7 Best Lionel Barrymore Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 20, 2026

Lionel Barrymore anchored dozens of golden-age Hollywood productions with a gruff, commanding presence and became an indispensable character actor over five decades. It’s a Wonderful Life shows a despairing man what his town would be without him, Key Largo holds a hotel hostage, Duel in the Sun casts a mixed-race woman between two brothers, and David Copperfield follows an orphan’s path to adulthood. Grand Hotel, Dinner at Eight and A Free Soul round out the list.

Key Largo (1948)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A veteran and a hotel owner are held hostage by a returning gangster during a violent Florida storm.

Directed by John Huston · 1h 40m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 94% Metacritic 89

A despairing man is shown by a guardian angel what his community would have lost without him.

Directed by Frank Capra · 2h 11m · Rated PG

Nominated for 5 Oscars11 wins & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Duel in the Sun (1946)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A fiery mixed-race woman ignites a dangerous rivalry between two feuding cattle baron brothers.

Directed by King Vidor · 2h 24m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

David Copperfield (1935)

TMDB ★ 7.5

An orphaned boy makes his way through a colourful cast of relatives and guardians on the road to adulthood.

Directed by George Cukor · 2h 10m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Dinner at Eight (1933)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A society hostess's glamorous dinner party masks the private crises of each of her guests.

Directed by George Cukor · 1h 51m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Grand Hotel (1932)

TMDB ★ 7.4

The intertwining lives of guests at a luxurious Berlin hotel unfold over one fateful stay.

Directed by Edmund Goulding · 1h 52m

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Free Soul (1931)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A hard-drinking defence lawyer's free-spirited daughter falls for the gangster he has just got acquitted.

Directed by Clarence Brown · 1h 33m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Artiflix · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

7 Best Lionel Barrymore Movies

Key Largo (1948)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Duel in the Sun (1946)

David Copperfield (1935)

Dinner at Eight (1933)

Grand Hotel (1932)

A Free Soul (1931)

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