Actor John Gilbert, called Jack, was probably born in 1897. To his own knowledge he was born in Logan, Cache Cunty, Utah. His birthday is July 10th. His birth year should be between 1895 and 1899. (These years keep turning up as Jack gave those years throughout his life.)
A birth certificate could not be found to this day.
His mother Ida Adair was a stage actress, but she also led a very unsteady life. Time and time again she left Jack with her mormon family members. Ida's birth name was Apperley.
We meet Jack for the first time in the US Census of 1900.
You can look at the data sheet here and click
and here is a cutout of the scan of the census sheet that lists Jack and his family:
The big national US Census 1900 was conducted on June 1st, 1900. Meaning the censors started going to the households on June 1st and preferably had to be finished with the job in June. (I couldn't find out just how long it actually took them.)
The data sheet was filled out on June 11th and 12, 1900 in Pueblo City, Pueblo County in the State of Colorado. There are no street names, only a name of an institution - "St. Mary's Hospital".
On top of the data sheet several people are listed as "patients". A little further down you see a group of people who seem to belong together. All the grown up adults give their occupation as "actor" or "musician".
Just how come they are listed at St. Mary's Hospital? Is someone sick or is this the place they are staying at?
What is interesting to know is just what questions the censor asked:
Names and family relations. Families were addressed as "households". There was always a head of the household, usually the father was the "head". Every person within the recorded household was put into relation to the head. If there wasn't a relation, people could be noted as "lodger" or "servant".
Remember that a relative of another family member, say the head's wife, would have no relation! (Although sometimes people were listed as "in-laws".)
The age was recorded. The birth year was written down, however it as not always the actual birth year. Sometimes the censor would take down the age and calculate the birth year later and then fill it in. Exceptions are small children who were always recorded with birth month and birth year, making the census "birth information" of small children very valuable.
Also recorded were occupation, education and general living circumstances.
Let's take a look at the census entry.
The head is John G. Pringle.
His wife is Ida (listed with the name "Pringle").
There is a son named Cecile.
That's Jack! For the rest of his life he would carry the name "Cecil" as his middle name.
There are lodgers too. A musician and an actor. And a girl of eleven years called Clara Appery.
Leatrice Joy Fountain's biography states that for time on and off family members of Ida travelled with Ida and her small child so someone could take care for the boy. Clara is very likely a cousin of Jack's, probably her real last name would have been not Appery but Apperley.
Jack's father - John G. Pringle
All the biographies I read about Jack (and I think I read every little bit about him that I could get my hands on) agree that John G. Pringle is Jack's father. (Even if there is no birth certificate.)
John G. Pringle disappeared from Jack's life pretty much after this census. Jack thought for the longest time in his life that Ida's next husband - comedian and actor Walter Gilbert - was his father.
In 1925 Jack would meet John Pringle for the first time. John was a bit actor in the movie production of the Erich von Stroheim's "The Merry Widow".
John approached Jack and introduced himself as his father ... flabbergasted as Jack surely must have been, was far as I know, this was the only time Jack would meet his father.
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| Screencap "The Merry Widow" (1925). Jack Gilbert dances with Mae Murray in the middle of the room. In the left corner of the frame, marked green, John G. Pringle. |
According to the census, John was 35 years old (born in 1865, but that number mustn't have come from John), he was married. He had been born in the state of Missouri, both of John's parents had been born in Germany. He gives his occupation as "actor".
The next box in the census is interesting - was the person unimployed? If yes, for how many months? John said he was employed, so the censor put in "0".
This is followed by three "yes" - meaning he could read, write and speak English.
Last information - "R" and "H" mean, he lived in a rented home (R) and the home was a house (H) ... as oppose to a farm.
Jack's mother - Ida (Adair) Pringle
Ida is the wife of the head (John Pringle). Her age is 23, estimated year of birth 1877.
Her place of birth is "Colorado". Her father was born in Alabama, her mother in Connecticut.
Her occupation was "actress". The box concerning her employment status is left empty.
She could read, write and speak English.
Jack - Cecile Pringle
Jack is listed as the son of John and Ida Pringle.
His first name is given as "Cecile".
His age is two ... and here comes the interesting bit! ... his "birthday" was in "July 1897".
He is single (which doesn't come as a surprise in his age) and was born in Utah.
His father was born in Missouri, his mother in Colorado. (Just like the data für John Pringle and Ida.)
The lodgers
Musicians and actors, all currently employed. We can safely assume that this is a travelling stock company.
Then there is eleven year old Clara, who was probably a cousin of Jack.
The US Census is conducted every ten years. 1910 was the next US Census. Unfortunately I haven't been able to track down Jack in the US Census 1910. If anyone here finds him, please contact me, I would love to know!
