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From SCIFIPEDIA
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Lionel Barrymore (April 28, 1878 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - November 15, 1954) was an American actor.
One of the acting Barrymores (including his brother John, his sister Ethel, and his grand-niece Drew), he was well-known for playing crotchety types who were good people at heart.
He was one of the silent stars who made the transition to sound. His distinctive, drawn-out nasal delivery was probably the inspiration for the voice of Simon Barsinister, Underdog's arch enemy (the character bears some physical resemblance to Barrymore as well).
Barrymore would make several forays into Sci Fi throughout his career. While his most seen role is probably that of Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life, he had memorable genre roles as the grandfather who cheats death in On Borrowed Time, a revengeful man with a shrinking technique in Devil-Doll, and submarine explorer Count Dakkar in The Mysterious Island (1929).
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