Florence Gilbert was born in Chicago February 20, some twenty years ago. She went to Chicago elementary schools until she came to Hollywood about four years ago.
Monte Banks saw her and asked her to play in one of his comedies, and he liked her work so well she appeared in many others of his.
Later she played in a number of Christie Comedies and then decided to branch out into dramatics. She obtained a place with Bill Fairbanks, Jack Hoxie and others, until about six months ago, when Hunt Stromberg saw her work. He signed her to appear opposite Bull Montana for several pictures.
Miss Gilbert appeared with such notables as MaryPickford, ViolaDana, Alice Lake, Bull Montana, William Fairbanks, Jack Hoxie and Franklyn Farnum in the short span of years she has played before the screen.
She has golden blond hair, blue eyes, and is five feet six inches in height, which is perfect ingenue height, according to film producers.
Her hobby is swimming, horseback riding and tennis. She is a great lover of the classics, having a library of some 700 books. She lives in a cozy little bungalow in Hollywood with her mother, a smaller sister and brothers. She has ideals and ambitions, and it is her fondest hope to branch out into drama permanently.
Recently when Hunt Stromberg was seeking a suitable ingenue for his Bull Montana comedies, he chose Miss Gilbert in the face of tremendous competition. But her previous record and sweet, screenable face won her the coveted place of leading lady in these Montana special comedies.
Her first one was "Snowed Under." This was followed by "Breaking Into Society" after her work in the former was carefully noted. Since then she has appeared in many others, and her record for consistent, fine portraying of ingenue roles continues to mount better and better in every way.
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Back Fire 1922 |
Bobby Vernon and Florence Gilbert in an unknown film, 1920 |
Florence Gilbert as a silent film star, 1925. |
ERB and Florence with Mary Lucas Pflueger (seated in flowered dress) and husband Wayne at the Kailua Racket Club, Oahu, Hawaii, Sept. 7, 1940. ERB dedicated Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County to Mary. |
Florence Gilbert Burroughs, ca. 1942 |
Love Makes 'em Wild ~ IMDB 1927 Comedy
Gilbert Role: Lulu ~ Wimpish Willie Angle (Johnny Harron) is known as "Willie the Worm" is victimized and dumped on by everyone with whom he comes in contact and is too shy and cowardly to retaliate. When his doctor informs him that he has only six months to live Willie takes a new approach to life and he gets even with all his tormentors. By the time he learns that the diagnosis was incorrect, Willie has proven to himself and to his sweetheart, heroine Mary O'Shane (Sally Phipps), that down deep he has always been of hero stock. Natalie Kingston stars as Mamie - Director: Albert Ray
A Man Four-Square ~ IMDB 1926 Western
Gilbert Role: Bertie Roberts ~ A silent film version of William McLeod Raine's story of a rancher who finds himself falsely accused of murder while attempting to help a friend in need. Western film star Buck Jones saves his friend (William E. Lawrence) and gets the girl (Marion Harlan). It's a fast-paced Western noted for being the first of many screen encounters between Jones and the perfect villain Harry Woods. Director: Roy William Neill
The Return of Peter Grimm ~ IMDB ~ 1926 Adapted Stage Drama:
Gilbert Role: Annamarie ~ The silent film version of David Belasco's stage play. In life a selfish, mean-spirited old man, Peter Grimm (Alec B. Francis) returns from the grave to right the wrongs he committed while on Earth. He pays a visit to his nasty nephew Frederick (John Roche), the husband of Grimm's ward Catherine (Janet Gaynor), who had been forced into the marriage. Entering Frederick's conscience, Grimm transforms his covetous, philandering nephew into a "good guy." After several similar episodes, both comic and dramatic, Return of Peter Grimm comes to a tear-stained finale as the tubercular young William (Mickey McBan) joins his grandfather Grimm in the hereafter. The double-exposure work was faultless, with Alec B. Francis seeming to glow and radiate as he ministers to the living. Director: Victor Schertzinger ~ Adapted from Hal Erickson's synopsis in All Movie Guide.
The Desert's Price ~ IMDB ~ 1926 Western
Gilbert Role: Julia Starke ~ "A Rip-Roaring Double-Barreled Drama of the Plains." The plot involves the battle between cattle ranchers and encroaching sheep farmers with a touch of Romeo and Juliet. Returning from college, Wils McCann (Buck Jones) discovers that the long-standing feud between his family and their neighbours is actually the fault of the nasty Martin brothers. In love with neighbor girl Julia Starke (Florence Gilbert), Wils succeeds in setting the record straight and disarming the villainous brothers. The cast includes Canadian-born flapper star Pauline Garon, as Julia's sister and the wonderfully hammy Montagu Love as one of the nasty Martin brothers. Love is perhaps best remembered as the lecherous stranger killed by Lillian Gish in the late silent masterpiece The Wind. Director: W.S. Van Dyke ~ Adapted from Hans J. Wollstein's synopsis in All Movie Guide.
The Johnstown Flood ~ IMDB ~ 1926 Disaster Film
Gilbert Role: Gloria Hamilton ~ The Johnstown flood destroyed the Conemaugh Valley in 1889 is the gist for one of the first disaster films which also served to launch Janet Gaynor's career. Contractor John Hamilton (Anders Randolph) has built a dam above Johnstown over the protests of his engineer, Tom O'Day (George O'Brien), who is convinced the structure is weak and dangerous. O'Day is in love with Hamilton's daughter, Gloria (Florence Gilbert), and they wed while her father is in Pittsburgh. When the dam bursts, Ann Burger, a little local girl (Gaynor), is drowned while riding on horseback to warn the villagers. O'Day and Gloria manage to make it out alive. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard had uncredited roles ~ Director: Irving Cummngs ~ Adapted from Janiss Garza 's synopsis in All Movie Guide.
