John Barrymore and John Gilbert were the Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt of the silent era. Astonishingly handsome, charismatic and athletic, they possessed that undefinable "it" quality that turns performers into superstars on the big screen.
They also gave the 1920s' other top male stars, Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks, a run for their money at the box office more than 80 years ago.
Barrymore -- Drew's grandfather -- made a successful transition to sound and starred in such high-profile films as "Grand Hotel" and "Twentieth Century," until alcoholism and hard living destroyed him. His performances became more mannered, often descending into self-parody, and he had to have cue cards with his lines written out. He died at 60.
Gilbert's sound career was allegedly sabotaged by MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer. Gilbert had attacked Mayer after the studio chief had made a crude remark about his lover Greta Garbo.
Supposedly, Mayer had the treble altered on the soundtrack of Gilbert's first talkie, 1929's "His Glorious Night," so his speaking voice sounded reed-thin. Though he got some decent roles such as "Queen Christina" opposite Garbo, Gilbert's career never recovered. An alcoholic, he was only 36 when he died.
Unfortunately, very few of their silent films have been released on DVD -- until now.
Thanks to Flicker Alley, two supposedly lost Gilbert films, "Monte Cristo" and "Bardelys the Magnificent," have been restored and set for release Tuesday. Also set for that day is Kino's four-disc "John Barrymore Collection," which features "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," the horror film that turned him into a film star in 1920, plus "Sherlock Holmes," "The Beloved Rogue" and "Tempest." And Warner Archive unveiled Barrymore's "Beau Brummel" and "When a Man Loves" last month.
Gilbert, born John Cecil Pringle in 1899, made his way to Hollywood as a teenager where he first became an extra for Thomas Ince Studios. By 1921, he was a full-fledged star and signed with Fox Film Corp.
One of his strongest Fox vehicles was 1922's "Monte Cristo," based on the Alexandre Dumas classic.
Though only 23 at the time, Gilbert gives a full-bodied turn as the young sailor Edmond Dantes, who is unjustly imprisoned for many years for a crime he didn't commit. Studio head William Fox usually churned out films cheaply and quickly, but in the case of "Monte Cristo," he spared no expense on sets and costumes.
