John Sidney Blythe (February 15, 1882 - May 29, 1942), better known as John Barrymore, became famous as a Shakespeareanan actor, lauded for his Hamlet. His classic nose and distinguished features won him the nickname "The Great Profile." Barrymore was a hard drinking man with a troubled personal life that cut his life short. He appeared in several films including many of "Bulldog Drummond" B-movies -- Bulldog was the James Bond of the 1930s -- but never reached the heights he achieved on stage. He was the younger brother of actors Lionel and Ethel Barrymore and the grandfather of Drew Barrymore.
He was married four times. His first wife was Katherine Corri Harris (1891-1927), an actress who starred in the 1918 silent film "The House of Mirth"; they married in 1910, divorced in 1916, and had one child, Diana Blanche Barrymore. His second wife was Blanche Marie Louise Oelrichs (1890-1950), a bisexual New York real estate heiress who wrote poetry under the name Michael Strange; they married in 1920, divorced in 1928. His third wife was Dolores Costello (1903-1979), an actress and model best known for her role as Dearest, the mother in the movie "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1936); they married in 1928, divorced in 1936, and had two children, Dolores Ethel Mae Barrymore and John Drew Barrymore (father of Drew Barrymore. His fourth wife was Elaine Barrie (née Elaine Jacobs, 1916-2003), an actress; they were married in 1936 and divorced in 1940.
See also: Barrymore family
