John Gilbert

April 29, 2013
This thoroughly researched biography of dashing actor Gilbert explores his vast filmography that spans two decades, his romantic partners, and the untimely ends to both his career and his life. Golden (Anna Held) summarizes Gilbert's films and contextualizes their critical reception, from his early work as an extra in films like Civilization to his "greatest role" in the war movie The Big Parade, and the controversial talkies Redemption and His Glorious Nights. In addition to his four wives, Gilbert had high profile affairs with many famous actresses including Greta Garbo, whom he met on the set of Flesh and the Devil and Marlene Dietrich just before his death. Golden questions the narrative that audiences did not react well to Gilbert's voice in the talkies and offers many alternative possibilities for his downfall. Was it public problems with alcoholism or the 1928 hatchet job by Vanity Fair? Gilbert and MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer feuded the length of his career with several rumors of fistfights. Was he sabotaged by the sound mixers? Fans of silent era Hollywood will delight in puzzling out this mystery as well as the abundance of gossip and trivia. 62 b/w photos.

April 15, 2013

Here Golden (Vernon and Irene Castle's Ragtime Revolution) takes on John Gilbert, whose movie star appeal did not survive into talking pictures. It's not that his voice, when heard, proved insufficiently masculine; with sound he simply emerged as the rather ordinary man that he was, whereas in silent films, his trim silhouette and suave deportment could carry the day. When audiences heard his flat American accent, well, what worked for Gary Cooper did not work for Gilbert--the magic was gone. Does he merit another biography after his daughter, Leatrice Joy Fountain's, 1985 Dark Star: The Meteoric Rise and Eclipse of John Gilbert? Readers may sympathize with his rootless beginnings, cheer his rapid success once he came to Hollywood, and despise MGM's Louis B. Mayer for his treatment of Gilbert, but none of that is new information. Married and divorced four times, he had no interest in his two daughters, worried that his nose made him look Jewish, and was thin-skinned in response to criticism. It's hard to find a way to admire him. VERDICT Dark Star, with his daughter's perspective, adds nuance and fascination to Gilbert's story. This one is an optional purchase.--Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2013
One of the most memorable lines uttered by Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's classic movie Sunset Boulevard is, We had faces. Norma, a former silent-film star who didn't make it in the talkies, is, of course, referencing what she and other big names of the silent era saw as their superiority over the ho-hum actors in talking pictures. Certainly one of the silent stars who qualified for having a face was John Gilbert, the great screen heartthrob in the late 1920s, a huge moneymaker at MGM during the last years of the silents. Gilbert came from show-business stock and entered the nascent film industry early. He paid his dues in small roles, honing his craft and earning a reputation for perfectionism. Once he signed on at MGM, stardom was his. He married frequently, and alcohol gained increasing importance for him. But through it all, he struck people as a nice guy. What readers will primarily focus on is the issue of whether, according to accepted wisdom, Gilbert had a high, squeaky, nearly effeminate voice that prohibited his transition to talkies. Not so, says Golden; Gilbert's voice was acceptable. His failure to succeed in talkies had more to do with other factors, including a bad relationship with MGM's Louis B. Mayer. This warm, even enchanting book is a heartfelt return to the magic of an era long gone.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)