John Drew Barrymore in his younger days.
Posted on 11/30/2004 7:13:11 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
John Drew Barrymore, the troubled heir to an acting dynasty and the father of Drew Barrymore, died yesterday aged 72. "He was a cool cat. Please smile when you think of him," Drew Barrymore said in a statement. No information was released about the cause of death or where in Los Angeles he died.
(Excerpt) Read more at film.guardian.co.uk ...
What a touching tribute by Drew to her father. </sarc>
Rest in peace. Never heard of him.
We should cut the kid some slack.
Drugs bad.
A cool cat, indeed.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - John Drew Barrymore, the troubled heir to an acting dynasty and absent father of movie star Drew Barrymore, died Monday. He was 72.
John D. Barrymore was part of an acting clan that included his father, the famed stage and early film actor John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore. Drew Barrymore is his daughter by his third wife, Ildiko Jaid Barrymore.
He was born in Beverly Hills on June 4, 1932. His mother was actress Dolores Costello.
He started his career as a teenager, appearing professionally first at John Barrymore Jr. and then as John Drew Barrymore.
His early roles in the 1950s included the movies "The Sundowners," "High Lonesome," "Quebec," "The Big Night,"Thunderbirds"and "While the City Sleeps."
But along the way there were problems with drugs, drunken driving and violence, domestic and otherwise. By the early 1960s he had left Hollywood for Italy, working in European movies.
By 1964 he had been married twice, to Cara Williams and to Italian actress Gabriella Palazollo, and had returned to Hollywood after making more than a dozen films overseas ä none of them any good by his own estimation.
By then his billing had become John Drew Barrymore, perhaps to step out of his father's shadow.
In 1967, a San Bernardino County jury convicted him of possession of drug paraphernalia ä cigarette papers - and acquitted him of being in a place where marijuana was being smoked. The judge rejected the prosecution's urging to throw Barrymore into jail for 60 days, and instead put him on probation.
After another retreat from Hollywood, he had sporadic film and television roles.
As a teenage star battling alcoholism herself, Drew Barrymore wrote about her father in the memoir "Little Girl Lost." He was depicted as menacing, showing up only to abuse his daughter and former wife and ask for money.
Oh. I found his acting kinda wooden.
I believe they were estranged.
A truly pathetic and wasted life. It's amazing that
Drew turned out as well as she has considering the
total lack of nurturing by the two self-indulgent people
who gave her life.
Are there any other Barrymore descendants still around?
I don't think Lionel ever sired children. Not sure about
Ethel. Profligate John probably had more than a few
illegitimate heirs.
John Barrymore, Jr.: A beautiful-looking man with a deeply troubled mind.
His father, John Sr. was supremely talented, gorgeous and also tortured. His mother, Dolores Costello was a star in the 20's and 30's but just one of many wives of Barrymore, Sr.
It sounds as if John Jr.'s demons drove his life to ruins.
Let's hope that plucky little Drew Barrymore has a happier life then her ancestors.
If I were estranged from my father, the last thing I would say is that he is a cool cat. She's ridiculous.
I wondered if it was the same Thunderbirds. Thanks for clearing that up for me!
Drew Barrymore has made some interesting (and perhaps stupid) choices in her life. But I think we can give her a break here.
She was the adorable child star in E.T. and went through her own addiction problems. It happens to a lot of childhood stars.
The fact that she's able to articulate any sentiment at all is darn close to a miracle. Let her grieve, or at least deal with it, in whatever manner she's able.
Lionel, Ethel and Grandpa John were THE royal family of pre-World War II movies. As you can tell, John Drew had "that" profile of his father, the swashbuckler.
It must have devastating to try to live up to his enheritance. God bless him and keep him.
But you're not her so...
> Let's hope that plucky little Drew Barrymore has a happier life then her ancestors.
Well, her life turned to crap and drugs very early... and then she seemed to climb out of it. Since she's one of those rarest of actors - a child actor with a real adult acting career - and she's already doen her turn in the sewer... she has a shot.
I certainly hope so, anyway. Much more so after seeing "50 first dates."
Dear Lord! He was only 48 in that picture!
He looks 80.
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