Doris Marie Rankin
Birth: 27 Aug 1887 Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA
Death: 1947 District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, USA
Burial: Cedar Hill CemeterySuitland, Prince George's County, Maryland, USA
Plot: Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Peace
Memorial #: 119371367
Bio: Actress. The younger daughter of actor McKee Rankin and an actress named Mabel Bert who was part of the Rankin Stock Company, Rankin was married to actress Kitty Blanchard. It was Blanchard who raised her and is often acknowledged as her adoptive mother. While the Rankin family constituted a well known theatrical family in its own right, she was married to her first husband actor Lionel Barrymore from 1904 to 1922. Her older half sister, Gladys Rankin, was married to Lionel's uncle Sidney Drew. Another sister Phyllis Rankin was married to actor Harry Davenport of the Davenport theatrical dynasty. She began her career at age 5 with her father's company and her theatrical career included appearing in her father's stock theater as well as appearing on Broadway and vaudeville with both her husband Lionel as well as his sister Ethel Barrymore. Lionel Barrymore retired temporarily from acting in 1906 to pursue his love of painting and music and the couple lived for an extended period in Paris, France returning to the United States in 1910. Doris bore Lionel two daughters, Ethel and Mary. Both girls died in infancy. Rankin's film debut came as Mrs. Shanks in The Copperhead (1920) with her then husband in the title role. The Copperhead had been a great success for Lionel and Doris as a play on the Broadway stage. She followed this role with performances in The Devil's Garden (1920), The Great Adventure (1921), Jim the Penman (1921), and Lena Rivers (1925). She continued in motion pictures into the era of sound films. Her last credited role came in Society Smugglers (1939). After divorcing Barrymore in December 1922, she married British author and Broadway actor Roger Malcolm Mortimer in 1923 and vowed to forgo her career for marriage and family. While she and her second husband reportedly had two children, only a daughter named Pamela appears to have been born to the couple. Her year of death has been reported in multiple sources as 1946, but her memorial marker indicates her year of death as 1947. Her husband died in Washington DC in October, 1948 and his ashes are buried unmarked in her niche.
Family Members
Spouse
Lionel Barrymore 1878-1954
Children
Ethel Barrymore* 1908-1910
Created by: Abby Kay (46537368)
Added: 27 Oct 2013
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119371367/Doris-Marie-Rankin
Citation: Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 November 2017), memorial page for Doris Marie Rankin (27 Aug 1887–1947), Find A Grave Memorial no. 119371367, citing Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Prince George's County, Maryland, USA ; Maintained by Abby Kay (contributor 46537368) .
