Diana Barrymore

Diana Barrymore
Barrymore in 1942
Born	Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe (1921-03-03)March 3, 1921 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 25, 1960(1960-01-25) (aged 38) New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Alcohol and drug overdose
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Nationality	American
Alma mater	American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupation	Stage and film actress
Years active	1939–1959
Spouse(s)	Bramwell Fletcher (m. 1942–46) John Howard lI (m. 1947–48) Robert Wilcox (m. 1950–55)
Parent(s)	John Barrymore Blanche Oelrichs
Relatives	Lionel Barrymore (uncle) Ethel Barrymore (aunt) John Drew Barrymore (half brother)

Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe (March 3, 1921 – January 25, 1960), known professionally as Diana Barrymore, was an American film and stage actress.

Born Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe in New York City, New York she was the daughter of renowned actor John Barrymore and his second wife, poet Blanche Oelrichs. She was stepdaughter of Dolores Costello, half-sister of actor John Drew Barrymore, and aunt of actress Drew Barrymore. She had two older half brothers, Leonard Jr. and Robin, from her mother's first marriage to Leonard Moorhouse Thomas.

Her parents' tumultuous marriage lasted only a few years and they divorced when she was four. Educated in Paris, France and at schools in New York City, she had little contact with her estranged father, a situation exacerbated by her mother's bitterness towards him. Her parenting was left to boarding schools and nannies.

While in her teens, Barrymore decided to study acting and enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Because of the prominence of the Barrymore name in the world of theatre, her move onto the stage began with much publicity including a 1939 cover of Life. At age 19, Barrymore made her Broadway debut and the following year made her first appearance in motion pictures with a small role in a Warner Bros. production. In 1942, she signed a contract with Universal Studios who capitalized on her Barrymore name with a major promotion campaign billing her as "1942's Most Sensational New Screen Personality." However, alcohol and drug problems soon emerged and negative publicity from major media sources dampened her prospects with widely read magazines such as Collier's Weekly, writing about her conduct in an October 1942 article titled "The Barrymore Brat". After less than three years in Hollywood, and six significant film roles at Universal, Barrymore's personal problems ended her film career.