Gene Fowler

Legends about Hollywood stars are often difficult to prove or disprove. Such is the case about what happened to famous Shakespearean actor John Barrymore after his death. What can be substantiated is that on May 19, 1942, while recording a line from Romeo and Juliet for the show, Barrymore collapsed. He was taken to the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital and died there on May 29 from cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, complicated by pneumonia. It is at this point the legend begins and turns into something truly monstrous.

If audiences today know the name of John Barrymore, it's most likely as the paternal grandfather of movie star Drew Barrymore. They may have a vague idea that he was a great actor from a family of great actors, but do they know he was also an infamous world-class drunk?

If audiences today know the name of John Barrymore, it's most likely as the paternal grandfather of movie star Drew Barrymore. They may have a vague idea that he was a great actor from a family of great actors, but do they know he was also an infamous world-class drunk?

Luce's play creates the fictional device of having the aging Barrymore in preparation for a comeback performance as Richard III. Essentially a one man show, the only other actor is a man Barrymore has hired to help him with his lines. Though this incident never actually occurred, it provides an opportunity for the actor to reflect on his colorful life, and gives the audience a glimpse of his madness and his greatness.