The Girl in the Limousine ~ IMDB ~ 1924 Comedy
Gilbert Role: Bernice ~ Tony and Freddie, who've been rivals all their lives, vie for the hand in marriage of their childhood sweetheart. Big Freddie seems to have the upper hand when Tony gets himself kidnapped by a ring of muggers whose M.O. is to have one of their members dress up as a woman in order to lure men into the back seat of their limousine, where they're beaten up and robbed. CAST: Oliver Hardy: Freddy ~ Claire Adams: Betty ~ Larry Semon: Tony ~ Charlie Murray: Riggs ~ Director: Noel Mason Smith ~ Synopsis adapted from IMDB
Lash of the Whip ~ IMDB ~ 1924 Western
Gilbert Role: Florence ~ Poverty row actor-director-producer Ashton Dearholt, as Pinto Pete, battles a gang of railroad saboteurs led by the spiteful Hurricane Smith (Francis Ford who also directed). Dearholt collaborated with genre specialist Ben Wilson on this western, casting Mrs. Dearholt (Florence Gilbert) in the femme lead. Released on states rights through the Arrow organization ~ CAST: Francis Ford as "Hurricane" Smith ~ Frank Baker as Frank Blake ~ Harry Dunkinson as Pinto's servant ~ Director: Francis Ford ~ Adapted from Hans J. Wollstein's synopsis in All Movie Guide.
Spawn of the Desert ~ IMDB ~ 1923 Western
Gilbert Role: Nola 'Luck' Sleed ~ Athletic William Fairbanks plays Duke Steele, a prospector whose life is saved by an elderly colleague, Silver Sleed (P. Dempsey Tabler). When his rescuer's wife and child are kidnapped by an evil dance-hall proprietor (Al Hart), Steele goes into action with a vengeance. Co-star P. Dempsey Tabler was the screen's second Tarzan, in The Son of Tarzan (1920). Needless to say, the middle-aged British Thespian was slightly miscast. ~ Director: Louis King ~ Producer/Director: Benjamin F. Wilson ~ Adapted from Hans J. Wollstein's synopsis in All Movie Guide
Breaking Into Society ~ IMDB ~ 1923 Comedy
Gilbert Role: Yvonne ~ When the down-market O'Tooles inherit a fortune, the entire clan -- including son Tim (Bull Montana) and the dog, Rags -- moved to upscale Pasadena, Beverly Hillbillies-style comedy. Hoping to crash society, Ma (Carrie Clark Ward) and Pa O'Toole (Kalla Pasha) prove not only uncouth but also gullible enough to mistake the crooked "Pittsburgh Kid" (Chuck Reisner) and his Bowery bride, Yvonne (Florence Gilbert), for a couple of swells. Independent producer Stromberg, whose The Great Ziegfeld would win the 1936 Best Picture Academy Award, was also writer and director. Gertrude Short played Sally of The Alley ~ Leo White played The Barber ~ Stanhope Wheatcroft played A Man of Wealth ~ Adapted from Hans J. Wollstein's synopsis in All Movie Guide.
Gun Shy ~ IMDB ~ 1922 Comedy Western
Gilbert Role: Betty Benson ~ A Western starring Franklyn Farnum as a milquetoast Easterner, James Brown, who on a trip to the Wild West is mistaken for a U.S. marshall. Farnum rises to the occasion and gets the girl as well. Florence Gilbert plays the girl, Betty Benson. Character actor George F. Marion, later to portray Greta Garbo's drunken sod of a father in Anna Christie, plays a comic undertaker in this film. ~ Director: Alvin J. Neitz/Alan James ~ Producer: Phil Goldstone ~ Adapted from Hans J. Wollstein's synopsis in All Movie Guide.
Hills of Missing Men ~ IMDB ~ 1922 Adventure
Gilbert Role: Hilma Allis ~ The veteran serial team of J.P. McGowan (as Captain Brandt/The Dragon) and Helen Holmes (as Amy Allis) created this strange Below-the-Border Western concoction about the plans of Crandon, a crazed revolutionary (Jean Perry), to take over Baja California. Masquerading as a notorious bandit, "The Dragon," United States Army Captain McGowan is able to infiltrate the megalomaniac's lair and signal the cavalry. James Wang as Li Fung ~ Charles Brinley as Bandini ~ Andrew Waldron as Buck Allis ~ Director: J.P. McGowan ~ Synopsis adapted from All Movie Guide
Back Fire ~ IMDB ~ 1922 Western
Gilbert Role: Betty Hampton ~ Back Fire tells the story of two drifters (Hoxie as Lightning Carson and comic sidekick George Sowards) who are overheard kidding around with the idea of robbing the local Wells Fargo office. When the office is actually robbed (by bad guys William Lester and Burt Rollins), Sheriff Lew Meehan points the finger at our heroes. Hoxie manages to elude the law, however, and heads toward a farm belonging to his now-jailed comrade. But the homestead is in the hands of the crooked foreman (William Gould) who's holding the occupants hostage. The quick-witted Hoxie, who in reality is a Texas Ranger, manages in the final reel to save his friend from the gallows and lead the posse against the usurpers. ~ The third of four Jack Hoxie westerns produced by Greek-born Anthony J. Xydias' Sunset Productions ~ Synopsis adapted from Hans J. Wollstein of All Movie Guide.
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