John Barrymore came from a long line of theater actors. He himself first appeared on stage alongside his father in 1900, and in 1903 officially began his career, starring in the likes of Justice (1916) and Richard III (1920). His greatest role was his 1992 appearance in Hamlet, for which he was dubbed “the greatest living American tragedian.”
Barrymore also starred in a slew of silent films, most notably Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922) and Beau Brummel (1924). He later made the transition to sound movies, starring in the likes of Grand Hotel (1932) and Midnight (1939).
On May 29, 1942, Barrymore died at the age of 60 from pneumonia and cirrhosis. What happened next has been the subject of many rumors. It’s alleged his friends, Errol Flynn, W.C. Fields and Sadakichi Hartmann snuck into the morgue where his body was being held, propped him up against a poker table and allowed him to experience one final celebration.
As it turns out, these rumors are true! In an August 2020 episode of the popular YouTube series Hot Ones, the acting legend’s granddaughter, Drew Barrymore, revealed his corpse had actually been stolen.
“Not only yes, but there have been cinematic interpretations of it,” she exclaimed. Those interpretations include S.O.B., starring Julie Andrews, and allegedly the 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie’s, in which two friends pretend their deceased boss is alive.
Barrymore added that she wants the same to happen to her. “I will say this, I hope my friends do the same for me. That is the kind of spirit I can get behind. Just prop the old bag up, let’s have a few rounds.
“I think death comes with so much morose sadness and I understand that, but if it’s okay, just for me, if everybody could be really happy and celebratory and have a party, that would be my preference.”
Vintage Hollywood certainly was a different era…
Breaking: Prince William and Kate Middleton Release a Moving Statement Amidst Cancer Battle
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, recently revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer. Her grace and bravery are being praised by people worldwide. Now, the Royal couple has issued a public statement together and addressed the public and their sentiments.
Kate’s battle with cancer.
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Kate, at 42 years old, bravely shared her health struggles with the world. She underwent surgery in January, initially believed to be for a non-serious condition. However, subsequent tests revealed a cancer diagnosis.
William and Catherine released a statement.
Prince William and Princess Kate have been deeply moved by the wave of support following the announcement of Kate’s health condition. A statement from Kensington Palace highlighted their appreciation for the kind words from people during this time. «The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message»
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«They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time,» shared a spokesperson. A source also revealed that the couple chose to delay the public announcement until the Easter vacation commenced for their children, allowing the family a private window to digest the developments before it became a subject of global conversation.
In Kate’s hard time, her brother has come forward to show her support. You can read his sweet tribute to her here.
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