List of the best Lionel Barrymore movies: On Borrowed Time(1939), Broken Lullaby(1932), The Devil Doll(1936), The Voice of Bugle Ann(1936), Public Hero No. 1(1935), A Family Affair(1937), Ten Cents a Dance(1931), The Return of Peter Grimm(1935), Mark of the Vampire(1935), The Mysterious Island(1929), Madame X(1929), The Unholy Night(1929) ... ...
Fantasy
USA
1939
99 Minutes
Julian Northrup
Lionel Barrymore Cedric Hardwicke Beulah Bondi Una Merkel Bobs Watson Nat Pendleton Henry Travers Grant Mitchell Eily Malyon James Burke Charles Waldron
grandfather grandchild aunt death doctor amusing cheeky emotional heartwarming house tree united states death old age family discovery sacrifice 1930s
A cantankerous old man takes in his beloved, orphaned grandson, whom he must protect at all costs, including from an agent of Death with the help of a magical apple tree.
Drama
USA
1932
77 Minutes
Dr. H. Holderlin
Lionel Barrymore Nancy Carroll Phillips Holmes Lucien Littlefield Tom Douglas Frank Sheridan Louise Carter Tully Marshall
musician priest doctor wife daughter crafty touching france church germany small town guilt world war i moral dilemma deception quest transformation love 1910s
French soldier travels to Germany to find a family of a man he killed during World War I.
Horror
USA
1936
79 Minutes
Paul Lavond, aka Madame Mandelip
Lionel Barrymore Maureen O'Sullivan Frank Lawton Robert Greig Lucy Beaumont Henry B. Walthall
innocent man scientist widow daughter son-in-law assistant creepy eerie outlandish paris prison laboratory shrinking wrongful conviction prison break father/daughter relationship science gone awry accidental death sacrifice revenge
An escaped convict uses miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those that framed him.
Drama
USA
1936
70 Minutes
Springfield `'Spring'` Davis
Lionel Barrymore Maureen O'Sullivan Eric Linden Dudley Digges Spring Byington Charley Grapewin Henry Wadsworth William Newell James Macklin Jonathan Hale Frederick Burton
farmer shepherd hunter dog son daughter emotional endearing touching ozark mountains woods family feud hunting forbidden love revenge forbidden love rivalry 1930s
The countrymen in the hills of Missouri take the hounds on night fox hunts. This goes on until Jacob Terry comes into the county and decides to raise sheep and install a woven wire fence. ... See full summary »
Crime, Drama
USA
1935
90 Minutes
Dr. Josiah Glass
Lionel Barrymore Jean Arthur Chester Morris Paul Kelly Lewis Stone Joseph Calleia Sam Baker Paul Hurst John Kelly Selmer Jackson Larry Wheat
kingpin fbi agent doctor gangster inmate sister suspenseful thrilling patriotic melodramatic prison highway movie theater bus train station undercover operations gang war jailbreak journey manhunt
A G-man goes undercover to infiltrate a gang, helping the group's leader escape from prison to gain his trust.
Comedy
USA
1937
69 Minutes
Judge James K. Hardy
Lionel Barrymore Mickey Rooney Cecilia Parker Spring Byington Eric Linden Julie Haydon Sara Haden Charley Grapewin Selmer Jackson
judge contractor publisher wife daughter son heartwarming endearing carvel family home courtroom office small town corruption politics family business marriage transformation love
Judge Hardy faces problems at work and at home. Powerful men in town are upset with his decisions and want to see him impeached; his daughters, Joan and Marion, have romantic problems; and ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1931
75 Minutes
Director
Barbara Stanwyck Ricardo Cortez Monroe Owsley Sally Blane Blanche Frederici Phyllis Crane Olive Hill Victor Potel Al Hill John Byron
dance hall girl neighbor patron husband mistress old friend moving melodramatic spirited dance hall apartment office new york city love triangle financial troubles gambling unhappy marriage jealousy second chance love
Men pay a dime to dance with Barbara and her fellow taxi dancers. She marries Eddie and plans to quit dancing. Before she does, she meets a handsome and rich gentleman.
