Born: April 28th, 1878 (Pennsylvania)
Died: November 15th, 1954 (Heart Attack)
Marriage: Doris Rankin (1904-1922), Irene Fenwick (1923-Her Death in 1936)
Children: Had two girls that both died at infancy: Ethel & Mary. He is also the Great-Uncle of Drew Barrymore through his brother John.
Success: Lionel has been an actor on the screen, stage & radio. He has also been a composer, author, director & artist. He is most know for his portrayal as an ancient patriarch, whether lovable or intolerable.
Interesting Fact: Due to his depiction of Ebeneezer Scrooge on the Radio, he became a prime candidate for Capra's film, "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) as Henry F. Potter.
Awards: Oscar winner for his leading role in "A Free Sole" (1931) with a nomination for best director in "Madame X" (1929) He also received two walk of fame awards.
Hidden Gems: "Ah, Wilderness" (1935), "Captains Courageous" (1937), "You Can't Take it with You" (1938), "On Borrowed Time" (1939), "A Guy Named Joe" (1943), "Since You Went Away" (1944).
Lionel has a true gift for the arts. As listed above, he wasn't content with just his films. He was interested in expanding his talents no matter his age.
If you were unaware why he appeared so often in a wheelchair, he actually suffered from arthritis along with a hip injury in life which disabled him from standing while acting. In fact, if you look closely at the man who is standing at the end of "On Borrowed Time," you will notice it is a double. When they show his face he is waddling back and forth on crutches to portray walking.
My favorite role that he did was as Grampa Vanderhof in "You can't Take it With You" (shown below).
* A clip from "You Can't Take It With You" (1938)
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