Ethel Barrymore
American actress
Who was Ethel Barrymore?
Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blyth; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore-Drew family of actors. Barrymore was born Ethel Mae Blyth in Philadelphia, the second child of the actors Maurice Barrymore (whose real name was Herbert Blythe) and Georgiana Drew. She was named for her father's favorite character in William Makepeace Thackeray's The Newcomes. She was the sister of actors John and Lionel Barrymore, the aunt of actor John Drew Barrymore and great-aunt of actress Drew Barrymore. She spent her childhood in Philadelphia and attended Roman Catholic schools there. In 1884, the family moved to England for two years. She was a granddaughter of actress and theater manager Louisa Lane Drew and niece of Broadway matinée idol John Drew, Jr. and Vitagraph Studios stage and screen star Sidney Drew.
Historical significance
Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarded as "The First Lady of the American Theatre". She received four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, winning for None but the Lonely Heart (1944).