Fantasy
USA
1935
82 Minutes
wealthy man ward nephew boyfriend doctor ghost fascinating melodramatic emotional upstate new york house garden supernatural promises greed guilt inheritance afterlife metamorphosis quest
The ghost of a recently deceased family patriarch tries to help his surviving relatives, in part by preventing a marriage that he knows will go wrong.
Horror
USA
1935
61 Minutes
Professor Zelen
Lionel Barrymore Bela Lugosi Elizabeth Allan Lionel Atwill Holmes Herbert Jean Hersholt Carroll Borland Ivan F. Simpson Egon Brecher Henry Wadsworth Eily Malyon
count daughter friend investigator professor doctor dark thrilling gripping prague house murder investigation vampires mysterious past love mystery discovery transformation 19th century
When a nobleman is murdered, a professor of the occult blames vampires; but not all is what it seems.
Sci-Fi
USA
1929
95 Minutes
Dakkar
Lionel Barrymore Jacqueline Gadsdon Lloyd Hughes Montagu Love Harry Gribbon Snitz Edwards Gibson Gowland Dolores Brinkman Pauline Starke Karl Dane
count scientist daughter engineer baron campy spectacular under the sea island submarine laboratory class conflict oceanic exploration monsters submarine adventure rivalry 1850s
On a volcanic island near the kingdom of Hetvia rules Count Dakkar, a benevolent leader and scientist who has eliminated class distinction among the island's inhabitants. Dakkar, his ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1929
95 Minutes
Director
Ruth Chatterton Lewis Stone Raymond Hackett Holmes Herbert Eugenie Besserer Sidney Toler Ullrich Haupt Richard Carle Mitchell Lewis Carroll Nye
wife husband son lover lawyer gambler sad melodramatic brooding touching paris estate courtroom street france city estrangement murder case mother/son relationship unhappy marriage
A young lawyer unknowingly defends his mother who abandoned him when he was three.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1929
94 Minutes
Director
Roland Young Boris Karloff Dorothy Sebastian Ernest Torrence Natalie Moorhead Sydney Jarvis Polly Moran George Cooper Kamiyama Sojin Claude Fleming Clarence Geldart
On a dark foggy London night, someone tries to strangle Lord Montague, but he escapes. Only to discover the four other men who did get killed were old regimental comrades in Gallipoli. When... See full summary »
Musical
USA
1930
103 Minutes
Director
Lawrence Tibbett Catherine Dale Owen Nance O'Neil Judith Vosselli Ullrich Haupt Elsa Alsen Florence Lake Lionel Belmore Wallace MacDonald Stan Laurel Oliver Hardy
In tsarist Russia, a princess falls for a dashing bandit leader, but their romance proves a stormy one.
Drama
1942
84 Minutes
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Lionel Barrymore Philip Dorn Donna Reed Phil Brown Nat Pendleton Alma Kruger Mary Nash Walter Kingsford Nell Craig Ruth Tobey Jonathan Hale
doctor intern nurse parent mental patient girlfriend suspenseful shocking melodramatic hospital doctor's office all-girls school apartment police station murder psychiatry investigation mental illness family quest
Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) lets his Dutch colleague (Philip Dorn) handle the case of a homicidal maniac.
Drama
1933
72 Minutes
Eli Watt
Lionel Barrymore May Robson Dorothy Jordan Joel McCrea Frances Dee David Landau James Bush Buster Phelps Oscar Apfel June Filmer Samuel S. Hinds
doctor widower son foster father husband daughter melodramatic moving new england small town rural community banquet hall medical profession car accident small-town life father/daughter relationship troubled marriage death of mother growing up sacrifice
A selfless doctor (Lionel Barrymore) dedicates his life to his patients and watches his son (Joel McCrea) follow in his footsteps.
