Rarely has history witnessed an ordinary person drastically reshape the clothing of the day, transforming an era of ornate apparel into a simpler, yet more practical formal style of dress. England's dandy, Beau Brummell, was that person.
Warner Brothers adapted Clyde Fitch's 1890 play on the close friend of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV, who was so influential in the early 1800's fashion world that he was responsible for men giving up their knee breaches and stockings for simple trousers and surrendering their wigs for just plain natural hair. The studio's March 1924 "Beau Brummel" (spelled with one L while in real life it's two LLs) starred actor John Barrymore as the Englishman who gave us the suit and tie. Whereas the real Brummell was such an influencer during his time, the movie concentrates more on his many loves, single and married women, which ultimately doomed him to a life of poverty and eventually into insanity from syphillis.
Appearing as his first love in "Beau Brummel" was actress Mary Astor in one of her first prominent roles. She's most remembered playing Bridget O'Shaughnessy in 1941's 'The Maltese Falcon.' At 16, Astor was a runner-up in a Motion Picture Magazine's contest, soon drawing attention to Paramount Pictures. Changing her name from Lucile Langhanke to Mary Astor, the teenager appeared in several films before Barrymore strongly suggested her as Lady Margery. The actor, 42, fell for the 17-year-older during filming "Beau Brummel," but her ever-watchful parents kept a tight leash on Mary and saw to it the two never spent time alone together. Barrymore, however, persuaded them Mary needed needed personal acting lessons in private. He only required a few intimate hours with her before they secretly became engaged. But her parents nullified the forthcoming betrothal since she was legally underage. Barrymore soon fell in love with actress Dolores Costello, who eventually became his wife and Drew Barrymore's grandmother.
It was at this time Barrymore began to insist on having his face photographed just on his left side. Nicknamed "the Great Profile," he defended his preference, saying, "The right side of my face looks like a fried egg. The left side has features that are to be found in almost any normal anthropological specimen, and those are the apples I try to keep on top of the barrel." On the set, Barrymore and Willard Louis, the actor who played the Prince of Wales, took the liberty of telling dirty jokes to one another instead of the scripted dialogue. They felt, being a silent movie, it was far more entertaining for them to say the raunchy lines than the boring script. What they failed to realize some members of the audience could lip read. Studio execs were flooded with letters complaining about the profanity the two uttered in front of the cameras.
The highlight of Barrymore's acting appears in the final sequences, when his character, old, hunchbacked and senile, mopes around his spartan chamber in a delirious funk. He displays his twisted personality by interacting with the Prince of Wales and Lady Margery's spirit, the type of scene the actor especially excelled at given his outstanding previous performance in 1920's 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.' One side note: John's sister Ethel Barrymore was the first actor/actress to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, its November 10, 1924 edition. She had appeared in silents since 1914, but her output in the 1920s was mainly a small part in one lone short film, 1926's 'Camille.' Ethel was more of a stage performer in New York City theaters during the Time cover publication, playing in an revival of 'The Second Mrs. Tanqueray' at the time of her magazine fame.
Warner Brothers adapted Clyde Fitch's 1890 play on the close friend of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV, who was so influential in the early 1800's fashion world that he was responsible for men giving up their knee breaches and stockings for simple trousers and surrendering their wigs for just plain natural hair. The studio's March 1924 "Beau Brummel" (spelled with one L while in real life it's two LLs) starred actor John Barrymore as the Englishman who gave us the suit and tie. Whereas the real Brummell was such an influencer during his time, the movie concentrates more on his many loves, single and married women, which ultimately doomed him to a life of poverty and eventually into insanity from syphillis.
Appearing as his first love in "Beau Brummel" was actress Mary Astor in one of her first prominent roles. She's most remembered playing Bridget O'Shaughnessy in 1941's 'The Maltese Falcon.' At 16, Astor was a runner-up in a Motion Picture Magazine's contest, soon drawing attention to Paramount Pictures. Changing her name from Lucile Langhanke to Mary Astor, the teenager appeared in several films before Barrymore strongly suggested her as Lady Margery. The actor, 42, fell for the 17-year-older during filming "Beau Brummel," but her ever-watchful parents kept a tight leash on Mary and saw to it the two never spent time alone together. Barrymore, however, persuaded them Mary needed needed personal acting lessons in private. He only required a few intimate hours with her before they secretly became engaged. But her parents nullified the forthcoming betrothal since she was legally underage. Barrymore soon fell in love with actress Dolores Costello, who eventually became his wife and Drew Barrymore's grandmother.
It was at this time Barrymore began to insist on having his face photographed just on his left side. Nicknamed "the Great Profile," he defended his preference, saying, "The right side of my face looks like a fried egg. The left side has features that are to be found in almost any normal anthropological specimen, and those are the apples I try to keep on top of the barrel." On the set, Barrymore and Willard Louis, the actor who played the Prince of Wales, took the liberty of telling dirty jokes to one another instead of the scripted dialogue. They felt, being a silent movie, it was far more entertaining for them to say the raunchy lines than the boring script. What they failed to realize some members of the audience could lip read. Studio execs were flooded with letters complaining about the profanity the two uttered in front of the cameras.
The highlight of Barrymore's acting appears in the final sequences, when his character, old, hunchbacked and senile, mopes around his spartan chamber in a delirious funk. He displays his twisted personality by interacting with the Prince of Wales and Lady Margery's spirit, the type of scene the actor especially excelled at given his outstanding previous performance in 1920's 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.' One side note: John's sister Ethel Barrymore was the first actor/actress to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, its November 10, 1924 edition. She had appeared in silents since 1914, but her output in the 1920s was mainly a small part in one lone short film, 1926's 'Camille.' Ethel was more of a stage performer in New York City theaters during the Time cover publication, playing in an revival of 'The Second Mrs. Tanqueray' at the time of her magazine fame.