The next document I want to talk about isn't directly linked to Jack. (But I will get back to it later on.) It is his mother's death certificate.
Ida Adair died on September 27th, 1913. Place of death was a hotel in Salt Lake City. She was only 36 years old.
If assume Jack was born July 10th 1897 - and I think we can safely do so - then Jack was 16 years old when his mother died.
Jack attended his burial. Straight after the funeral a relative of his handed him a train ticket to San Francisco, ten dollars and what was left of Ida's possessions - her old make up case. (Everything else, including her clothing had to be sold of to provide for her simple burial.)
At this point in time Jack was alone.
He had no contact to his father John Pringle. He had lost contact with his father Walter Gilbert ... he travelled to San Francisco and went looking for a job. In order to secure a job he changed his year of birth. (Again, he talked about his later in life.) Only a short time later, Jack realised he wanted to become a movie actor, so he moved to Los Angeles. He took odd jobs until got a small contract with the Thomas Ince Studios.
All of this sounds pretty bad. But this is the first time in Jack's life that he gets to decide where he stays and what he does! And he chose his way into acting.
While Jack was building his life big things all over the world happened - "the great war", later to be known as the First World War started. In 1914 everyone was in a frenzy about the war which everyone thought would be over by Christmas! All men over 21 ran to the drafting bureaus ... Jack, who might still be pretending to be a grown up, could not sign up, although he wanted to!
When he came of age on his 21st birthday, he finally got to go to a drafting office.
This is where this document was created on August 24th 1918:
At the bottom you can see Jack's signature!
Front of the document:
Full name John C. Gilbert, 21 years old.
Address 5408 Holly Blvd Los Angeles California
date of birth: July 10th 1897
He is a born citizen of the US, his place of birth is Logan/Utah.
The place of birth of his father is given as "Philadelphia/Pennsylvania".
(Which makes you wonder if Jack had to show documents or not. And if he gave a different place of birth for his father on purpose (and if why?) or by mistake.)
Line 8 current employer was J. Warren Kerrigan Co., Sunset Blvd.
Next of kin "father".
He is single and caucasian.
Line 11 states his military training - Jack says 1 year of training in "Hitchcock, San Rafael"?
I know Leatrice Joy Fountain talked about Jack having attended an institute for a short time until Ida ran out of money. However I do not remember the institute's name.
In line 12 the drafted man can state reason why he should be called to action.
I index a lot for familysearch and I indexed a lot of drafting cards. A lot of the men stated they were the sole bread winner for the family.
Jack however gave no answer to this question.
Jack signed the front of the drafting card ... John C. Gilbert.
On the back:
Line 1 - "medium" built and "slender".
Line 2 - "eyes brown, hair black".
"date of registration Aug 24 - 18"
Jack was drafted and he was put in a uniform ... but he was never shipped.
By summer 1918 the war was coming to its end, which of course was very good for Jack, although he certainly didn't feel like it. Finally when he had come of age and when he wanted to serve just like friends and family members ... nobody needed or wanted him.
But something else happend ... Jack married!
On August 24 1918 he was drafted and he married on August 26 1918!
Just two days later he married Olivia Burwell.
Data sheet can be seen here.
Jack was still working as a bit player. He had already met his future second wife Leatrice Joy. But he married shy Southern Belle Olivia who he had met in the pension he was staying at.
The marriage wasn't happy and it seems to have been typical behaviour (which would Jack repeat again and again) for Jack.
Jack didn't want to go to war a bachelor. And he thought with the soldier's wage he could finance his wife. But since he wasn't shipped, he was stuck on his mere acting salary. And times where so tough that Jack and his new wife had to move to worse and worse accomidations.
Finally he send his wife Olivia to live with her family in Mississippi. For some time they exchanged letters but the marriage was over. In 1922 when Jack wanted to marry Leatrice Joy he finally asked for divorce from Olivia. Olivia and Jack never met again.
Summary:
- Jack shows up at the US Census 1900 as Cecile Pringle. He lives with his mother and his father. Very probably he was born July 10th 1897. The small family obviously is travelling with a stock company and on June 11th/12th 1900 the stock company stayed in Pueblo City/Colorado.
- September 29th 1913 Ida Adair dies. Jack is 16 years old. He starts his life alone in San Francisco then he moves to Los Angeles to find work in moving pictures.
- When he comes of legal age he gets drafted on August 24th 1918. His next of kin is his father (no name stated, place of birth different than Census info, Jack's mother is dead).
- Two days later on August 26th 1918 he marries Olivia Burwell.
Next time we'll see more of Jack Gilbert's life ...
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