Drew Barrymore’s dead grandfather was stolen from morgue for ‘one last party’
Charlie’s Angels star Drew Barrymore has claimed that her dead grandfather John Barrymore’s corpse was stolen from the morgue by actor Errol Flynn and other friends
Hollywood star Drew Barrymore has claimed that her legendary grandfather’s corpse was stolen from the morgue for ‘one last party’.
The Charlie’s Angels actress, 45, says that actor John Barrymore’s corpse was taken by his friends and sat at a poker table for one final hurrah.
Drew says it was legendary movie star Errol Flynn, anarchist Sadakichi Hartmann, and comic WC Fields who were responsible for taking his dead body for this celebration.
Speaking on the YouTube series Hot Ones, Drew revealed: “They did! And I will say this, I hope my friends do the same for me.
“That is the kind of spirit I can get behind: just prop the old bag up and have a last few rounds.”
The ET actress added: “I think death comes with so much morose sadness, and I understand that, but if it’s okay, just with me, if everyone can be really happy and celebratory and have a party, that would be my preference.”
Drew went on to claim that the incident was the inspiration behind the comedy SOB starring Julie Andrews and may have also inspired the comedy film Weekend at Bernie’s.
John Barrymore, who lived from 1882 to 1942, was a renowned actor of stage and silent film before moving into sound pictures with hits such as Grand Hotel, Twentieth Century and Midnight.
Having struggled with alcoholism in his later years, he died of cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, which were also complicated by pneumonia.
His son John Barrymore Jr. had him buried at Cavalry Cemetery in Los Angeles.
The younger John went on to have daughter Drew from his marriage to wife Ildikó Jaid Makó in 1975.
Despite never meeting her grandfather, Drew did get to see her grandmother, John Sr’s wife and actress Dolores Costello, before her death in 1979.
Drew found stardom as a child in ET before going on to have success in comedies such as Never Been Kissed and 50 First Dates.
She is due to her host her own chat show in the US later this year.
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