This is a triumph for John Gilbert, one of the leading men heart throbs of the 1920s silent movie era. Contrary to innuendo and gossip, there was nothing wrong with Gilbert's voice, as he so deftly proves here.
Because he wrote the screenplay, he saved the juicier role for himself, but the public may not want to have associated their "golden boy" of the silent era with this John Gilbert. Who Knows? Suffice it to say, at the time, "Downstairs" did not equal Gilbert's successes in the decade previous, although as time progresses people can see his raw talent and the ability he had to connect with audiences. He was to go on to star in "Queen Christina" before his early death.
Because he wrote the screenplay, he saved the juicier role for himself, but the public may not want to have associated their "golden boy" of the silent era with this John Gilbert. Who Knows? Suffice it to say, at the time, "Downstairs" did not equal Gilbert's successes in the decade previous, although as time progresses people can see his raw talent and the ability he had to connect with audiences. He was to go on to star in "Queen Christina" before his early death.