John Gilbert

Ina Claire

Ina Claire (Ina Fagan, 1893-1985) by De Mirjian Studio.

Starting as a chorus girl in OUR MISS GIBBS (1910), Miss Claire quickly ascended the theatrical ladder, reaching the ZIEGFELD FOLLIES in 1915 (and again in 1916); she made her film début in Cecil B. DeMille’s THE WILD GOOSE CHASE (1915) alongside DeMille’s stock company of actors.

Photo by Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)

In 1922, she originated the role of Lucy Warriner in Arthur Richman’s THE AWFUL TRUTH on Broadway. Seven years later, she starred in the 1929 film version of THE AWFUL TRUTH opposite Henry Daniell’s Jerry Warriner. Her supporting part as Grand Duchess Swana in NINOTCHKA (1939) stole sections of the film from Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, and remains her most famous role.

She was married three times; John Gilbert was her second husband, from 1929 until 1931. This relationship began shortly after the explosive end of Gilbert’s romance with Garbo.…

Hollywood at play

Conrad Nagel’s yacht TIBURON was a prominent feature in his personal publicity. Here he is with his wife Ruth, their daughter Ruth, Beverly Bayne (the former wife of silent star Francis X. Bushman, and a star in her own right), and Leatrice Joy (John Gilbert's ex-wife, and ditto), in August 1927.

Lillian Gish and John Gilbert

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Sartov was also the cinematographer for Lillian Gish's LA BOHÈME (1926), since a picture of John Gilbert with Gish from that film elicits a like response in me.