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Post by limey on Jun 27, 2011 4:12:53 GMT
I was watching People vs Dr. Kildare today and was just wondering if Dwight had acted with any of the Barrymore's on the stage? I wondered if Dwight and Lionel (who was in the film) might have known each other.
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Post by Mrs Vindecco on Jun 27, 2011 8:14:18 GMT
I was watching People vs Dr. Kildare today and was just wondering if Dwight had acted with any of the Barrymore's on the stage? I wondered if Dwight and Lionel (who was in the film) might have known each other. I'm pretty sure he didn't work with any of the Barrymore's though he once was once referred to as the next "fair" John Barrymore so it is possible that Lionel Barrymore might have heard of him. However would he have known who he was when they were both in People Vs Dr Kildare... I have this feeling that LB wouldn't have seen the significance. It's somnething that has always amazed me. Dwight was known on Broadway, he also had a substantial role in Dracula but there is no reference anywhere of someone saying "whatever happened to Dwght Frye?" or "Why are Hollywood treating him so unjustly?" I'm guessing in NY, he might not have helped his career by turning up in Queer People, which was considered bad and also it did criticise Hollywood but still... it's a mystery to me. Sorry Limey you asked one question and I went on a rant!
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Post by Monk's Moll on Jun 27, 2011 14:03:39 GMT
limey, I too had wondered if Lionel Barrymore ever spoke with Dwight on that set, and did he ever know about the reference of Dwight being his brother's heir apparent to the stage?
I agree, Mrs. V. I have always felt, IMHO, that when he made that "If God is good" comment, he may have rubbed some of Hollywood's "high and mighty" the wrong way. He just wanted a chance to show what he could do but again, I think directors and producers saw that comment, were none too happy with it and treated him the way they did. Which is a bit hypocritical, when you consider how a lot of these high-ranking stars behaved in a worse manner.
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Post by Luna on Jun 27, 2011 16:33:24 GMT
I agree that Dwight's comments probably didn't help him with Hollywood's ilk, however it seems to me that even before he made these references to his stalling career, Hollywood already appeared to have it in for him. He certainly wasn't getting enough of substantial work.
I too have wondered why nobody ever addressed this issue, considering how well known he seemed to be on Broadway. No, he wasn't the great white way's biggest star, but he wasn't exactly a bit player either so I have no idea why there wasn't any "where is he now" questions raised at the time. Perhaps being a method actor, which wasn't widely accepted or understood at that time, had put him on the outside with many of his peers and they just didn't care what happened to him because they viewed him as being too strange to care, when in fact he was simply dedicated to his craft.
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Post by Mrs Vindecco on Jun 27, 2011 21:49:11 GMT
limey, I too had wondered if Lionel Barrymore ever spoke with Dwight on that set, and did he ever know about the reference of Dwight being his brother's heir apparent to the stage? I have this feeling that Barrymore would either have forgotten Dwight or be to embarrassed to say anything about his past endeavours considering he had such a small role in the Kildare film.
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Post by Mrs Vindecco on Jun 27, 2011 21:53:45 GMT
I too have wondered why nobody ever addressed this issue, considering how well known he seemed to be on Broadway. No, he wasn't the great white way's biggest star, but he wasn't exactly a bit player either so I have no idea why there wasn't any "where is he now" questions raised at the time. Perhaps being a method actor, which wasn't widely accepted or understood at that time, had put him on the outside with many of his peers and they just didn't care what happened to him because they viewed him as being too strange to care, when in fact he was simply dedicated to his craft. Dwight was probably not the first and was definately not the last too be so badly treated by Hollywood. I have come to the conclusion his story is not that unusual.
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Post by Monk's Moll on Jun 27, 2011 22:29:58 GMT
I definitely agree with you, Luna and Mrs. V., it did seem that Hollywood was out to get him. Especially as he was a decent, religious man who didn't join in their shenanigans, Dwight just wanted to do what he loved, they treated him with contempt. Perhaps Dwight may not have wanted to talk to Lionel Barrymore, possibly out of embarrassment. It's sad and like you said Mrs. V., Dwight isn't the first, and is not the last to be treated this way. As Vincent Price once said, Hollywood is evil .
