The 10th of Lionel: How to Age Instantly

On the blog here is an article wherein Mr B discusses how he builds characters from the ground up. Of primary importance for him was observation, looking for models to build his characterizations on in plays and films. In his bio he mentioned specifically using Sir Herbert Tree as a model for Colonel Ibbetson on Broadway in 1917, after he'd despaired of finding his way into the part. Later, he discussed in the above article how he had closely observed elderly folk to play his role in The Claw on Broadway with both his wives, how he'd noted muscles sagging, how old men shuffle, the slack jaw of the very old, the slight stoop of the shoulders. While pain had caused him to sometimes shuffle in films, he usually could cast off his physical problems for a role, as he did in Sadie Thompson, made just a few years before the film I'm writing about today, Broken Lullaby. His dynamic, ferocious Davidson in 1928 is starkly different from his elderly Dr Holderlin in the wonderful 1932 film.

With Gloria Swanson, Sadie Thompson 1928

Released in January of 1932, Broken Lullaby was filmed the same year as The Yellow Ticket, where Mr B sneers and gallops his way through a thankless but interesting role, tongue in cheek. He certainly seems to be at least in his forties in TYT, and in reality was just over 50. But Broken Lullaby asks him to be the opposite of his bombastic military officer in TYT: to be old, worn, sad, and probably 20 years older than his 53, 54 years. He leans on surfaces as he moves, shoulders seemingly burdened by grief and (we find out) anger. He speaks deliberately and slowly, and his eyes betray a sad weariness.

While there's a whole review of the film of  this blog under FILM REVIEWS, if anyone wants to peek at my take, but here I wanted to focus on his ability to portray old age so effectively through a million little gestures.

In his distinctive manner, Mr B uses his long, expressive hands carefully to display emotion and direct attention to himself or others. Director Ernst Lubitsch was quite good capturing gestures and small moments, and Mr B seems an ideal actor for this tendency. In this film, he also has a wide flat ring on his right hand, which is somehow captivating. Little brother Jack lamented his own stubby fingers and Lionel's hands in this film were not only on display as the lovely pianist hands they were, he was not suffering deformity inflammation during filming and they appear normal, greatly increasing his ability to use them. In a film he made in the same year he made this, The Washington Masquerade, he was mid-gesticulation pounding a table, and broke a hand. Perhaps it made him even more aware of using them!

Besides hands, his ability to alter the apparent size and height of his body is a wonder. When he first meets the man who killed his son, he goes from tired, smiling, and benevolent to tall, angry, even larger in his fury, even though he only knows the man is French, which meant enemy still in 1919 post WWI Germany.

 In a similar way, at a moment in which he had an epic speech, he stands and moves about, pointing, gesturing, modulating his voice to express anger, pain, and loss. Sister Ethel once said, referring to Lionel's chameleonlike skills, "If Lionel had to play a dwarf, he'd make you believe it."

With Phillips Holmes 

He somehow seems to cast off some years here in an emotional scene

Remonstrating with old friends 

Pulling himself up to his full height (5'10")

Above 2 grabs with Louise Carter, Mrs. Holderlin 

Clearly the man had skills, but equally important, he was an excellent observer, as befits an artist and actor. Regardless of his actual age, he seemed brilliantly capable of representing age, and in some films, such as Sweepings and One Man's Journey, of aging over a lifetime in a film. The tiny gestures, the expressive eyes, the masterful vocal skills--Lionel Barrymore knew how to age instantly, if not, in real life, gracefully. This film has one of my favorite of his performances.

Happy 10th of Lionel!