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Biography John Gilbert
John Gilbert (July 10, 1899 - January 9, 1936) was an actor and major star of the silent film era.
Known as "the great lover," he rivaled even the great Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw. Though he was often cited as one of the high profile examples of an actor who was unsuccessful in making the transition to talkies, his decline as a star in fact had as much to do with studio politics and money as did the sound of his screen voice.
Born John Cecil Pringle in Logan, Utah to stock company actor parents, he struggled through a childhood of abuse and neglect before coming to Hollywood as a teenager. He first found work as an extra with the Thomas Ince Studios, soon became a favorite of Maurice Tourneur, who also hired him to write and direct several pictures. He quickly rose through the ranks, building his reputation as an actor in such films as Heart o' the Hills opposite Mary Pickford. In 1921, Gilbert signed a three year contract with Fox Film Corporation, where he was cast as a romantic leading man.
In 1924, he moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he became a full-fledged star with such high-profile films as His Hour (directed by King Vidor and written by Elinor Glyn), http:www.imdb.com/title/tt0014972/ He Who Gets Slapped] (co-staring Lon Chaney, Sr. and Norma Shearer, and directed by Victor Sjöström), and http:www.imdb.com/title/tt0016104/ The Merry Widow] (directed by Erich von Stroheim and co-starring Mae Murray). In 1925, Gilbert was once again directed by King Vidor in the war epic The Big Parade, which became the second highest grossing silent film in cinema history. The following year, Vidor reunited Gilbert with two of his co-stars from that picture, Renée Adorée and Karl Dane, for the film La bohème which also starred Lillian Gish.
Gilbert married the highly successful film actress Leatrice Joy in 1922. The union produced a daughter, Leatrice Gilbert Fountain, but the tempestuous marriage only lasted two years. The couple divorced in 1924, with Joy charging that of Gilbert was a compulsive philanderer.
That same year, Gilbert made Flesh and the Devil, his first film with Greta Garbo. They soon began a very public relationship, much to the delight of their fans. Gilbert planned to marry her, but Garbo got cold feet and never showed up for the ceremony. Despite their rocky off-screen relationship, they continued to generate box-office revenue for the studio and MGM paired them in two more silents--Love, a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina, and A Woman of Affairs.
Throughout his time at MGM, Gilbert had frequently clashed with studio head Louis B. Mayer over creative maters. While waiting to see if Garbo would show up for her wedding, Mayer allegedly made a rude remark to Gilbert that caused him to fly into a rage and physically attack the mogul. After that, Gilbert’s career began its downward slide. In spite of Mayer's disdain for the actor, Gilbert did have a powerful supporter in production head Irving Thalberg. The two were old friends and Thalberg did, in fact, try to reinvigorate Gilbert's career.
With the coming of sound, Gilbert’s career faltered, due as much to the quality of the projects he was given as the quality of his voice. It is likely urban legend that audiences actually laughed at the sound of Gilbert's voice, but it is true that Gilbert's cultured and refined manner of speech seemed at odds with his he-man image.
In 1932 MGM made the film Downstairs from Gilbert's original story, in which Gilbert played against type as a scheming, blackmailing chauffeur. The film was well received by critics, but did nothing to restore Gilbert's popularity. Shortly after making the film he married co-star Virginia Bruce; the couple divorced in 1934. In 1933, he starred opposite Garbo for the last time in Queen Christina; Garbo was top-billed and Gilbert's name beneath the title. The picture failed to revive his career. By that point, alcoholism had severely damaged his health, and he died of a heart attack without ever regaining his former reputation.
On his passing in 1936, John Gilbert was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
He was married four times, and had two daughters. His daughter Leatrice Gilbert Fountain (from his marriage to silent film actress Leatrice Joy), wrote a biography of her father's life that was published in 1985.
John Gilbert has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1755 Vine Street and in 1994, he was honored with his image on a United States postage stamp designed by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.
References
Bangley, Jimmy (1999). “Interview with Leatrice Gilbert Fountain.”. Retrieved May 6, 2005.
DeBartolo, John (2001). “Man, Woman and Sin.” Retrieved May 6, 2005.
Fountain, Leatrice Gilbert (1985). Dark Star: the untold story of the meteoric rise and fall of legendary silent screen star John Gilbert. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Golden Silents (2004). “John Gilbert, Silent and Sound Film Star, Actor, Director, Writer.” Retrieved May 5, 2005.
Lussier, Tim (2002). “Merry Widow” commentary. Retrieved May 6, 2005.
Marowitz, Charles (May 2001). “Silent Writes.” Written By.
Silents Are Golden (2005). Cossacks, Flesh and the Devil, He Who Gets Slapped, His Hour, La Boheme, Love, Merry Widow, Show, Twelve Miles Out, Woman of Affairs. In “Vintage Reviews.” Retrieved May 6, 2005.
Thompson, Dean (2004). “Woman of Affairs” Commentary. Retrieved May 6, 2005.
