Elaine Jacobs, a 16-year-old high school student in New York, was captivated by the 1931 John Barrymore film Svengali, which marked the beginning of her enduring infatuation with the actor. She later changed her name to Elaine Barrie, and despite being 30 years his junior, she vowed to marry Barrymore, even going so far as to write him a fan letter and eventually securing daily interviews with him after he was hospitalized for an "illness" (which was actually a treatment for his severe alcoholism).
After Barrymore's divorce from actress Dolores Costello was finalized, the couple began a high-profile relationship, with Barrymore showering Elaine and her mother with lavish gifts and taking them on outings to nightclubs, parties, and theaters across the city, all while being pursued by reporters and photographers. The extensive media coverage of their relationship led to Elaine being named one of the people who made 1935 the most interesting year, along with presidential candidate Alf Landon.
Elaine and Barrymore were married in 1936, but their union was marked by stormy periods, with Barrymore's heavy drinking and infidelity leading to several trial separations before they finally divorced in 1940. During this time, Elaine appeared in one of Barrymore's films, made two short films, and co-starred with him on Broadway and in radio dramas.
After the divorce, Elaine wrote a book about her life with Barrymore, titled "All My Sins Remembered", and took a job at a New York brokerage firm. She and her mother later moved to Haiti, where they developed a successful business exporting straw hats and handbags to high-end retailers in the US. However, the worsening political climate in Haiti forced them to return to New York in 1963, and they later moved to Trinidad.
After her mother's passing, Elaine returned to the US, where she eventually passed away on March 1, 2003.
