The Barrymore lineage has been one of the most documented theatrical families in the history of acting. The performing dynasty dates back to its patriarch, Maurice Barrymore, a London stage actor before moving to New York City in 1875, and stretches to present day Drew Barrymore, who first gained notice at seven for her role in 1982's "E. T." Several books have been written about this talented group, including James Kotsilibas-Davis' 1982 'Barrymores Royal Family in Hollywood." Cinema has also paid homage to the Barrymores, leading off with the first talkie that presents a thinly-veiled portrait of them in December 1930's "The Royal Family of Broadway."
When the New York City play which the Paramount Pictures movie was based on first came out, Ethel Barrymore was incensed by it. 'The Royal Family' stage drama, co-written by Edna Ferber and George F. Kaufmann, became an instant hit with the Broadway crowd, running 345 performances at the Selwyn Theater beginning in December 1927. Compounding Ethel's angst was when she saw the Herman Mankiewicz-scripted movie. Both the play and the movie focuses on a fictional acting family, the Cavendishes. Its matron, Fanny Cavendish (Henrietta Crosman), loves the stage and never wants to retire. Her daughter, Julie (Ina Claire), never enamored with acting, wants to get out of the profession and is anxious to marry a South American millionaire. Julie is clearly Ethel. Her brother, Tony (Fredric March), is based on John, who is quite a rebel-rouser loving life to the fullest and is equally talented on stage and in film. Most of the actors in the stage version appeared in the 1930 film.
Ethel hired a high-power lawyer to sue the producers of both the play and the movie. Once reviewing the screenplay, her lawyer said her brother, John, had more of a case for libel than she did. John saw the play with March playing his character. After the performance, Barrymore went backstage and "walked into March's dressing room with a glowering look," according to inside sources. "Then suddenly relaxed, he waxed charming and agreeable, and congratulated the jittery actors on a fine performance." So ended Ethel's thoughts of lawsuits.
March earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The actor had played the role of Tony Cavendish on the stage, film and on television. March claimed it was one of his favorite roles, mainly because it was spoofing another person, which didn't stress him to interpret a character where he was forced shape it to his own style.
"The Royal Family of Broadway" also gave future director George Cukor the opportunity to become familiar with film production. Shot at the Paramount Studios in Astoria, Queens, New York, he designed the stage settings and blocked the actors before director Cyril Gardner filmed the scenes. Cukor's roots on the stage began in 1920 as a manager and he worked his way up to directing his first play, 'The Great Gadsby,' on Broadway in 1926. He signed with Paramount Pictures in 1929 on the basis of his stage work, and was instrumental in making the movie "The Royal Family of Broadway' a critically acclaimed film, although not totally embraced by the public. The members of the American Film Institute regard it as a great comedy, nominating the movie as one of 500 feature films considered for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
When the New York City play which the Paramount Pictures movie was based on first came out, Ethel Barrymore was incensed by it. 'The Royal Family' stage drama, co-written by Edna Ferber and George F. Kaufmann, became an instant hit with the Broadway crowd, running 345 performances at the Selwyn Theater beginning in December 1927. Compounding Ethel's angst was when she saw the Herman Mankiewicz-scripted movie. Both the play and the movie focuses on a fictional acting family, the Cavendishes. Its matron, Fanny Cavendish (Henrietta Crosman), loves the stage and never wants to retire. Her daughter, Julie (Ina Claire), never enamored with acting, wants to get out of the profession and is anxious to marry a South American millionaire. Julie is clearly Ethel. Her brother, Tony (Fredric March), is based on John, who is quite a rebel-rouser loving life to the fullest and is equally talented on stage and in film. Most of the actors in the stage version appeared in the 1930 film.
Ethel hired a high-power lawyer to sue the producers of both the play and the movie. Once reviewing the screenplay, her lawyer said her brother, John, had more of a case for libel than she did. John saw the play with March playing his character. After the performance, Barrymore went backstage and "walked into March's dressing room with a glowering look," according to inside sources. "Then suddenly relaxed, he waxed charming and agreeable, and congratulated the jittery actors on a fine performance." So ended Ethel's thoughts of lawsuits.
March earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The actor had played the role of Tony Cavendish on the stage, film and on television. March claimed it was one of his favorite roles, mainly because it was spoofing another person, which didn't stress him to interpret a character where he was forced shape it to his own style.
"The Royal Family of Broadway" also gave future director George Cukor the opportunity to become familiar with film production. Shot at the Paramount Studios in Astoria, Queens, New York, he designed the stage settings and blocked the actors before director Cyril Gardner filmed the scenes. Cukor's roots on the stage began in 1920 as a manager and he worked his way up to directing his first play, 'The Great Gadsby,' on Broadway in 1926. He signed with Paramount Pictures in 1929 on the basis of his stage work, and was instrumental in making the movie "The Royal Family of Broadway' a critically acclaimed film, although not totally embraced by the public. The members of the American Film Institute regard it as a great comedy, nominating the movie as one of 500 feature films considered for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.