gramps
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
(1940)
Self
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
(1940)
Self (archive footage)
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
(1940)
Self
The Stars Look Down
(1940)
Narrator (U.S. release only) (voice)
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
(1940)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
(1940)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
(1940)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Bad Man
(1941)
Uncle Henry Jones
The Penalty
(1941)
'Grandpop' Logan
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
(1941)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
(1941)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Lady Be Good
(1941)
Judge Murdock
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant
(1942)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Dr. Kildare's Victory
(1942)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Tennessee Johnson
(1942)
Thaddeus Stevens
Calling Dr. Gillespie
(1942)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Last Will and Testament of Tom Smith
(1943)
Gramps
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
(1943)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
A Guy Named Joe
(1943)
The General
Twenty Years After
(1944)
(archive footage)
Dragon Seed
(1944)
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
3 Men in White
(1944)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Since You Went Away
(1944)
Clergyman
Between Two Women
(1945)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
The Valley of Decision
(1945)
Pat Rafferty
The Secret Heart
(1946)
Dr. Rossiger
Three Wise Fools
(1946)
Dr. Richard Gaunght
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Mr. Potter
Duel in the Sun
(1946)
Sen. Jackson McCanles
Dark Delusion
(1947)
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Key Largo
(1948)
James Temple
Breakdowns of 1949
(1949)
Self
Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership
(1949)
Himself
Down to the Sea in Ships
(1949)
Bering Joy
Malaya
(1949)
John Manchester
Screen Actors
(1950)
Self (uncredited)
Right Cross
(1950)
Sean O'Malley
The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story
(1951)
Himself - Giving Introduction
Bannerline
(1951)
Hugo Trimble
Lone Star
(1952)
Andrew Jackson
Yesterday and Today
(1953)
(archive footage)
Main Street to Broadway
(1953)
Self
Film Fun
(1955)
(archive footage)
Our Mr. Sun
(1956)
Father Time (voice)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
(1961)
'Duel in the Sun' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
(1972)
Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment!
(1974)
(archive footage) (uncredited)
That's Entertainment, Part II
(1976)
(archive footage)
Super Duper Bloopers
(1986)
Himself
Vincent Price's Dracula
(1986)
Professor Zelin - (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
(1988)
Self (archive footage)
D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913
(2002)
Complicated Women
(2003)
Self (archive footage)
The Mesmerist
(2003)
The Innkeeper (archive footage)
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
(2004)
Self / Various roles (archive footage)
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It With You
(2008)
Self (archive footage)
And the Oscar Goes To...
(2014)
Self (archive footage)
Writing
The Burglar’s Dilemma
(1912)
Writer
The Tender Hearted Boy
(1913)
Writer
The Vengeance of Galora
(1913)
Writer
Life's Whirlpool
(1917)
Writer
Directing
His Secret
(1913)
Director
Life's Whirlpool
(1917)
Director
The Unholy Night
(1929)
Director
Madame X
(1929)
Director
His Glorious Night
(1929)
Director
The Rogue Song
(1930)
Director
Redemption
(1930)
Director
The Sea Bat
(1930)
Director
Ten Cents a Dance
(1931)
Director
Sound