John Gilbert

Greta Garbo as “Christina, Queen of Sweden" and John Gilbert as "Antonio Pimentel de Prado" (in their fourth and last film together), in the first photograph, are in Rouben Mamoulian's Pre-Code Hollywood biographical film, 'Queen Christina' (1933), produced for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by Walter Wanger, and also starring, in supporting roles, Lewis Stone as "Axel Oxenstierna", Elizabeth Young as "Countess Ebba Sparre", C. Aubrey Smith as "Aage", Reginald Owen as "Charles X Gustav of Sweden"', Georges Renavent as "Chanut, the French Ambassador", David Torrence as "Archbishop", Gustav von Seyffertitz as "General". The film portrays the life of Queen Christina of Sweden, who became monarch at the age of six in 1632 and grew to be a powerful and influential leader. As well as coping with the demands of ruling Sweden during the Thirty Years' War, Christina is expected to marry a suitable royal figure and produce an heir. When she falls in love with a visiting Spanish envoy, whom she is forbidden to marry because he is a Roman Catholic, she must choose between love and her royal duty. The film was a major commercial and critical success in the United States and worldwide. In the second photograph are John Gilbert as "Leo von Harden" and Greta Garbo as "Felicitas von Rhaden" in Clarence Brown's silent romantic movie adaptation of the novel 'The Undying Past' by Hermann Sudermann, 'Flesh and the Devil' (1926), produced and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and also starring Lars Hanson as "Ulrich von Eltz" and Barbara Kent as "Hertha". In 2006, 'Flesh and the Devil' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In the 1926 movie, John Gilbert's name was very large above the movie title, and Greta Garbo's name is much smaller underneath the movie title. In the 1933 movie, Greta Garbo's name was very large above the movie title, and John Gilbert's name is much smaller underneath the movie title. John Gilbert rose to fame during the silent era and became a popular leading man known as "The Great Lover". His breakthrough came in 1925 with his starring roles in The Merry Widow and The Big Parade. At the height of his career, Gilbert rivaled Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw. John Gilbert's career declined precipitously 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 sound films, 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. That's Hollywood. Remembering John Gilbert, the American actor, screenwriter and director (July 10, 1897 – January 9, 1936).