{"product_id":"ethel-barrymore-shy-empress-of-the-footlights-hardcover","title":"Ethel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eKathleen Spaltro\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in Philadelphia in 1879, Ethel Barrymore would eventually prove herself a vital actor who was suited to radio, stage, and screen. After breaking out with \u003ci\u003eCaptain Jinks of the Horse Marines\u003c\/i\u003e (1901), she performed in many plays, including \u003ci\u003eAlice-Sit-by-the-Fire \u003c\/i\u003e(1905), \u003ci\u003eDéclassée\u003c\/i\u003e (1919), and \u003ci\u003eThe Corn Is Green\u003c\/i\u003e (1943), before investing her energies in films such as \u003ci\u003eThe Spiral Staircase \u003c\/i\u003e(1946) and \u003ci\u003ePortrait of Jennie \u003c\/i\u003e(1949). Barrymore ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in \u003ci\u003eNone but the Lonely Heart \u003c\/i\u003e(1944) opposite Cary Grant. She knew Hollywood's fickle nature all too well, and she remained committed to the Drew and Barrymore stage acting legacy up until the time of her passing in 1959.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ci\u003eEthel Barrymore: Shy Empress of the Footlights\u003c\/i\u003e emphasizes how Barrymore's career was born from \"duty, not desire.\" Kathleen Spaltro traces Barrymore's story back to her Drew grandparents' emergence as a tour de force in nineteenth-century US theater. Along the way, Spaltro examines the multifaceted relationship the \"First Lady of the American Theater\" had with stardom, detailing such disappointments as having to relinquish her childhood dream of being a concert pianist in order to pursue acting. Spaltro also pulls directly from interviews to illustrate how Barrymore, often misinterpreted as demure, was exhausted by the stage she so masterfully commanded.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith far more depth than a typical \"rise and fall\" narrative, \u003ci\u003eEthel Barrymore \u003c\/i\u003epaints an empathetic picture of the struggles Barrymore faced, from her ascension to stardom to her \"abdication of the throne.\" Spaltro's comprehensive and nuanced approach recontextualizes Barrymore's career, showcasing just how much her dogged allegiance to the Drew-Barrymore legacy cost her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eKathleen Spaltro\u003c\/b\u003e is\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003ethe\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eauthor of \u003ci\u003eLionel Barrymore: Character and Endurance in Hollywood's Golden Age\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eGreat Lie: The Creation of Mary Astor\u003c\/i\u003e, and many biographical articles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 312\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.31 x 9.11 x 6.01 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 13, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49244996075672,"sku":"9781985903418","price":71.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/8830\/4024\/files\/VmCshjC9oU9781985903418.webp?v=1781454779","url":"https:\/\/thepinkflamingobooks.myshopify.com\/products\/ethel-barrymore-shy-empress-of-the-footlights-hardcover","provider":"The Pink Flamingo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}