Gilbert, John [né Gibbs] (1810–89), actor. One of the finest actors of his day, most distinguished in comic parts such as Sir Anthony Absolute and Sir Peter Teazle, he was born in Boston, where his next‐door neighbor and childhood friend was Charlotte Cushman. Gilbert made his stage debut at the local Tremont Theatre as Jaffier in Venice Preserved (1828). Shortly thereafter, he left to work in Mississippi River towns before making his New York bow as Sir Edmund Mortimer in The Iron Chest (1839). Although Gilbert continued for several years to play in tragedy and melodrama, he turned increasingly to comic parts. His somewhat portly build and round, sober‐miened face led him to prefer roles as older men. He performed at the Park Theatre until it burned down, then served unsuccessfully as manager of the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. In 1862 he joined Lester Wallack's company, making his first appearance there as Sir Peter. He remained with Wallack until the company disbanded in 1888, serving not only as a principal comedian but as stage manager as well. He also assumed serious roles such as Miles McKenna in Rosedale (1863). He died while touring with Joseph Jefferson in The Rivals. Gilbert was an archly conservative actor of the old school. He was considered a cold, haughty person but respected as a conscientious and skilled artist. He prided himself as well on his learning and had amassed a fine library before his death.

• Born: Jul 10, 1899 in Logan, Utah
• Died: Jan 09, 1936
• Occupation: Actor, Writer, Director
• Active: teens-'30s
• Major Genres: Drama, Romance
• Career Highlights: The Big Parade, Queen Christina, The Merry Widow
• First Major Screen Credit: Heart O' the Hills (1919)

Biography

A major talent of the silent era, John Gilbert is best remembered today as a textbook victim of the Hollywood machinery, a classic example of the motion picture industry's ability not only to manufacture stars but also destroy them. Born John Pringle in Logan, Utah on July 10, 1899, he broke into movies in 1915 as a bit player in Matrimony. His big break came four years later, when he appeared opposite Mary Pickford in Heart O' the Hills. Soon Gilbert was a star, moving to Fox during the 1920s and cementing his reputation as a leading adventure and western hero thanks to such swashbuckling fare as the 1922 hit Monte Cristo.

By the middle of the decade, Gilbert was a cinema idol with few peers, starring in a string of successes ranging from the 1924 hit He Who Gets Slapped to the back-to-back 1925 smashes The Merry Widow and The Big Parade. In 1927 he teamed with Greta Garbo in MGM's Flesh and the Devil; the two stars were soon rumored to be romantically involved, and the intensity of the on-screen relationship made subsequent pairings like 1927's Love and the following year's A Woman of Affairs major hits. However, following the deterioration of Gilbert's relationship with Garbo, he came into conflict with studio-mogul Louis B. Mayer, effectively ending his career. While Gilbert's later fall from grace was publicly attributed to the awkwardness of his voice following the advent of the talkies, Hollywood insiders knew the truth -- Gilbert was the victim of Mayer's considerable wealth and influence. The writing was on the wall: the studio heads could crush anyone who crossed their paths, regardless of their popularity and star power. Gilbert was perhaps their most celebrated sacrifice. On January 9, 1936 he died of a massive heart attack. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Queen Christina Buy this Movie	Show People Buy this Movie	A Woman of Affairs Buy this Movie	Flesh and the Devil Buy this Movie
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Gilbert, Sir John (1829-1898), antiquarian; born in Dublin, and educated in Bath. Author of a History of the Viceroys of Ireland (1865) and a History of the City of Dublin (3 vols., 1854-9), which is a standard reference work. Gilbert established the Dublin Records Office.