John Barrymore – American actor. A biographer of Barrymore estimated “. . . in 40 years he consumed 640 barrels of hard liquor.”
He was known for calling people by nicknames of his own creation. Dolores Costello was known in his writing alternately as “Small Cat,” “Catkiwee,” “Winkie”, and “Egg.”
He was fond of sailing, and owned his own yacht, “The Mariner”, on which he could escape unhappy wives, mistresses, lawyers, and creditors.
He owned a pet monkey named Clementine, which he adored, and which appeared with her master in the films The Sea Beast (1926), Don Juan (1926), and When A Man Loves (1927). Clementine was a gift from English actress Gladys Cooper.
He named his favourite accommodation in a boarding house “The Alchemist’s Corner.”
The Barrymore Estate is believed to be haunted by his spirit, referenced in Paul Rudnick play I Hate Hamlet.
Quotations
“Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?”
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”
On the subject of theatre reviews: “Actors should never read them. If you don’t believe the bad ones, why should you pay attention to the good ones?” said to John Carradine, who was performing in If I Were King at the Philharmonic Theatre in Los Angeles.
