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Dolores Costello

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
71

Gender
Female

Birthday
September 17, 1903 (122 years old)

Place of Birth
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Dolores Costello

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dolores Costello (September 17, 1903 – March 1, 1979) was an American film actress who achieved her greatest success during the era of silent movies. She was nicknamed "The Goddess of the Silent Screen". She was stepmother of John Barrymore's daughter Diana by his second wife Blanche Oelrichs, the mother of John Drew Barrymore and Dolores (Dee Dee) Barrymore, and the grandmother of John Barrymore III, Blyth Dolores Barrymore, Brahma Blyth (Jessica) Barrymore, and Drew Barrymore.

Dolores Costello was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughter of actors Maurice Costello and Mae Costello (née Altschuk). She was of Irish and German descent. She had a younger sister, Helene, and the two made their first film appearances in the years 1909–1915 as child actresses for the Vitagraph Film Company. They played supporting roles in several films starring their father, who was a popular matinee idol at the time.

The two sisters appeared on Broadway together as chlorines and their success resulted in contracts with Warner Brothers Studios. In 1926, following small parts in feature films, she was selected by John Barrymore to star opposite him in The Sea Beast, a loose adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. Warner Bros. soon began starring her in her own vehicles. Meanwhile, she and Barrymore became romantically involved and married in 1928.

Within a few years of achieving stardom, the delicately beautiful blonde-haired actress had become a successful and highly regarded film personality in her own right. As a young adult her career developed to the degree that in 1926 she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star, and had acquired the nickname "The Goddess of the Silver Screen".

Warners alternated Costello between films with contemporary settings and elaborate costume dramas. In 1927 she was re-teamed with John Barrymore in When a Man Loves, an adaptation of Manon Lescaut. In 1928 she co-starred with George O'Brien in Noah's Ark, a part-talkie epic directed by Michael Curtiz.

Costello spoke with a lisp and found it difficult to make the transition to talking pictures, but after two years of voice coaching she was comfortable speaking before a microphone. One of her early sound film appearances was with her sister Helene in Warner Bros.'s all-star extravaganza The Show of Shows (1929).

Her acting career became less a priority for her following the birth of her first child, Dolores Ethel Mae "DeeDee" Barrymore, on April 8, 1930, and she retired from the screen in 1931 to devote time to her family. Her second child, John Drew Barrymore, was born on June 4, 1932, but the marriage proved difficult due to her husband's increasing alcoholism, and they divorced in 1935.

She resumed her career a year later and achieved some successes, most notably in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). She retired permanently from acting following her appearance in This is the Army (1943), again under the direction of Michael Curtiz.

In 1950 Costello divorced Dr. John Vruwink, whom she had married in 1939. She spent the remaining years of her life in semi-seclusion, managing an avocado farm.

She died from emphysema in Fallbrook, California in 1979.

Known For

Acting

1990Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home Toas (archive footage)
1953Magic Movie Momentsas
1950The Golden Twentiesas Self (archive footage)
1943This Is the Armyas Mrs. Davidson
1942The Magnificent Ambersonsas Isabel Amberson Minafer
1939Outside These Wallsas Margaret Bronson
1939Whispering Enemiesas Laura Crandall
1939King of the Turfas Eve Barnes
1938Breaking the Iceas Martha Martin
1938The Beloved Bratas Helen Cosgrove
1936Yours for the Askingas Lucille Sutton
1936Little Lord Fauntleroyas 'Dearest' Erroll
1931Expensive Womenas Constance 'Connie' Newton
1930Second Choiceas Vallery Grove
1929The Show of Showsas Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number
1929Hearts in Exileas Vera Zuanova
1929Madonna of Avenue Aas Maria Morton
1929Glad Rag Dollas Annabel Lee
1929The Redeeming Sinas Joan Billaire
1928Noah's Arkas Marie / Miriam
1928Glorious Betsyas Betsy Patterson
1928Tenderloinas Rose Shannon
1928The Circus: Premiereas Self
1927The College Widowas Jane Witherspoon
1927Old San Franciscoas Dolores Vasquez
1927When a Man Lovesas Manon Lescaut
1927The Heart of Marylandas Maryland Calvert
1927A Million Bidas Dorothy Gordon
1926The Third Degreeas Annie Daly
1926The Little Irish Girlas Dot Walker
1926Bride of the Stormas Faith Fitzhugh
1926The Sea Beastas Esther Harper
1926Mannequinas Joan Herrick
1925Bobbed Hairas (uncredited)
1925Greater Than a Crownas Isabel Frances / Princess of Lividia
1923Lawful Larcenyas Nora the maid
1923The Glimpses of the Moonas Secondary Role
1915The Heart of Jim Briceas
1915The Evil Men Doas David - as a Little Boy
1914Too Much Burglaras
1914Etta of the Footlightsas
1914Some Steamer Scoopingas The Little Stowaway
1913Fellow Voyagersas Little Dolores Gray
1913In the Shadowas Neighbor Girl
1913The Hindoo Charmas Dolores Tilbury - the Older Child
1913A Birthday Giftas
1912Ida's Christmasas Ida - the Little Smith Girl
1912Song of the Shellas Little Bess M.
1912The Toymakeras Little Dot Avery
1912The Irony of Fateas Fourth Child
1912Bobby's Fatheras Bobby Ramsay
1912Captain Barnacle's Legacyas Ruth - Barnacle's Adopted Daughter
1912Her Grandchildas Little Janet - the Grandchild
1912Vultures and Dovesas Mrs. Hanley's Little Girl
1912Wanted... a Grandmotheras
1912A Juvenile Love Affairas Jane - Alvin's Sweetheart
1912The Money Kingsas
1912The Troublesome Step-Daughtersas
1912Lulu's Doctoras Lulu
1912She Never Knewas Mr. Blinn's Granddaughter
1912For the Honor of the Familyas Alice - the Child
1912The Meeting of the Waysas One of Tom's Children
1912Captain Jenks' Dilemmaas One of Widow Brown's Children
1911Some Good in Allas Betty Lane - John's Daughter
1911A Reformed Santa Clausas The Widow's 1st Child
1911His Sister's Childrenas Buster aka Budge
1911The Child Crusoesas
1911The Geraniumas
1911Consuming Love; or, St. Valentine's Day in Greenaway Landas
1910The Telephoneas Daughter
1909A Midsummer Night's Dreamas Fairy

Production