John Gilbert (July 10, 1899 - January 9, 1936) was was an actor and major star of the silent film era.

Gilbert was born John Cecil Pringle in Logan, Utah, and was a star of silent films while still in his teens. John Gilbert was one of the biggest box office draws of the silent film era, rivalling the great Rudolph Valentino. Often cited as one of the high profile examples of an actor who was unsucessful in making the transition to talkies, his decline as a star in fact had more to do with studio politics and money than the sound of his voice on screen.

In 1925, Gilbert co-starred with Renée Adorée in The Big Parade directed by King Vidor, which became the second highest grossing silent film in cinema history. The following year, Vidor brought Gilbert and Adorée together again along with Lillian Gish in the film, La Boheme. That same year, Gilbert made Flesh and the Devil, his first film with Greta Garbo. They soon began a relationship, and Gilbert planned to marry her, but Garbo stood him up. He had already been married twice, and would soon marry again. In 1933, he starred opposite Garbo for the last time, in Queen Christina. However, his alcoholism had already 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.

John Gilbert has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 1994, he was honored with his image on a United States postage stamp designed by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.

External link

• Book review/essay with considerable biographical material concerning John Gilbert (http://www.sidereality.com/volume3issue2/reviewsv3n2/garbobrushesherteeth.htm)