Crime, Drama
USA
1928
88 Minutes
Doyle
William Haines Lionel Barrymore Leila Hyams Karl Dane Tully Marshall Ruth Shepley
Jimmy is an expert safe cracker that intends to knock over a small town's leading bank, but he stays there and gets a job instead. As a cashier, he falls in love with the president's ... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1938
127 Minutes
Grandpa Martin Vanderhof
Jean Arthur Lionel Barrymore James Stewart Edward Arnold Mischa Auer Ann Miller Spring Byington Samuel S. Hinds Donald Meek H.B. Warner Halliwell Hobbes
ingénue boyfriend father mother sister grandfather amusing cheery madcap family home family love meaning of life marriage money love transformation 1930s
A man from a family of rich snobs becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family.
Adventure
USA
1949
120 Minutes
captain grandchild first mate ship owner sailor gripping rousing massachusetts port ship south america atlantic ocean grandparent/child relationship sailors feud disaster respect old age rivalry growing up
Whaling ship captain Bering Joy takes his grandson Jed on a whaling trip to teach him core life values while First Mate Dan Lunceford is tasked with tutoring Jed.
Adventure
USA
1928
68 Minutes
Crane
Lon Chaney Lionel Barrymore Mary Nolan Warner Baxter Jacqueline Gadsdon Roscoe Ward Kalla Pasha Curtis Nero
magician paraplegic nemesis wife daughter doctor brutal shocking gripping stage church zanzibar brothel magic act adultery disability kidnapping prostitution secret revenge
A magician seeks vengeance upon the man who paralyzed him and the illegitimate daughter he sired with the magician's wife.
Drama
USA
1928
97 Minutes
Gloria Swanson Lionel Barrymore Raoul Walsh Blanche Frederici Charles Lane Florence Midgely James Marcus Sofia Ortega Will Stanton
prostitute missionary sailor governor wife gripping melodramatic south pacific island hotel pago pago, samoa love absolution catholicism punishment persecution prostitution love escape wretched excess
A prostitute seeking a fresh start becomes the obsession of a religious extremist.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1935
80 Minutes
Shirley Temple Lionel Barrymore Bill Robinson Evelyn Venable John Lodge Sidney Blackmer
colonel daughter husband grandchild veteran swindler cheeky charming moving kentucky household garden staircase woods pride war culture clash family deception courage
After Southern belle Elizabeth Lloyd runs off to marry Yankee Jack Sherman, her father, a former Confederate colonel during the Civil War, vows to never speak to her again. Several years ... See full summary »
Crime, Drama
USA
1932
84 Minutes
John Barrymore Lionel Barrymore Karen Morley John Miljan Tully Marshall Henry Armetta George Davis John Davidson James T. Mack Mary Jane Irving
A detective is tasked to capture an elusive thief called Arsene Lupin.
Drama
USA
1938
81 Minutes
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Lynne Carver Nat Pendleton Jo Ann Sayers Samuel S. Hinds Emma Dunn Walter Kingsford Monty Woolley Phillip Terry Don "Red" Barry
doctor mentor mother father love interest politician emotional intense solemn connecticut bar house hospital new york city mentorship terminal illness depression medicine family growing up
Dr. James Kildare decides to take a position at a large New York hospital instead of joining his father's country practice but he finds himself in serious trouble when he saves a suicidal woman.
Drama
USA
1931
91 Minutes
Norma Shearer Lionel Barrymore Clark Gable Leslie Howard James Gleason
lawyer mobster daughter fiancé judge emotional melodramatic courtroom family home trial love triangle murder pursuit sacrifice 1930s
An alcoholic lawyer who successfully defended a notorious gambler on a murder charge objects when his free-spirited daughter becomes romantically involved with him.
Comedy
UK
1938
100 Minutes
Robert Taylor Lionel Barrymore Maureen O'Sullivan Griffith Jones Vivien Leigh Edmund Gwenn C.V. France Edward Rigby Morton Selten Claude Gillingwater Tully Marshall
aristocrat student professor administrator amusing spirited oxford, england oxford university college honor romance sports culture clash growing up transformation rivalry love 1930s
A brash young American aristocrat attending Oxford University gets a chance to prove himself and win the heart of his antagonist's sister.
