Post by teleadm on Jul 22, 2022 20:50:08 GMT
Famous during the silent film 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, he rivaled Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw. His name meant something at the box-office and he dated Greta Garbo. His fame ended when sound came around, not because he had a squeaky voice (as has been told), but because his voice didn't match his persona. A heavy drinker that got a few lifesavers during the sound era.
This year we celebrate his 125th birthdate!
John Gilbert (1897–1936)
He was born in Logan, Utah to stock company parents, so he had acting in his veins, and he acted his way through several temporary film companies all over the prairie.
Beating around the bush, his luck changed when signing a contract with Maurice Tourneur, not that the movies was better, but they were better spread across America.
It lead to a contract with Fox, that decided to build him up as a leading man or romantic leading man.
How different they look without a moustache, Shame 1921, was a big hit and is now totally forgotten.
He followed it with titles like Arabian Love 1922, Gleam O'Dawn 1922, The Yellow Stain 1922, Honor First 1922, Monte Cristo 1922, The Love Gambler 1922, and A California Romance 1922.
He co-starred with Lon Chaney in this, While Paris Sleeps 1923.
Cameo Kirby 1923, an early movie directed by John Ford
The Wolf Man 1923 was not a horror movie but more of a tale of man who thinks he can get girls the easy way.
Under the auspices of movie producer Irving Thalberg, he obtained a release from his Fox contract and moved to MGM, where he became a full-fledged star cast in major productions.
His first MGM movie was the now forgotten His Hour 1924 directed by King Vidor and a big smash at the time.
He Who Get's Slapped 1924 co-starring Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer and directed by Victor Sjöström. Another solid hit from the young MGM.
The next year, he would star in two of MGM's most critically acclaimed and popular film productions of the silent era: Erich von Stroheim's The Merry Widow and King Vidor's The Big Parade.
The Merry Widow with Mae Murray
The Big Parade 1925
Under King Vidor's direction he also made La Bohème 1926 co-starring Lillian Gish and Bardelys the Magnificent 1926 (pic)
The Flesh and the Devil 1926 first co-starring Greta Garbo. Director Clarence Brown noticed that something happened when those to met and let the cameras roll, since genuine love happened, then tastefully edited it.
He was reunited with Garbo in a modern adaptation of Tolstoy's 19th-century novel, "Anna Karenina". The title was changed to Love 1927 to capitalize on the real life love affair of the stars and advertised by MGM as "Garbo and Gilbert in Love". Their romance was "approved" by MGM.
The Masks of the Devil 1928 directed by Victor Sjöström, and co-starring Alma Rubens, a movie now considered lost.
The game changer, His Glorious Night 1929, directed by Lionel Barrymore (no less). According to reviewers, audiences laughed nervously at Gilbert's performance. The offense was not Gilbert's voice, but the awkward scenario along with the overly ardent love scenes. In one, Gilbert keeps kissing his leading lady, (Catherine Dale Owen), while saying "I love you" over and over again. (The scene was parodied in the MGM musical Singin' in the Rain 1952 in which a preview of the fictional "The Dueling Cavalier" flops disastrously.)
Exhausted and demoralized by his humiliations at MGM and his declining success at the box office, Gilbert began to drink heavily, contributing to his declining physical and mental health.
Reduced to the B-units, he acted in things like The Phantom of Paris 1931.
Greta Garbo gave him one last chance, Queen Christina 1933, though a critical success, did not revive Gilbert's poor self-image or his career.
Rumours have it that a young Laurence Olivier should have played the part, but Garbo refused, notes by director Robert Mamoulian states that Olivier was scrambled early after early screen tests.
His screen farewell came in the Victor McLaglen vehicle The Captain Hates the Sea 1934.
Alcoholism severly damaged his health but it was a heart attack that killed him in 1936, aged 38.
That he had spent all his money isn't true either, at his passing his estate was valued at $363,494 (equivalent to $7.1 million in 2021).
Book was published in 2013.
The above has only been fragments.
Thanks for watching!
Opinions of all kinds are welcome!
This year we celebrate his 125th birthdate!
John Gilbert (1897–1936)
He was born in Logan, Utah to stock company parents, so he had acting in his veins, and he acted his way through several temporary film companies all over the prairie.
Beating around the bush, his luck changed when signing a contract with Maurice Tourneur, not that the movies was better, but they were better spread across America.
It lead to a contract with Fox, that decided to build him up as a leading man or romantic leading man.
How different they look without a moustache, Shame 1921, was a big hit and is now totally forgotten.
He followed it with titles like Arabian Love 1922, Gleam O'Dawn 1922, The Yellow Stain 1922, Honor First 1922, Monte Cristo 1922, The Love Gambler 1922, and A California Romance 1922.
He co-starred with Lon Chaney in this, While Paris Sleeps 1923.
Cameo Kirby 1923, an early movie directed by John Ford
The Wolf Man 1923 was not a horror movie but more of a tale of man who thinks he can get girls the easy way.
Under the auspices of movie producer Irving Thalberg, he obtained a release from his Fox contract and moved to MGM, where he became a full-fledged star cast in major productions.
His first MGM movie was the now forgotten His Hour 1924 directed by King Vidor and a big smash at the time.
He Who Get's Slapped 1924 co-starring Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer and directed by Victor Sjöström. Another solid hit from the young MGM.
The next year, he would star in two of MGM's most critically acclaimed and popular film productions of the silent era: Erich von Stroheim's The Merry Widow and King Vidor's The Big Parade.
The Merry Widow with Mae Murray
The Big Parade 1925
Under King Vidor's direction he also made La Bohème 1926 co-starring Lillian Gish and Bardelys the Magnificent 1926 (pic)
The Flesh and the Devil 1926 first co-starring Greta Garbo. Director Clarence Brown noticed that something happened when those to met and let the cameras roll, since genuine love happened, then tastefully edited it.
He was reunited with Garbo in a modern adaptation of Tolstoy's 19th-century novel, "Anna Karenina". The title was changed to Love 1927 to capitalize on the real life love affair of the stars and advertised by MGM as "Garbo and Gilbert in Love". Their romance was "approved" by MGM.
The Masks of the Devil 1928 directed by Victor Sjöström, and co-starring Alma Rubens, a movie now considered lost.
The game changer, His Glorious Night 1929, directed by Lionel Barrymore (no less). According to reviewers, audiences laughed nervously at Gilbert's performance. The offense was not Gilbert's voice, but the awkward scenario along with the overly ardent love scenes. In one, Gilbert keeps kissing his leading lady, (Catherine Dale Owen), while saying "I love you" over and over again. (The scene was parodied in the MGM musical Singin' in the Rain 1952 in which a preview of the fictional "The Dueling Cavalier" flops disastrously.)
Exhausted and demoralized by his humiliations at MGM and his declining success at the box office, Gilbert began to drink heavily, contributing to his declining physical and mental health.
Reduced to the B-units, he acted in things like The Phantom of Paris 1931.
Greta Garbo gave him one last chance, Queen Christina 1933, though a critical success, did not revive Gilbert's poor self-image or his career.
Rumours have it that a young Laurence Olivier should have played the part, but Garbo refused, notes by director Robert Mamoulian states that Olivier was scrambled early after early screen tests.
His screen farewell came in the Victor McLaglen vehicle The Captain Hates the Sea 1934.
Alcoholism severly damaged his health but it was a heart attack that killed him in 1936, aged 38.
That he had spent all his money isn't true either, at his passing his estate was valued at $363,494 (equivalent to $7.1 million in 2021).
Book was published in 2013.
The above has only been fragments.
Thanks for watching!
Opinions of all kinds are welcome!