The best John Barrymore’s history movies

John Barrymore

John Barrymore

15/02/1882- 29/05/1942
If you love cinema, you will share this ranking of the best John Barrymore’s movies, although you may have ordered them differently. In any case, we hope you love it and with a little luck discovering a movie that you still don’t know about John Barrymore.

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette
7.3/10
The young Austrian princess Marie Antoinette is arranged to marry Louis XVI, future king of France, in a politically advantageous marriage for the rival countries. The opulent Marie indulges in various whims and flirtations. When Louis XV passes and Louis XVI ascends the French throne, his queen's extravagant lifestyle earns the hatred of the French people, who despise her Austrian heritage.

Okay for Sound

Okay for Sound
6.1/10
This short was released in connection with the 20th anniversary of Warner Brothers' first exhibition of the Vitaphone sound-on-film process on 6 August 1926. The film highlights Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell's efforts that contributed to sound movies and acknowledges the work of Lee De Forest. Brief excerpts from the August 1926 exhibition follow. Clips are then shown from a number of Warner Brothers features, four from the 1920s, the remainder from 1946/47.

Rasputin and the Empress

Rasputin and the Empress
6.5/10
  • Genre: DramaHistory
  • Release: 23/12/1932
  • Character: Prince Paul Chegodieff
The story of corrupt, power-hungry, manipulative Grigori Rasputin's influence on members of the Russian Imperial family and others, and what resulted.

The Voice That Thrilled the World

The Voice That Thrilled the World
6.6/10
  • Genre: History
  • Release: 01/01/1943
  • Character: Himself (segments 'Don Juan' & 'Richard III') (archive footage)
This short traces the history of sound in the movies, beginning with French scientist Leon Scott's experiments in 1857. Featured are snippets from early sound pictures.

The Beloved Rogue

The Beloved Rogue
7/10
François Villon, in his lifetime the most renowned poet in France, is also a prankster, an occasional criminal, and an ardent patriot.

General Crack

General Crack
7.6/10
The film takes place in the 18th century Austria and revolves around Prince Christian, commonly known as General Crack. His father had been a respectable member of the nobility but his mother was a gypsy. General Crack, as a soldier of fortune, spent his adult life selling his services to the highest bidder. He espouses the doubtful cause of Leopold II of Austria after demanding the sister of the emperor in marriage as well as half of gold of the Empire. Before he has finished his work, however, he meets a gypsy dancer and weds her. Complications arise when he takes his gypsy wife to the Austrian court and falls desperately in love with the emperor's sister.

When a Man Loves

When a Man Loves
7/10
  • Genre: HistoryRomance
  • Release: 21/08/1927
  • Character: Chevalier Fabien des Grieux
A nobleman studying for the priesthood abandons his vocation in 18th Century France when he falls in love with a beautiful, but reluctant, courtesan.

Related actors