Rare and superb vintage 11x14-inch black and white portrait-- the only one this size we have ever offered-- as Sgt. Ivan Markov in The Tempest (1928) by John Niehle, showing off his celebrated profile, signed and inscribed in black fountain pen at the time of the film. In good condition for its age, with a chip to the lower right-hand border tip and a few gentle patches of emulsification. Perhaps as a sort of rebellion against the fuss surrounding his good looks, dashing stage and screen star John Barrymore intentionally sought out roles demanding physical distortion, grotesque make-up or floridly bizarre behavior. He found his starring roles in the horror classics Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) and Svengali (1931) far more gratifying than his wildly popular turns in Don Juan (1926) and Grand Hotel (1932). He was also memorable as the crazed puppeteer Vladimir Tsarakov in The Mad Genius (1931) and Professor Gibbs in The Invisible Woman (1940).

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