John Gilbert | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:John_Gilbert_publicity_1930s.JPG) Gilbert in 1931 | |
| Born | John Cecil Pringle July 10, 1897 Logan, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | January 9, 1936 (aged 38) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Jack Gilbert |
| Education | Hitchcock Military Academy |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1914–1934 |
| Spouses | Olivia Burwell
(m. 1918; div. 1921) |
| Children | 2 |
John Gilbert (born John Cecil Pringle; July 10, 1897[1] – January 9, 1936) was an American actor, screenwriter and director. He rose to fame during the silent era and became a popular leading man known as "The Great Lover". His breakthrough came in 1925 with his starring roles in The Merry Widow and The Big Parade. At the height of his career, Gilbert rivaled Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw.[2]
Gilbert's career declined precipitously when silent pictures gave way to talkies. Though Gilbert was often cited as one of the high-profile examples of an actor who was unsuccessful in making the transition to sound films, his decline as a star had far more to do with studio politics and money than with the sound of his screen voice, which was rich and distinctive.[3]
- ^ LaSalle, Mick (July 6, 2005). "Saved from ignominy: His daughter's stubborn campaign put unfairly maligned actor John Gilbert back in the pantheon of silent film stars – where he's always belonged". SF Gate. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ Koszarski, 1983: p. 150: "cemented John Gilbert's reputation as a romantic hero."
Brownlow, 1979. p. 192: Gilbert "inherited the title of The Great Lover...after the death of Valentino." And: "The Merry Widow made John Gilbert famous" and he "soared to fame" in The Big Parade, in which "he gave a performance that ranks as one of the finest of the entire silent period." - ^ Brownlow, 1979. p. 192: Gilbert "experienced a humiliating plunge from popularity." and p. 193: Brownlow reports that Gilbert's sound recordings for His Glorious Night was marred by his "dreadful enunciation" of his lines, a matter of that could have been corrected with elocution coaching and a better script, and not his natural voice which "was quite low" and p. 202: "the quality of [Gilbert's]...compared well with that of co-star Conrad Nagel, regarded as having one of the best voices for sound." And see p. 194: Gilbert refused to walk out on his MGM contract despite "harassment" and was "no longer on speaking terms with Louis B. Mayer." Gilbert was "subjected to one poor picture after another" and suffered "attempts at [his] humiliation, aimed at forcing him to quit" so as to breach his lucrative contract.