Born in India in 1849, he was son of a British East India Company surveyor, William Edward Blythe and Matilda Chamberlayne.
Educated in England, he studied law and was an amateur boxing champion. Against his father’s wishes, he entered the theatre with the stage name Maurice Barrymore. He sailed to the United States where he joined an acting troupe. Maurice was described as a handsome figure with a dominating personality.
Drew Theatrical Family of Philadelphia
During his 1875 Broadway debut, Maurice met actress Georgianna (Georgie) Emma Drew, member of an eminent acting family. Her parents were performers John Drew and Louisa Lane Drew. Louisa was the highly successful manager of the Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Georgie’s brother, matinee idol John Drew Jr., received high praise for his comedy, drama, and Shakespearean performances. He was also highly esteemed by his peers and hailed as the most famous actor in the United States.
Her brother Sidney was apparently adopted by Louisa Drew after her husband’s 1862 death. With his wife Gladys Rankin who died in 1914, he played vaudeville and toured with marital comedies. He gained fame as an actor and director of silent films. Sidney and his second wife, Lucille McVey, worked in films.
Actress Louisa Drew and the Family Trade
Maurice and Georgie were married in 1876. Their children, all born in Philadelphia, were Lionel Herbert Blythe, Ethel Mae Blythe, and John Sidney Blythe. With Maurice’s infidelity and alcoholism, the marriage was not a happy one. While pursuing their theatrical careers, the parents left the children’s care to Georgie’s mother. Barrymore was leading man for some of the days’ stars, including Helena Modjeska and Lillie Langtry.
A woman of forceful character, Louisa considered acting to be ‘the family trade’. Under her tutelage, each of her grandchildren eventually entered the profession, despite their dreams of doing otherwise.
Tragedy in the Family – Georgie Barrymore’s Death
Georgie was a vibrant, witty woman whose time at home was treasured by her children. When she became quite ill, she sought cures, but died of tuberculosis July 1, 1893 at age 38. Her three children were greatly affected by the loss. The many changes would influence their lives permanently. Maurice declared that he needed to mourn alone, and left the family. Louisa Drew sometimes withheld her approval and affection as a way of teaching the virtues of stoicism.
When Louisa Drew died August 31, 1897, The New York Times wrote, "Mrs. John Drew probably had a longer career than any other actress. She was a remarkably versatile and intelligent actress, and although her efforts late in life were exclusively confined to comedy, yet she won respect in tragedy as well, and had, in fact, acted all sorts of characters.”
Maurice Barrymore Resumed Stage Work
Maurice Barrymore resumed his stage work and remarried. His second wife, actress Mamie Floyd, was twenty-five years younger that he was. It soon became obvious to everyone that his health was failing. He died in the Long Island Home at Amityville, New York March 25, 1905 at age fifty-six.
The involvement of the Barrymore children in the performing arts earned them the title, “The Royal Family”. The legacy of the family grew over decades and into another century with the work and descendants of Lionel, Ethel, and John Barrymore whose stories are told separately. One of today's top actresses is Drew Barrymore, John's granddaughter.
Sources:
- Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers by Frank Cullen, Florence Hackman, Donald McNeilly, Published by Routledge, 2006
- John Drew by Edward Augustus Dithmar, Published by Biblio Bazaar, LLC, 2008
- Famous Actor-Families in America by Montrose Jonas Moses, Published by Thomas Y. Crowell and Company, 1906
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