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John GilbertAmerican actor of the silent film era
Date of Birth: 10.07.1897
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of John Gilbert
John Gilbert was an American actor who was one of the most popular actors during the silent film era. He was born on July 10, 1897, in Logan, Utah, USA, into a family of theater actors. Gilbert made his debut on the screen in 1915 at the age of eighteen in a historical film about the Civil War titled "The Coward". Over the next five years, he appeared in forty-five films in minor and supporting roles.
Rise to Stardom
In 1921, Gilbert signed a three-year contract with Fox Film Corporation, which led to him being offered leading roles, mainly as romantic heroes. His career quickly soared, and in 1924, he moved to MGM and became one of the studio's top actors. During this period, some of his most successful works were films such as "His Hour" (1924, directed by King Vidor), "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924), and "The Merry Widow" (1925, directed by Erich von Stroheim). Gilbert worked with Vidor again in the epic war drama "The Big Parade," which was a huge success and ranked second among silent films in box office collections.
Partnership with Greta Garbo
In 1926, Gilbert solidified his position by starring alongside Lillian Gish in the melodrama "The Bohemian". In the same year, he starred in the melodrama "Flesh and the Devil," where he was paired with Greta Garbo for the first time. A romance sparked between them during filming, which almost led to marriage. Gilbert and Garbo went on to star in two more films together. Throughout his time at MGM, Gilbert often clashed with studio executives. One incident in 1927 resulted in him striking Louis B. Mayer, after Garbo left him at the altar. Despite the support of his friend Irving Thalberg, who held a key position at MGM, Gilbert's career began to decline.
Decline and Personal Life
In 1929, Gilbert made his debut in sound films, appearing in the famous musical film "The Hollywood Revue of 1929," which also featured stars such as Norma Shearer, Buster Keaton, and Bessie Love. However, despite a successful transition to the sound era, Gilbert's career continued to decline, mainly due to being typecast in unappealing or even ridiculous roles. His first major failure came in 1929 with the film "His Glorious Night," where weak dialogues and excessive passion from Gilbert's character led the audience to perceive the film as a bad comedy rather than a tragic melodrama.
In 1932, Gilbert wrote and starred in the film "Downstairs" based on his own original screenplay. The film received positive reviews but failed to restore his popularity. His last significant film was the 1934 melodrama "Queen Christina," where he reunited with Greta Garbo. By this time, Gilbert had developed a serious drinking problem, which severely affected his health. On January 9, 1936, John Gilbert passed away in Los Angeles, having ingested a fatal dose of sleeping pills and accidentally choking on his own tongue in his sleep.
Gilbert was married four times, but all of his marriages ended in divorce within a couple of years. In between marriages, he had romantic relationships with fellow actors, including Barbara La Marr and Bibi Daniels. He was famously involved with Greta Garbo, who had planned to marry him but famously left him at the altar, and Marlene Dietrich, who was with him during the last two years of his life. All four of Gilbert's wives were also actresses: Olivia Burwell (1917-1922), Leatrice Joy (1923-1924), who gave birth to Gilbert's daughter on September 6, 1924, Ina Claire (1929-1931), and Virginia Bruce (1932-1934).
