John Barrymore, Shakespearean ActorJohn Barrymore's Richard III and Hamlet, first seen in New York during the 1919-20 and 1922-23 seasons, stand as high-water marks of twentieth-century Shakespearean interpretation. Michael Morrison reconstructs these historic performances through analysis of the production preparation, audience response, reviews, and memoirs. Tracing the Victorian and Edwardian antecedents of Shakespearean performance, this book situates Barrymore's distinctive contribution in light of past and ensuing tradition. As well, it provides a biographical sketch of one of the most revered and tragic actors of the twentieth century. "This young artist, profiting by the lessons of tradition...casts it boldly aside and emerges into the rarefied atmosphere of a new art, greater because it is new, stronger because it is built upon an old foundation." Brooklyn Times, March 9, 1920 |
From inside the book
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Page 12
... speech and movement , and a rich melodious voice with the tone of an organ . " From first to last , wrote Pearson , his Hamlet was " perfectly natural , nobly well - bred , ideally graceful , flawlessly spoken , and so charming that one ...
... speech and movement , and a rich melodious voice with the tone of an organ . " From first to last , wrote Pearson , his Hamlet was " perfectly natural , nobly well - bred , ideally graceful , flawlessly spoken , and so charming that one ...
Page 19
... speech and utterance were of more importance than action and the progress of events . " He added , however , that modern audiences did not want the stage to be “ a platform for the speaker ” but rather “ a picture book ” offering ex ...
... speech and utterance were of more importance than action and the progress of events . " He added , however , that modern audiences did not want the stage to be “ a platform for the speaker ” but rather “ a picture book ” offering ex ...
Page 20
... speech and action , " wrote one Broadway commentator , soon after the couple emerged from retirement . " It is indeed remarkable that with such a really lim- ited number of notes in his voice that he is able to act long didactic roles ...
... speech and action , " wrote one Broadway commentator , soon after the couple emerged from retirement . " It is indeed remarkable that with such a really lim- ited number of notes in his voice that he is able to act long didactic roles ...
Page 62
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Page 78
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Contents
The Education of an Actor 18821919 | 32 |
The Productions | 67 |
Richard III 1920 | 69 |
Hamlet 19221924 | 122 |
The London Hamlet 1925 | 242 |
Aftermath | 261 |
Shakespeare in Hollywood 19251942 | 263 |
Epilogue | 299 |
Appendixes | 307 |
The Casts | 309 |
The Texts | 323 |
Notes | 331 |
385 | |
393 | |
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Common terms and phrases
17 November acting actor Adams Alexander Woollcott American appeared April Arthur Hopkins artistic audience Barry Barrymore's Barrymore's performance Blanche Yurka Broadway cast chair character Clown comedy costumes critics debut decade December drama Edwin Booth exit Fay Compton February film Forbes-Robertson Fowler Gene Fowler Ghost Guildenstern Hamlet Hampden Henry Hollywood Hopkins's Horatio house curtain Irving January John Barrymore Jones's King Laertes left center letter to Michael lights Lincoln Center lines London lord Macbeth mainstage mance Marcellus March Margaret Carrington Michael Strange noted Ophelia Osric platform play Player Polonius production promptbook Queen radio rehearsals repertory replies revival Richard Richard III right center Robert Edmond Jones role Rosencrantz scene second season Shakespeare Shakespearean Sheldon soliloquy Soon afterward Sothern and Marlowe speak speech steps Studybook Sweet Prince Taylor tells Theatre Collection theatrical throne tion tour tradition turns UCB/SC upstage voice weeks William Woollcott wrote York