Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/John Barrymore

John Barrymore

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/February 15, 2015 by — Crisco 1492 (talk) 11:49, 24 January 2015 (UTC)



John Barrymore (1882–1942) was an American actor most famous for his film roles. Born into a theatrical dynasty, he initially tried to avoid the stage, briefly attempting a career as an artist, but he soon followed his father Maurice and siblings Ethel and Lionel into acting. After beginning in light comedy, he moved to high stage drama, culminating in productions of Justice (1916), Richard III (1920), and especially Hamlet (1922), a role critics lavishly praised him for. After his stage career peaked, he turned entirely to cinema for the next 14 years, initially in silent films. His stage-trained voice proved an asset when sound films were introduced, and three of his works have been inducted into the National Film Registry. His personal life has been the subject of much attention before and since his death. He struggled with alcohol abuse from the age of 14, was married and divorced four times, and declared bankruptcy in his fifties. Much of his later work involved self-parody and the portrayal of drunken has-beens. A hugely influential actor whose talent still shapes Shakespearean acting today, his later career and private life were seen by the obituarists as a waste of a once-great talent.
 * Most recent similar article(s): 17 September 2014 George Formby (never on the same bill, sadly!)
 * Main editors: SchroCat
 * Promoted: 29 December 2014
 * Reasons for nomination: Birthday: 14 or 15 February 1882 (No qualms about which day this should go on, if either: feel free to move about if more appropriate articles come up)
 * Support as nominator. SchroCat (talk) 14:30, 29 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Support. Should the above note that he is Drew Barrymore's grandfather? -- Ssilvers (talk) 17:14, 29 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Support. Very pleased to see the article promoted and it will be most welcome on the front page. (In the blurb above shouldn't "bankruptcy" be just "bankrupt"?)  Tim riley  talk    17:28, 29 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I thought so too, but I am reliably informed by Ssilvers that "declared bankruptcy" is de rigeur in American circles. Many thanks to you both for your help on the article, and on the support here. - SchroCat (talk) 17:37, 29 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Support - appropriate for front page.--BabbaQ (talk) 22:47, 1 January 2015 (UTC)
 * Support-on either the 14th or the 15th. The article deserves to be on the front page to mark his birthday. We hope (talk) 04:57, 7 January 2015 (UTC)
 * Support – though support is quite unneeded / (this request will sure be heeded) / yet I offer it to mark / all your very fine hard wark / and my general cry, as ever – / stop creating such gems never! BencherliteTalk 15:44, 7 January 2015 (UTC)
 * Support For either the 14th or 15th!♦ Dr. Blofeld  15:38, 11 January 2015 (UTC)
 * Comment. The TFA text is great. I made a few tweaks; feel free to revert. I borrowed the "lavish ... praise" language from the article text. - Dank (push to talk) 04:07, 13 January 2015 (UTC)