Drama
USA
1939
84 Minutes
Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Lionel Atwill Laraine Day Helen Gilbert Nat Pendleton Sara Haden Samuel S. Hinds Emma Dunn Grant Mitchell Walter Kingsford
doctor mentor nurse tycoon daughter housekeeper engaging positive hospital new york city household office cottage medicine friendship research psychosomatic illness quacks experimental medicine quest
Dr. Gillespie's cancer has gotten worse, and to force him to take a rest instead of pursuing a sulfa-drug/pneumonia study, Kildare refuses to assist Gillespie, and instead accepts a case of... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1939
86 Minutes
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Laraine Day Lana Turner Nat Pendleton Samuel S. Hinds Lynne Carver Emma Dunn Walter Kingsford Alma Kruger Harlan Briggs
intern physician nurse patient sister criminal melodramatic engaging new york city hospital basement apartment false accusations medical profession injury investigation framed for murder confidence discovery quest
Dr. Gillespie tries to teach Jimmy Kildare a lesson by tossing him into a street clinic. Only Kildare gets called to take a bullet out of a suspected murderer, and when the cops collar him ... See full summary »
Western
USA
1941
70 Minutes
Wallace Beery Lionel Barrymore Laraine Day Ronald Reagan Henry Travers Chris-Pin Martin Tom Conway Chill Wills Nydia Westman Charles Stevens
rancher uncle bandit banker old flame husband positive frenetic striking mexico ranch old west theft oil foreclosure redemption kidnapping transformation love 19th century
Lopez is a bandit who has stolen the herd at Gil's ranch, so Hardy is about to foreclose. But Lucia has come back from New York and Gil is happy until he meets her husband, Morgan. Saying ... See full summary »
Drama
1941
78 Minutes
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Laraine Day Bonita Granville Alma Kruger Red Skelton Paul Stanton Diana Lewis
doctor nurse mentor truck driver ice skater lawyer melodramatic inspiring charming road hospital courtroom office medicine media lawsuit reputation mentorship sacrifice quest
An ice skater sues Kildare (Lew Ayres) for malpractice after his roadside first aid leaves her paralyzed.
Drama
1940
76 Minutes
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Laraine Day Shepperd Strudwick Samuel S. Hinds Emma Dunn Walter Kingsford Alma Kruger John Eldredge Nell Craig George H. Reed
doctor nurse mentor surgeon patient rival tense melodramatic hospital city car mentorship medical profession romance love triangle malpractice unlikely allies discovery rivalry 1940s
Kildare (Lew Ayres) tries brain surgery, advised by Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore), and faces a rival for nurse Lamont (Laraine Day).
Drama
1940
75 Minutes
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Robert Young Laraine Day Emma Dunn Nat Pendleton Bobs Watson Walter Kingsford Alma Kruger Nell Craig Frank Orth
dr. kildare nurse fiancée brother mentor doctor melodramatic hospital office household epilepsy wedding romantic dilemma medical profession siblings love sacrifice quest 1940s
Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) corrects Kildare's (Lew Ayres) diagnosis of nurse Lamont's brother's (Robert Young) head problem.
Comedy
1934
75 Minutes
Jean Harlow Lionel Barrymore Franchot Tone Lewis Stone Patsy Kelly Alan Mowbray Clara Blandick Russell Hopton Hale Hamilton Henry Kolker Nat Pendleton
chorus girl wealthy man millionaire son best friend married man playful spirited amusing missouri beer hall new york city stage mansion yacht gold digging father/son relationship suicide frame-up seduction
An innkeeper's daughter (Jean Harlow) runs away from home and meets a Palm Beach millionaire (Lionel Barrymore) and his son (Franchot Tone).
Drama
1942
92 Minutes
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Lew Ayres Lionel Barrymore Ann Ayars Robert Sterling Jean Rogers Alma Kruger Walter Kingsford Nell Craig Ed Gargan Marie Blake Frank Orth
physician intern nurse mentor wealthy girl board member engaging melodramatic new york city hospital ambulance street operating room boardroom workplace politics medicine employment surgery accident romance
Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) supports Kildare's (Lew Ayres) crusade against their hospital's deal with a rival hospital.
