Although this episode of Silent Hollywood talks some about many stars, it really zeroes in on two stars who had a meteoric rise and calamitous fall, almost simultaneously, but at different studios. Those two stars are Clara Bow and John Gilbert. Both had tragic childhoods with negligent, and in Bow's case, homicidal parents. They both looked for ways out through the burgeoning film industry, and found fame and stardom.
Today, most people have Gilbert's birth year set at 1897 and Bow's at 1905. This 1980 production has different later years for their birth. Gilbert had some early success and then signed on to the new prefabricated Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio. He found instant super stardom there, AND he found Garbo. A fateful punch to the jaw of studio exec L.B. Mayer when John was jilted at what would have been his wedding to Garbo, and Mayer promised to crush him. Mayer loved keeping such promises.
And yet it was seven years later before Gilbert was done at Metro. His fame held through the silent era, but then there was that awful first talkie he made - "His Glorious Night" which was parodied in "Singin In the Rain" 23 years later. And yet Gilbert continued to work at MGM until 1933, although never at the level of stardom in the silent era. He died of alcoholism three years later. Was it L.B. Mayer or just the fact that his voice did not match a persona that fans had already built up for him?
Clara Bow was signed to Paramount in 1925 and also had instant stardom. She had "It", actually one of the titles of her movies. Although always a handful - especially with her gambling debts - she just had a natural presence in the silents - sexy, vivacious, a smile that leapt off the screen. But then came the demon microphone, and Bow had troubles from that point forward, mainly her insecurity over her thick Brooklyn accent and her perception that Paramount was "picking on her" by doing such things as sending fellow Paramount star Ruth Chatterton to her house to give her diction lessons.
Bow did not fade out like Gilbert did. Instead the infamous trial of her secretary over an embezzlement brought Bow's diary out into the open along with all of the sex and partying that was detailed in it. Paramount released Bow from her contract.
This episode, like the others, has plenty of commentary from stars and silent film industry personnel with their memories of both Bow and Gilbert. There are also plenty of silent film clips demonstrating the charm of both Bow and Gilbert. Interestingly enough this episode has Louise Brooks commenting about Bow, although Brooks has her own interesting story of silent film stardom gained and lost, and especially how it wasn't even her own voice in her first talking picture!
I score this episode a 10/10 for its complete coverage of Gilbert's and of Bow's rise and fall. It shows that from the beginning, Hollywood stardom could always be fickle.
Today, most people have Gilbert's birth year set at 1897 and Bow's at 1905. This 1980 production has different later years for their birth. Gilbert had some early success and then signed on to the new prefabricated Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio. He found instant super stardom there, AND he found Garbo. A fateful punch to the jaw of studio exec L.B. Mayer when John was jilted at what would have been his wedding to Garbo, and Mayer promised to crush him. Mayer loved keeping such promises.
And yet it was seven years later before Gilbert was done at Metro. His fame held through the silent era, but then there was that awful first talkie he made - "His Glorious Night" which was parodied in "Singin In the Rain" 23 years later. And yet Gilbert continued to work at MGM until 1933, although never at the level of stardom in the silent era. He died of alcoholism three years later. Was it L.B. Mayer or just the fact that his voice did not match a persona that fans had already built up for him?
Clara Bow was signed to Paramount in 1925 and also had instant stardom. She had "It", actually one of the titles of her movies. Although always a handful - especially with her gambling debts - she just had a natural presence in the silents - sexy, vivacious, a smile that leapt off the screen. But then came the demon microphone, and Bow had troubles from that point forward, mainly her insecurity over her thick Brooklyn accent and her perception that Paramount was "picking on her" by doing such things as sending fellow Paramount star Ruth Chatterton to her house to give her diction lessons.
Bow did not fade out like Gilbert did. Instead the infamous trial of her secretary over an embezzlement brought Bow's diary out into the open along with all of the sex and partying that was detailed in it. Paramount released Bow from her contract.
This episode, like the others, has plenty of commentary from stars and silent film industry personnel with their memories of both Bow and Gilbert. There are also plenty of silent film clips demonstrating the charm of both Bow and Gilbert. Interestingly enough this episode has Louise Brooks commenting about Bow, although Brooks has her own interesting story of silent film stardom gained and lost, and especially how it wasn't even her own voice in her first talking picture!
I score this episode a 10/10 for its complete coverage of Gilbert's and of Bow's rise and fall. It shows that from the beginning, Hollywood stardom could always be fickle.
