Very, Very, VERY Tired

Couple of months ago, after 14 years' absence from the stage, John Barrymore, 57, four times married, took to the road in a play burlesquing his matrimonial life, My Dear Children. One of the "children" was Elaine Barrie, 24, Barrymore's latest wife.

Soon the Barrymores' acting gave strong hints of their home life. With gusto John shouted at Elaine such stage lines as "You damned selfish brat." In the play he spanked her harder, she fanged his wrist more savagely, than was necessary.

Fortnight ago their quarrel burst like a boil: Elaine quit the show in a spuming huff. A few days later, performing before Omaha's highbusted Drama League, John was royally pickled. Up & down traveled his voice, to a bull-like bellow, to a bird-like whisper. Scandalized were Omaha's great ladies when he ad-libbed such lines as "Albert, you look like a pregnant string bean." Afterwards Barrymore's press-agent offered the excuse that he had been "very tired." Concurred the Drama League's lady president: "He must have been very, very, VERY tired."

Two days later Barrymore filed suit in New York's Supreme Court for a separation from his wife. He also demanded from his wife, her mother, Mrs. Edna Jacobs, and their "confidential adviser" an accounting of $300,000 of his funds which he alleges they secured from him in money and property over a course of time. At week's end the defendants had not filed an answer to either suit.

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