Biography for
Dolores Costello More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

17 September 1903, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Date of Death

1 March 1979, Fallbrook, California, USA (emphysema)

Nickname

Goddess of the Silent Screen

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography

Dolores Costello was once known as the Goddess of the Silent Screen but is probably best remembered today as Drew Barrymore's grandmother. She was born in 1905 to actors Maurice Costello and Mae Costello. Her father began his film career in 1908. He would become soon become the most popular matinee idol of his day. He gave Dolores and her sister Helene their screen debut in 1911. Dolores appeared in numerous pictures throughout the 1910s and the early 20s mostly with her father and sister. She later appeared on the New York stage with her sister in the George White Scandals of 1924. They were then signed by Warners Bros. where Dolores met her future husband John Barrymore.

Barrymore soon made Dolores his costar in The Sea Beast (1926). During their lengthy kissing scene in this picture Dolores fainted in John's arms. They married in 1928 despite the misgivings of her mother who would die the following year at the age of forty-five. They had two children, DeDe in 1931 and John Drew Barrymore in 1932. Dolores took time off from her movie career in the early 30s to raise her young children. Her sister Helene and her new husband actor Lowell Sherman successfully convinced Dolores to divorce Barrymore in 1935, mainly because of his excessive drinking.

After the divorce, Dolores returned to acting in several big budget pictures and her career seemed to be back on track. Her physical appearance however was greatly damaged due to harsh studio make-up used in the early years. The skin on her cheeks were in the process of deteriorating, forcing her into early retirement. She lived in semi-seclusion on her Southern Californian avocado farm, Fallbrook Ranch, where a much of the memorabilia and papers from both the Barrymore and Costello family were destroyed in a flood.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jarod Hitchings

Spouse

John Barrymore	(24 November 1928 - 9 October 1935) (divorced) 2 children
Dr. John Vruwink	(? - ?) (divorced)

Trivia

Spoke with a severe lisp until about 1930. When talkies replaced silent films, she worked with a speech pathologist for almost two years to get rid of her lisp.

WAMPAS Baby Star award winner for 1926

Grandmother to actress Drew Barrymore.

Mother of actor John Drew Barrymore.

Grandmother of actor John Blyth Barrymore.

Daughter of actor Maurice Costello and Mae Costello. Sister of actress Helene Costello. Mother of actor John Drew Barrymore. Grandmother to actress Drew Barrymore.

Personal Quotes

"John came to me just before he died, and told me he was sorry."

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z