Product Details

• Actors: The Barrymores
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: April 25, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000F6ZBSA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,163 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Gary Sinise hosts this look at five generations of the ''Royal Family'' of acting. They are perhaps the most famous family of actors in the world. For over 150 years, they have delighted fans of stage and screen while living lives that often surpass the drama of the roles they play. Gary Sinise hosts this feature-length look at the legendary Barrymores, tracing their long list of professional accomplishments and examining the scandals, setbacks and self-inflicted wounds that are as much a part of their reputation as their talent. From Maurice Barrymore's 19th-century career to the turbulent life of his great-great-granddaughter Drew, BIOGRAPHY® uses family photos, scores of clips and interviews with friends and family members to explore the astonishing legacy of THE BARRYMORES. For five generations, they have lived their lives in the glare of the spotlight and been expected to achieve stardom.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lest We Forget, May 9, 2009

By 

Brad Baker (Atherton, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Biography - The Barrymores (DVD)

At age 16, from London to New York, from theater to theater, acclaimed young actress Ethel Barrymore faced clapping hands and roaring crowds. She tried to calm them down. She said: "That's all there is; there isn't any more". Bristling with talent, the Barrymores dominated Broadway. In 1903, Ethel and her two brothers, Lionel and John, were each performing in their own Broadway theater productions, all at the same time. Their parents, Maurice and Georgiana Barrymore, acted with some of the greatest stage personalities of the mid-Victorian era. But when their three young children arrived, Maurice had little time for them. Sadly, he shipped them off to Philadelphia, where they were raised by Mrs. Louisa Drew, Georgiana's mother. Mrs. Drew was known as "Mummum". The lack of parental guidance hurt all three children: the most young John; who started drinking around age 14. John Barrymore would marry and divorce 4 times. Lionel, Ethel, and John followed their famous parents into theatrical success. Young John, thanks to the movies, would earn over $3,000,000 by the end of the 1930's. Yet all three Barrymores struggled with finance, and in the end, each died nearly penniless. John Barrymore died in 1942, at age 60, with his brother at his side. His last whispered word was the name of the woman he loved the most: "Mummum". "Biography. The Barrymores" presents rare archival footage, including clips from John Barrymore's silent "Raffles(1917)",and a clip from his oldest surviving sound film, Warner Bros. 1929 "Show of Shows", with his full-costume monologue as Shakespeare's Richard III. It is a startling window into one of the world's classic actors, still in his prime. Nearly all of his other stage-work is now lost forever. Here also is behind-the-scenes footage of John Barrymore filming "Beau Brummel(1924)" and "When a Man Loves(1927)". Here also is a rare clip of his newsreel interview after a New York performance of "Hamlet(1922)". "Biography" also takes a glance at the Barrymore children. Some have the "Barrymore Curse". Some are just children. Hre are Diana Barrymore, John Barrymore Jr., and Drew Barrymore. Drew Barrymore overcame a teen-age dependency on cocaine, and may-or-may-not live in Culver City(not far from the old MGM studios). This documentary of the Barrymores is a chronicle of highly talented artists. Sadly, in the case of John, the story of his life resembles a classic Shakespearean tragedy. There is some more to say; there's surely much more to know, but for now, "That's all there is. There isn't any more".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Excellence of the Barrymores, January 7, 2009

By 

S. Rawlinson (Orange Co., CA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biography - The Barrymores (DVD)

I saw this biography for the first time a couple of days while I was home ill. This was one of the most informative and entertaining biographies that I've ever seen. What a fascinating story of their history. I'd always considered myself somewhat knowledgeable in regards to their movies, lives, etc. and this really surprised me as to what I didn't know. Such a gifted yet tragic family. Hopefully, the curse that has seemingly overshadowed that family will be lifted by the talents and optimistic outlook of Drew Barrymore.