Barrymore's alcohol dependence meant most studios were unwilling to employ him, but MGM risked casting him in the role of Mercutio in their 1936 film Romeo and Juliet.
A súa dependencia do alcohol provocou que a maioría de estudios non quixesen darlle traballo, pero finalmente MGM seleccionouno para o papel de Mercutio no filme de 1936 Romeo and Juliet.