http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilbert_(actor)

Silent film star of the 1910s-1930s.

John Gilbert (July 10, 1897 – January 9, 1936) was an American actor and a major star of the silent film era.

Known as "the great lover," he rivaled even Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw. Though he was often cited as one of the high profile examples of an actor who was unsuccessful in making the transition to talkies, his decline as a star in fact had to do with studio politics and money and not the sound of his screen voice.