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Post by Luna on Jun 27, 2011 23:17:28 GMT
I agree completely. I think that LB at least seemed to be a decent sort- although I don't know everything there is to know about him- and perhaps he just didn't want to cause an awkward scene by discussing the past with Dwight, if he did recall him. It is true that there have been MANY who have been treated poorly by Hollywood. It's just a shame that talent such as Dwight's was lost in the haze.
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Post by Monk's Moll on Jun 28, 2011 10:55:32 GMT
" Perhaps being a method actor, which wasn't widely accepted or understood at that time, had put him on the outside with many of his peers and they just didn't care what happened to him because they viewed him as being too strange to care, when in fact he was simply dedicated to his craft."
One person who comes to mind is Queenie Smith. In DFLL, she is mentioned as saying the reason the title song from Sitting Pretty was taken out was because Dwight had a "terrible speech impediment". It wasn't a very nice thing for her to say and IMHO, comes across as she didn't get along with him too well.
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Post by liz on Jun 28, 2011 16:37:37 GMT
I have yet to hear Dwight speak at least somewhat normally (The Shadow, Man to Man, etc.), but I think in Dracula he sounds perfectly normal, so I don't know what she's talking about. I'd like to hear that title song if he sings in it.
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Post by Monk's Moll on Jun 28, 2011 20:18:09 GMT
IMHO, I think it was a case of they didn't get along too well. It wasn't very professional of her to say that, for sure.
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Post by leah2359 on Jul 7, 2011 17:48:13 GMT
I think his career decline was a combination of things. His "method" acting that wasn't understood, the poor economy, being typecast as Renfield quickly, plain old bad luck, and his comments that I agree might have pissed off "the suits".
I've also considered the possibility that Dwight may at first been a little "high handed" (as Josephine Hutchinson described his behavior with the stagehands in A Man's Man) with Hollywood. Meaning, he had arrived in LA with such prestige on the New York stage behind him that it's pretty likely he just felt he automatically deserved more than he ultimately got. Not to say he was a jerk about it, but he may have not realized how Hollywood seems to work and maybe came off a bit entitled at times, which could have rubbed people the wrong way like, "Who does this guy think he is?"
If that was the case, I'm not trying to say anything bad about him. Just that it would be human nature coming from that kind of success and expecting nothing to stand in your way and then getting frustrated when it appeared he wasn't getting what he deserved.
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Post by Monk's Moll on Jul 7, 2011 17:58:29 GMT
I agree with you, Leah. I too have thought that, but was a little afraid to say it. But it is an excellent point to bring up, that would explain a lot. I wondered why people with whom he acted on Broadway, fared better than he did in Hollywood. James Cagney, for example, was known to be a pain in the neck to the suits, yet he didn't get shafted like Dwight did
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Post by leah2359 on Jul 7, 2011 22:43:50 GMT
If that was the case, it's not a slam on his character at all, it would be human nature to think that way. I mean, he did have a pretty nice amount of success and respect on Broadway in varied roles. Suddenly he comes to LA and he's almost a "nobody". It would be normal to kind of want to pull a "Don't you KNOW who I am?" or something along those lines, or to turn your nose up at something you feel is "below" you. (Didn't he once tell a producer early in his stage career that he'd wait until "something better" came along?)
In early press releases (and in his obituary) his Broadway success were mentioned, but by the mid-30's until his death I don't really recall them brought up at all. And I think Queer People dealt a double blow--it was a flop on Broadway, and it probably irritated Hollywood. Bad career move, but I bet he went into it thinking something like, "I'll show them!" and it backfired.
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Post by limey on Jul 8, 2011 2:52:29 GMT
Wow, I really started something with my Dwight and the Barrymore's question!!!
I often wonder how things would have gone for Dwight if he had been born later? Especially when Method acting was more accepted.
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