Dolores Costello was once known as the "Goddess of the Silent Screen" but will probably be better remembered today as Drew Barrymore's grandma. She was born in 1905 (or 1906) to Maurice and Mae Costello. Her father began his film career in 1908. He would become soon become the most popular matinee idol of his day. He gave Dolores and her sister Helene their screen debut in 1911. Dolores appeared in numreous pictures throughout the 1910's and the early 20's mostly with her father and sister. She later appeared on the New York stage with her sister in the "George White Scandals" of 1924. They were then signed on to Warners Bros. where Dolores met her future husband John Barrymore.

Barrymore soon made Dolores his costar in THE SEA BEAST in 1926. During their lengthy kissing scene in this picture Dolores fainted in John's arms. They married in 1928 despite the misgivings of her mother who would die the following year at the age of forty five. They had two children DeDe in 1931 and John Drew Barrymore the following year. Dolores took time off from her movie career in the early 30's so she could raise her young children. Her sister Helene and her new husband actor Lowell Sherman sucessfully convinced Dolores to Divorce Barrymore in 1935, mainly because of his drinking.

After the divorce Dolores continued to act in several big budget pictures and career seemed to be back on track. Her physical appearance however was greatly damaged due to harsh studio make up. The skin on her cheeks were in the process of deteriorating forcing her into early retirement. She lived in semi seclusion on her Southern Californian avocado farm called Fall Brook Ranch. Alot of her memorbila and papers from both the Barrymore and Costello family were destroyed in a flood.
Spoke with a severe lisp until about 1930. When talkies replaced silent films, she worked with a speech pathologist for almost two years to get rid of her lisp. WAMPAS Baby Star award winner for 1926 Sister of actress Helene Costello. Grandmother to actress Drew Barrymore. Mother of actor John Drew Barrymore. Grandmother of actor John Blyth Barrymore. Daughter of actor Maurice Costello and Mae Costello.