Here lies the abstract and poster image of my recent research results on Lionel Barrymore's fifteen Kildare/ Gillespie films of the 30s and 40s. If "Pearson Correlation Test" bores you, at least read on for the images! I presented this at my university on April 11, 2018.
Lionel Barrymore’s career began in
1911 and consists of over 200 films; from 1938 (when he required a wheelchair)
through 1953, he made 37 films. As seen in film grosses and polls, he was very
popular, in no small part due to his role as diagnostician Leonard Gillespie in
fifteen Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie
films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, from 1938 to 1947. Due to his appeal, MGM kept
him constantly busy post-disablement—the role of Gillespie was adapted
specifically for him, as were other roles, including in It’s a Wonderful Life. He acted in film and radio until his death
in 1954, often as a highly lucrative loanout from MGM, working with filmmakers
to adapt roles to his disability, only very occasionally as a plot device. His
success acting in a wheelchair as a person who actually required one is
unduplicated. How was he able to transition into roles in which his disability
was rarely the primary focus, and how might his huge success have transformed
the perception of physical disability by the public in his lifetime, reflected
in film approaches to his wheelchair use? Specifically, how does this series of
films serve as a normalizing influence on the perception of people in
wheelchairs?
The data presented here covers all
fifteen films, in the course of which Gillespie went from supporting role to
lead role, and during which the back story went from Gillespie being
near-terminally ill to free from illness. There is another significant shift
represented, in that Lew Ayres, the young actor playing Dr. Kildare, Gillespie’s
assistant, left the series after the start of World War II. He did not return
to the series and Barrymore took on the primary lead from 1942-1947. A second
article will explore in more depth the individual scenes and films which
demonstrate the shifts in how Gillespie’s disability was discussed and used in
the films from 1938 to the end and show how correlations among certain items
coded for change both in the post-illness (or “cure”) films and in the
post-Kildare films. The films served to “normalize” and make visible to a wide
public in the US wheelchair-use—the sheer number of the Kildare/Gillespie films
demonstrates a public desire for them, as well as Lionel Barrymore’s long and
lucrative post-1938 career.
There are no prior studies on this;
Norden (1994) mentions Barrymore as a disabled, successful actor but does not
explore this film series or possible influence on public attitudes. Underlying
the question is Wolfenberger’s Social Role Valorization concept and potential
“normalizing” of wheelchair-users via Barrymore’s enormous success.
Hypotheses will be tested using via Pearson Correlation.
H1: There will be a relationship between time and number of
instances of rejecting help
H2: There will be a relationship between time and number of
instances of asking for help
H3: There will be a relationship between time and number of
instances of interacting with others
The films were coded for instances
of wheelchair use, based on the Dalhousie Wheelchair Skills Test 4.3 (2016) as
well as the Fleiss-Douer, et al evaluation of wheelchair training programs
(2010). 34 variables were coded for in each film by the principal investigator.
Skills coded for are typical of those utilized by wheelchair users in the US
and Canada, including negotiating doorways and obstacles and transferring.
Further items included reactions and interplay among characters, queries about
wheelchair use, verbal references to disability, and Gillespie’s reactions to
help offered as well as his asking for assistance. Notable was a shift in
attitude and camerawork in the presentation of Gillespie over time, significant
for later research
For the first hypothesis, a Pearson
correlation test was used to determine if a correlation existed between time
and the number of instances of rejecting help. No significant relationship was
found between the two variables, r = -.420, n = 15, p = .119. As time
progressed, the number of instances of rejecting help did not increase or
decrease. The hypothesis presumed a greater independence and visibility for
Gillespie’s character would lead to an increase in “independent” activity. This
was not borne out in analysis. “Rejecting help” here was verbal rejection of
help offered by others (and verbal rejection of physical touch of his
wheelchair or body?).
In the second instance, where the
passage of time would correlate with the number of instances the character
requested help, no significant relationship was found between the two variables
in a Pearson correlation test, r = +.051, n = 15, p = .857. This presumption
derived from the idea as the character grew into a more prominent role, his
interactions would increase and therefore would have not only more people to
assist him, but might also feel confident he could receive help if needed.
While there was no obvious relationship between those two items, raw numbers of
the items “Help accepted without request” and “Asking for help with wheelchair
or item” stayed relatively consistent over the series, with “Acceptance of
touch (non-aid, body or wheelchair”) increased after the “cure” film (number
six in the series).
Finally, the third hypothesis, that
there would be a relation between time and the number of instances of
interaction between Gillespie and other characters, derived from the concept as
Gillespie’s disability receded in importance, his interactions (not merely
exchanging words) would increase. Items included were occurrences of asking for
help, interacting with another character with a physical disability, help
accepted, touch accepted, children speaking to Gillespie, and physical threats
by others to Gillespie. No significant relationship was found between the two
variables, r = +.053, n = 15, p = .851, in a Pearson correlation test. As time
progressed, the number of instances of interacting with others did not increase
or decrease.
DISCUSSION
While data did not
support the hypotheses, preliminary exploration of variables in a number of
combinations encourages further research on how these fifteen films contributed
to a normalizing of wheelchair-users in public opinion. Notable was a shift in
attitude and camerawork in the presentation of Gillespie over time, significant
for later research. Additional data on box office earnings and qualitative
research on reviews of the films, as well as the extent of the films’
distribution, will provide further directions for research. The unique nature
of the films and Lionel Barrymore’s career promises a wealth of information to
sharpen research focus
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| The research poster done with a colleague on the above data |
And here are some images from the films that I did not include--happy sixth of Lionel!
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| Between 2 Women, with Van Johnson |
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| Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day--yes, Mr B could stand and even walk. It just caused a lot of pain. |
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| Young Dr Kildare--Dr G winking at a baby |
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| The People v Dr. Kildare--unusual to see a therapy being used in films with disabled folk |
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| The People v Dr. Kildare--Dr G sings "Mademoiselle from Armentier" to a baby |
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| After Kildare's fiance is *SPOILER ALERT!!!!!*******killed, Dr G tells his own lost love story while playing piano |
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| Lionel Barrymore and Lew Ayres, colleagues and friends. | | | |
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