Lionel Barrymore did not have syphilis, or did he?...

 

 

  

 

I recently visited Lionel Barrymore's Wikipedia page and while rummaging around, I came across this wild allegation that the reason he was in a wheelchair was because of crippling arthritis-- caused by syphilis (which he apparently contracted in 1925)? This speculation was started by family biographer Margot Peters, according to Gene Fowler and James Doane. There is much controversy alone about whether Lionel had crippling arthritis or not, but to be clear, he did not affirm this in his autobiography: We Barrymore's. It is believed, however, that Lionel did have arthritis due to being handicapped by a twice-broken hip. An incident that first took place in 1936, NOT during the '20s. Whether this circumstance led him to a morphine addiction that could have possibly contributed to his death, is a theory I personally don't believe to be true. Here's my take: From what I've read, all the sources that claim he had a drug addiction, particularly to cocaine, indicate that this dated back to 1929, before he broke his hip. Thus, I find no reason how this can possibly be true. Although, feel free to prove me wrong if you have the facts.  

  

But did Lionel have syphilis?... 

No. No, he did not. I think you've got the wrong Barrymore.    

 

Maurice Barrymore, a royal member of the acting family, and father to Lionel, Ethel, and John, was diagnosed with syphilis in 1901. 

  

Maurice was a very promiscuous man who regularly cheated on his wife Georgina. He was officially diagnosed in 1901 at age fifty-two, after having a psychological breakdown during a performance, in which he delivered a "blasphemous attack on the Jews." After further erratic behavior, he was committed to a psychiatric hospital, where he spent the remainder of his life until his death in 1905.

 

Even if Lionel had syphilis, it would have been evident. He was never sent to a mental asylum or showed any symptoms of irrational behavior. And as far as I'm concerned, he was a devoted companion to his wife, Irene Fenwick, till her death. So far none of the rumors I've unpacked seem to fit into Lionel's life. On the other hand, some biographies deny this claim.

Moral of the story: always do a fact check when reading from websites like Wikipedia. And another thing, don't trust every biography you read. There are plenty filled with inaccuracies.