John Gilbert (actor)
| John Gilbert | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
John Cecil Pringle July 10, 1899 Logan, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | January 9, 1936 (aged 36) Bel Air, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Hitchcock Military Academy |
| Occupation | Actor, director, writer |
| Years active | 1915–1934 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
John Gilbert (born John Cecil Pringle; July 10, 1899 – January 9, 1936) was an American actor, screenwriter and director. He rose to fame during the silent film era and became a popular leading man known as "The Great Lover". At the height of his career, Gilbert rivaled Rudolph Valentino, another silent film era leading man, as a box office draw.
Gilbert's popularity began to wane 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 talkies, 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.
Born John Cecil Pringle in Logan, Utah, to stock company actor parents, John Pringle (1865–1929) and Ida Apperly Gilbert (1877–1913), he struggled through a childhood of abuse and neglect. His family moved frequently and Gilbert attended several schools throughout the United States. After his family settled in California, he attended Hitchcock Military Academy in San Rafael, California.
Gilbert first found work as an extra with the Thomas Ince Studios, and soon became a favorite of Maurice Tourneur, who also hired him to write and direct several pictures. He quickly rose through the ranks, building his reputation as an actor in such films as Heart o' the Hills (1919), with Mary Pickford.
In 1921, Gilbert signed a three-year contract with Fox Film Corporation, where he was cast as a romantic leading man. His films for Fox include Monte Cristo, an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo; St. Elmo, an adaptation of a popular book of the period; The Wolf Man, not a horror film, but the story of a man who believes he murdered his fiancee's brother while drunk, and many others. These films made him a star, though not at the level he would presently achieve.
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