Comedy, Other, Drama
USA
1946
129 Minutes
Mr. Henry F. Potter
James Stewart Donna Reed Lionel Barrymore Thomas Mitchell Henry Travers Beulah Bondi Frank Faylen Ward Bond Gloria Grahame H.B. Warner Frank Albertson
angel friend wife uncle businessperson banker heartwarming emotional charming new york state store small town christmas big business suicide marriage money ambition fall rescue
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
Adventure
USA
1937
117 Minutes
Capt. Disko Troop
Spencer Tracy Freddie Bartholomew Lionel Barrymore Melvyn Douglas Charley Grapewin Mickey Rooney John Carradine Oscar O'Shea Jack LaRue Walter Kingsford Sam McDaniel
young boy father fisherman captain friend sailor heartwarming uplifting ship boarding school gloucester, mass. ocean liner troubled youth accident sailors father/son relationship growing up transformation 1890s
A spoiled brat who falls overboard from a steamship gets picked up by a fishing boat, where he's made to earn his keep by joining the crew in their work.
Romance
USA
1936
108 Minutes
Monsieur Duval
Greta Garbo Robert Taylor Lionel Barrymore Elizabeth Allan Jessie Ralph Henry Daniell
courtesan young man love interest father baron maid melodramatic emotional passionate paris chateau apartment opera house countryside forbidden love scandal love triangle wealth father/son relationship tuberculosis
A Parisian courtesan must choose between the young man who loves her and the callous baron who wants her, even as her own health begins to fail.
War
USA
1936
96 Minutes
Papa La Roche, Pvt. Morin
Fredric March Warner Baxter Lionel Barrymore June Lang Gregory Ratoff Victor Kilian
The story of trench life during World War I through the lives of a French regiment. As men are killed and replaced jaunty Lt. Denet becomes more and more somber. His rival for the affection of nurse Monique is Capt. La Roche.
Biography
USA
1931
91 Minutes
General Shubin
Greta Garbo Ramon Novarro Lionel Barrymore Lewis Stone C. Henry Gordon Karen Morley Alec B. Francis Blanche Frederici Edmund Breese Helen Jerome Eddy Frank Reicher
mata hari officer general chief spy love interest sultry melodramatic thrilling paris nightclub apartment world war i espionage seduction jealousy affair love sacrifice rivalry
A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I.
Drama, History
USA
1932
123 Minutes
Grigori Rasputin
John Barrymore Ethel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore Ralph Morgan Diana Wynyard Tad Alexander C. Henry Gordon Edward Arnold Gustav von Seyffertitz Dawn O'Day Jean Parker
mystic czar nicholas ii child prince princess doctor dark intense russia palace party hypnosis czarina alexandra royalty rasputin assassination revolution quest rise fall
A prince plots to kill the mad monk Rasputin for the good of the czar, the czarina and Russia.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1937
94 Minutes
Grandpa Clayton
Clark Gable Jean Harlow Lionel Barrymore Frank Morgan Walter Pidgeon Una Merkel Cliff Edwards George Zucco Hattie McDaniel Margaret Hamilton
After winning a stud farm in lieu of gambling debts, bookie Duke Bradley turns an eye to the daughter of the now deceased gambler and her millionaire fiancée.
Crime, Drama
USA
1941
79 Minutes
"Grandpop" Logan
Edward Arnold Gene Reynolds Lionel Barrymore Marsha Hunt Robert Sterling Emma Dunn Veda Ann Borg Richard Lane Gloria DeHaven Grant Mitchell Phil Silvers
The son of a murderer is entangled in his father's crimes and is sentenced to a rehabilitive farm, where he learns a new way of life.
Drama, History
USA
1936
102 Minutes
Andrew Jackson
Joan Crawford Robert Taylor Lionel Barrymore Franchot Tone Melvyn Douglas James Stewart Alison Skipworth Louis Calhern Beulah Bondi Melville Cooper Sidney Toler
president best friend senator sailor adviser gutsy spirited washington, d.c. inn peggy eaton andrew jackson loyalty politics scandal rivalry sacrifice love 1830s
President Andrew Jackson's friendship with an innkeeper's daughter spells trouble for them both.
