Barrymore

The Spectacular, Tumultuous Life of America's Prince of Players

Add to my list

by Terry Chester Shulman

Type

Biographies

Subject

Actor > John Barrymore

Keywords

John Barrymore, actor

Publishing date

2026 (July 21, 2026) (Upcoming)

Publisher

University Press of Kentucky

Collection

Screen Classics

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 440 pages
6 x 9 ¼ inches (15.5 x 23.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-9859044-1-5

User Ratings

(0 vote)

X

Average rating:

0	rating	= We can do without
0	rating	= Good book
0	rating	= Excellent book
0	rating	= Unique / a reference

Your rating: -

Book Presentation:
While many know the Barrymore name due to actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore, the family's rich legacy on the stage and screen dates back to the nineteenth century. Perhaps no one has understood the pressures of a family dynasty more keenly than John Barrymore, the youngest of patriarch Maurice Barrymore's three children.

Despite an increasingly successful career as an illustrator, John was fated to become an actor. He began in smaller productions, gradually developing into a comedy star and eventually reviving serious drama after World War I, when he reintroduced Shakespeare to modern audiences with Richard III and Hamlet. Following triumphs on stage, Barrymore was featured in silent movies such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), for which he created the first modern creature effect, Sherlock Holmes (1922), and When a Man Loves (1927). As the industry transitioned to talkies, he enjoyed continued acclaim in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)―bringing Stanislavskian technique to Hollywood twenty years before Method acting was widely practiced―Dinner at Eight (1932), and Twentieth Century (1934), the first full-blown screwball comedy. Barrymore's later roles gradually became caricatures of his personal life. With multiple failed marriages and affairs in the public spotlight, as well as an alcohol dependency that weakened his health, he was unable to salvage a faltering career before his death in 1942.

In Barrymore: The Spectacular, Tumultuous Life of America's Prince of Players, Terry Chester Shulman dives into the story of John Barrymore's family, the underbelly of his Hollywood and Broadway productions, and the dangers of fame and fortune. Direct quotes from performances, letters, journals, and other sources paint Barrymore as a creative genius who struggled with personal demons and, despite his hardships, left an indelible impact on the stage and silver screen―the echoes of which are still felt today.

About the Author:
Terry Chester Shulman is an acclaimed film biographer and historical journalist whose work has been featured in a variety of national publications. He is the author of Film'sFirst Family: The Untold Story of the Costellos.

Press Reviews:
"Shulman uses scrupulous, painstaking research as well as his empathic understanding of John Barrymore to create this magnificent, magisterial account of Barrymore's professional and private lives."―Kathleen Spaltro, author of Lionel Barrymore: Character and Endurance in Hollywood's Golden Age and Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights

"Shulman provides an engaging, accessible narrative of John Barrymore's life―one that illuminates his importance as an actor and offers a balanced assessment of him as a man who, while prone to self-destructive and often questionable behavior, nevertheless possessed considerable charisma, intellectual curiosity, and professional skill."―Gwenda Young, author of Clarence Brown: Hollywood's Forgotten Master

See the publisher website: University Press of Kentucky

See the complete filmography of John Barrymore on the website: IMDB ...