Dolores Costello
Dolores Costello

Dolores Costello

Born: September 17, 1903 - Died: March 1, 1979 (75 years)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

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.

Movies as Actor (71)
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To

as (archive footage)

Jun 4, 1990

Magic Movie Moments

Magic Movie Moments

Dec 26, 1953

The Golden Twenties

The Golden Twenties

as Self (archive footage)

Apr 8, 1950

This Is the Army

This Is the Army

as Mrs. Davidson

Aug 14, 1943

The Magnificent Ambersons

The Magnificent Ambersons

as Isabel Amberson Minafer

Jul 10, 1942

Outside These Walls

Outside These Walls

as Margaret Bronson

May 4, 1939

Whispering Enemies

Whispering Enemies

as Laura Crandall

Mar 24, 1939

King of the Turf

King of the Turf

as Eve Barnes

Feb 17, 1939

Breaking the Ice

Breaking the Ice

as Martha Martin

Sep 22, 1938

The Beloved Brat

The Beloved Brat

as Helen Cosgrove

Apr 30, 1938

Yours for the Asking

Yours for the Asking

as Lucille Sutton

Jul 23, 1936

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Little Lord Fauntleroy

as 'Dearest' Erroll

Mar 6, 1936

Expensive Women

Expensive Women

as Constance 'Connie' Newton

Oct 24, 1931

Second Choice

Second Choice

as Vallery Grove

Jan 4, 1930

The Show of Shows

The Show of Shows

as Performer in 'Meet My Sister' Number

Nov 21, 1929

Hearts in Exile

Hearts in Exile

as Vera Zuanova

Sep 14, 1929

Madonna of Avenue A

Madonna of Avenue A

as Maria Morton

Jun 21, 1929

Glad Rag Doll

Glad Rag Doll

as Annabel Lee

May 4, 1929

The Redeeming Sin

The Redeeming Sin

as Joan Billaire

Feb 16, 1929

Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark

as Marie / Miriam

Nov 1, 1928

Glorious Betsy

Glorious Betsy

as Betsy Patterson

Apr 25, 1928

Tenderloin

Tenderloin

as Rose Shannon

Mar 14, 1928

The Circus: Premiere

The Circus: Premiere

as Self

Jan 13, 1928

The College Widow

The College Widow

as Jane Witherspoon

Oct 15, 1927

Old San Francisco

Old San Francisco

as Dolores Vasquez

Sep 4, 1927

When a Man Loves

When a Man Loves

as Manon Lescaut

Aug 21, 1927

The Heart of Maryland

The Heart of Maryland

as Maryland Calvert

Jul 13, 1927

A Million Bid

A Million Bid

as Dorothy Gordon

May 27, 1927

The Third Degree

The Third Degree

as Annie Daly

Dec 1, 1926

The Little Irish Girl

The Little Irish Girl

as Dot Walker

Mar 6, 1926

Bride of the Storm

Bride of the Storm

as Faith Fitzhugh

Feb 20, 1926

The Sea Beast

The Sea Beast

as Esther Harper

Jan 15, 1926

Mannequin

Mannequin

as Joan Herrick

Jan 11, 1926

Bobbed Hair

Bobbed Hair

as (uncredited)

Oct 25, 1925

Greater Than a Crown

Greater Than a Crown

as Isabel Frances / Princess of Lividia

Jul 12, 1925

Lawful Larceny

Lawful Larceny

as Nora the maid

Jul 22, 1923

The Glimpses of the Moon

The Glimpses of the Moon

as Secondary Role

Mar 25, 1923

The Heart of Jim Brice

The Heart of Jim Brice

Apr 1, 1915

The Evil Men Do

The Evil Men Do

as David - as a Little Boy

Jan 19, 1915

Too Much Burglar

Too Much Burglar

Nov 19, 1914

Etta of the Footlights

Etta of the Footlights

May 23, 1914

Some Steamer Scooping

Some Steamer Scooping

as The Little Stowaway

Feb 12, 1914

Fellow Voyagers

Fellow Voyagers

as Little Dolores Gray

Nov 26, 1913

In the Shadow

In the Shadow

as Neighbor Girl

Oct 28, 1913

The Hindoo Charm

The Hindoo Charm

as Dolores Tilbury - the Older Child

Sep 17, 1913

A Birthday Gift

A Birthday Gift

Mar 18, 1913

Ida's Christmas

Ida's Christmas

as Ida - the Little Smith Girl

Dec 24, 1912

Song of the Shell

Song of the Shell

as Little Bess M.

Dec 13, 1912

The Toymaker

The Toymaker

as Little Dot Avery

Oct 24, 1912

The Irony of Fate

The Irony of Fate

as Fourth Child

Sep 28, 1912

Bobby's Father

Bobby's Father

as Bobby Ramsay

Sep 23, 1912

Captain Barnacle's Legacy

Captain Barnacle's Legacy

as Ruth - Barnacle's Adopted Daughter

Sep 4, 1912

Her Grandchild

Her Grandchild

as Little Janet - the Grandchild

Aug 19, 1912

Vultures and Doves

Vultures and Doves

as Mrs. Hanley's Little Girl

Aug 14, 1912

Wanted... a Grandmother

Wanted... a Grandmother

Aug 9, 1912

A Juvenile Love Affair

A Juvenile Love Affair

as Jane - Alvin's Sweetheart

Jul 30, 1912

The Money Kings

The Money Kings

Jul 15, 1912

The Troublesome Step-Daughters

The Troublesome Step-Daughters

Jul 6, 1912

Lulu's Doctor

Lulu's Doctor

as Lulu

Jun 9, 1912

She Never Knew

She Never Knew

as Mr. Blinn's Granddaughter

Apr 2, 1912

For the Honor of the Family

For the Honor of the Family

as Alice - the Child

Jan 27, 1912

The Meeting of the Ways

The Meeting of the Ways

as One of Tom's Children

Jan 12, 1912

Captain Jenks' Dilemma

Captain Jenks' Dilemma

as One of Widow Brown's Children

Jan 8, 1912

Some Good in All

Some Good in All

as Betty Lane - John's Daughter

Dec 25, 1911

A Reformed Santa Claus

A Reformed Santa Claus

as The Widow's 1st Child

Dec 22, 1911

His Sister's Children

His Sister's Children

as Buster aka Budge

Sep 26, 1911

The Child Crusoes

The Child Crusoes

Sep 13, 1911

The Geranium

The Geranium

Jul 15, 1911

Consuming Love; or, St. Valentine's Day in Greenaway Land

Consuming Love; or, St. Valentine's Day in Greenaway Land

Feb 14, 1911

The Telephone

The Telephone

as Daughter

Oct 29, 1910

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

as Fairy

Dec 25, 1909