Crime, Drama
USA
1948
101 Minutes
James Temple
Humphrey Bogart Edward G. Robinson Lauren Bacall Lionel Barrymore Claire Trevor Thomas Gomez Jay Silverheels
war hero widow father-in-law mobster henchman alcoholic suspenseful engaging florida key largo, fla. hotel boat showdown confinement organized crime courage hurricane escape rescue 1940s
A man visits his war buddy's family hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.
Drama
USA
1935
130 Minutes
Dan Peggotty
W.C. Fields Freddie Bartholomew Basil Rathbone Lionel Barrymore Maureen O'Sullivan Madge Evans Edna May Oliver Lewis Stone Elizabeth Allan Roland Young Elsa Lanchester
young boy stepfather father ingénue blackmailer aunt melodramatic london family home office wealth family child abuse blackmail love triangle growing up rescue love 19th century
A gentle orphan discovers life and love in an indifferent adult world.
Adventure
USA
1938
118 Minutes
Howard B. Drake
Clark Gable Myrna Loy Spencer Tracy Lionel Barrymore Samuel S. Hinds Marjorie Main Gloria Holden Louis Jean Heydt
pilot mechanic wife boss gripping melodramatic kansas farm airplane aviation friendship alcoholism bravery adventure sacrifice 1930s
Jim is a test pilot. His wife Ann and best friend Gunner try their best to keep him sober. But the life of a test pilot is anything but safe.
Western
USA
1946
130 Minutes
Sen. Jackson McCanles
Jennifer Jones Gregory Peck Joseph Cotten Lionel Barrymore Lillian Gish Herbert Marshall Walter Huston Butterfly McQueen Charles Bickford Tilly Losch Harry Carey
orphan aunt senator outlaw rancher son passionate tense ranch desert texas love-hate relationship love triangle doomed romance cross-cultural romance family dysfunction love revenge rivalry 19th century
Beautiful half-breed Pearl Chavez becomes the ward of her dead father's first love and finds herself torn between her sons, one good and the other bad.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1937
94 Minutes
Captain "Skinny" Dawes
Robert Young James Stewart Florence Rice Lionel Barrymore Billie Burke Tom Brown Samuel S. Hinds Paul Kelly Frank Albertson Barnett Parker Minor Watson
cadet football player student roommate naval officer coach spirited patriotic rousing naval academy maryland football field football college navy family history secret sports quest rivalry
Three young men, with a common fondness for football, become roommates the at United States Naval Academy where they experience its rules and traditions.
Musical
USA
1941
111 Minutes
Judge Murdock
Eleanor Powell Ann Sothern Robert Young Lionel Barrymore John Carroll Red Skelton Virginia O'Brien Tom Conway Dan Dailey Reginald Owen Rose Hobart
songwriter husband best friend dancer judge charming cheery stage backstage courtroom apartment divorce marriage friendship show business music love transformation 1930s
A composer and his songwriter wife clash as they succeed in working together, writing hit Broadway shows, but fail in their marriage to the point of getting divorced twice.
Musical
USA
1939
100 Minutes
Thomas Logan
Nelson Eddy Virginia Bruce Victor McLaglen Lionel Barrymore Edward Arnold Guy Kibbee Charles Butterworth H.B. Warner Raymond Walburn Dick Rich Trevor Bardette
tycoon rancher son love interest henchman spirited uplifting small town ranch newsroom office house railroad ethics impersonation deception ranchers land dispute quest adventure
Railroad owner Jim Knox uses everything to get the land he needs for his new railroad cheaply. Everybody hopes, that Steve Logan ends his regime, but he allies with Jim Knox. Nobody knows, ... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1933
84 Minutes
Insp. Robineau
John Barrymore Helen Hayes Clark Gable Lionel Barrymore Robert Montgomery C. Henry Gordon Harry Beresford Irving Pichel
Polio breaks out in Rio de Janeiro, the serum is in Santiago and there's only one way to get the medicine where it's desperately needed: flown in by daring pilots who risk the treacherous weather and forbidding peaks of the Andes.