Drew Barrymore has confirmed that her grandfather’s body was taken from a similar stable for “one last feast.” Rumors have been circulating for years about WC Fields, Errol Flynn, and Sadakichi Hartmann stealing John Barrymore’s body and supporting it against a poker table to party with him once more. People have dismissed it as nonsense for decades, but it turns out it’s actually true, according to a new interview with Drew Barrymore.
Drew Barrymore appeared on the last episode of Hot Ones and host Sean Evans wanted to know the truth behind the rumor “one last party” regarding John Barrymore. “Is it true that your grandfather’s body was stolen from the morgue by WC Fields, Errol Flynn, and Sadakichi Hartmann so they could put him against a poker table and throw one last game with the man?” asked Evans in this episode. “Not only that, but there have been cinematic interpretations of that,” the actress replied. “A movie called Blake Edwards SOB that is just brilliant and fun to watch. “
The story certainly shares some similarities with Weekend At Bernie’s, but Drew Barrymore is not sure if her grandparents’ death adventure was one of the inspirations behind the story. “I’ve heard things,” she said. “But I can never know if that’s even true.” This is also comparable to the story of country rock pioneer Graham Parsons. When he died at the age of 26, his longtime friend and road manager Phil Kaufman stole his body and tried to fulfill his wish to be cremated in Joshua Tree. 2003’s Grand Theft Parsons star Johnny Knoxville and is a fresh narrator of Kaufman’s story.
As for Drew Barrymore, she likes the idea that John Barrymore’s friends were ready to pull off that stunt. “I hope my friends do the same for me,” Drew said. “That’s the kind of mind I can get behind. Just support the old bag and do one last few laps.” It’s definitely another way of looking at death that Drew Barrymore understands. “I think death comes with so much morose sadness, and I understand that, but if it’s good, just with me, if everyone can be really happy and festive and have a party, that would be my preference.”
The interview with Drew Barrymore finds her eating hot wings and trying to answer the questions best as the hot sauce gets hotter. The 45-year-old actress is promoting her upcoming digital talk show, which will be rooted in positivity. “I’m really looking forward to this digital world where we’ll bring you into it,” Barrymore said. “I’ve been on this show for a year. We started in 2019, it’s now 2020, a very different year.” The Drew Barrymore Show premieres on CBS September 14th. You can watch the interview with Barrymore above, thanks to the YouTube channel First We Feast.
