Ethel Barrymore
A Life of Spotlights and Shadows

Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959) "The First Lady of the American Theater," gained fame for her intelligence, elegance, and commanding stage presence. She rose to stardom in Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines (1901) and won a Tony for The Corn Is Green (1947). Though primarily a stage actress, she earned an Academy Award for None but the Lonely Heart (1944).

Beyond acting, she championed actors' rights, played a key role in the 1919 Actors' Equity Strike, and overcame personal struggles, including a difficult marriage, single motherhood, and alcoholism. A lover of music, painting, and boxing, she once declined a proposal from Winston Churchill. Her legacy lives on through her performances and the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, remembered for her famous curtain speech: "That's all there is there isn't any more."