John Barrymore came from a long line of theater actors. He himself first appeared on stage alongside his father in 1900, and in 1903 officially began his career, starring in the likes of Justice (1916) and Richard III (1920). His greatest role was his 1992 appearance in Hamlet, for which he was dubbed “the greatest living American tragedian.”
Barrymore also starred in a slew of silent films, most notably Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Sherlock Holmes (1922) and Beau Brummel (1924). He later made the transition to sound movies, starring in the likes of Grand Hotel (1932) and Midnight (1939).
On May 29, 1942, Barrymore died at the age of 60 from pneumonia and cirrhosis. What happened next has been the subject of many rumors. It’s alleged his friends, Errol Flynn, W.C. Fields and Sadakichi Hartmann snuck into the morgue where his body was being held, propped him up against a poker table and allowed him to experience one final celebration.
As it turns out, these rumors are true! In an August 2020 episode of the popular YouTube series Hot Ones, the acting legend’s granddaughter, Drew Barrymore, revealed his corpse had actually been stolen.
“Not only yes, but there have been cinematic interpretations of it,” she exclaimed. Those interpretations include S.O.B., starring Julie Andrews, and allegedly the 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie’s, in which two friends pretend their deceased boss is alive.
Barrymore added that she wants the same to happen to her. “I will say this, I hope my friends do the same for me. That is the kind of spirit I can get behind. Just prop the old bag up, let’s have a few rounds.
“I think death comes with so much morose sadness and I understand that, but if it’s okay, just for me, if everybody could be really happy and celebratory and have a party, that would be my preference.”
Vintage Hollywood certainly was a different era…
Тhе Fаsсinаting Нistоry оf Lаundry Тооls
History may not always be exciting, but it offers us fascinating insights into our past. Today, we stumbled upon an intriguing image that takes us back to a time when doing laundry was a laborious task. This historical artifact, although once used by millions, is now unfamiliar to many. Can you identify what it is?
In case you’re still in the dark, this unique item is related to laundry. While doing laundry has been part of human life for thousands of years, the techniques have evolved significantly over time. In the past, people would take their dirty clothes to the nearest river and beat them against rocks. It was a time-consuming and physically exerting process.
The captivating device depicted in these pictures was specifically designed to simplify the laundry process. It revolutionized the way people tackled their laundry chores. Imagine the multiple steps involved – hauling water, boiling it, washing, rinsing, wringing out clothes, and drying them. Doing laundry used to be quite an involved task.
Can you guess what this laundry tool is? Stay tuned to find out more about its history and how it made laundry chores easier for people of the past!
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