John Gilbert (July 10, 1897 – 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.

In popular culture

Books

In 1985, St. Martin's Press released Gilbert's biography Dark Star: The Untold Story of the Metoric Rise and Fall of the Legendary John Gilbert, written by his older daughter, Leatrice Gilbert Fountain.

In February 2013, University Press of Kentucky published the biography John Gilbert: The Last of the Silent Film Stars, by author Eve Golden.

Fictional portrayals

Gilbert has been portrayed in several films. In 1980, Barry Bostwick appeared as the actor in the television film The Silent Lovers. Gilbert has also been portrayed by his grandson John Fountain (in 1988's Sunset), Christopher Renstrom (in 1989's La Divina), and Adnan Taletovich (in 2012's Return to Babylon).