Description
Once called the most gifted character actor of our time by Broadway theater producer Arthur Hopkins, Lionel Barrymore (18781954) was part of the illustrious Barrymore acting dynasty. Although he garnered success on stage and screen and was a talented actor, writer, director, visual artist, and composer, he never quite escaped the shadow of his family membersincluding his brother, John, famous for his leading roles. Barrymore won the Academy Award for Best Actor in A Free Soul (1931) and was nominated for Best Director for Madame X (1930). However, he is best known for his role as Mr. Potter in It''s a Wonderful Life (1946) and as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge in radio broadcasts of A Christmas Carol from 1934 to 1953. He spent the last two decades of his career playing versions of his signature characterthe curmudgeonly but lovable gentlemanin a variety of films from You Can''t Take It With You (1938) to Key Largo (1948). Barrymore worked alongside some of Hollywood''s most recognizabl
