When Love was featured at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival July 11, several of Gilbert's great-grandchildren attended as honored guests. The event was special not only because it featured Tolstoy's classic in modern dress but also because the film was shown the day after Gilbert's hundredth birthday. In the following paragraphs, Naomi Hart and David Britten Prior describe the event in their own words.
Naomi wrote, "My brothers David Prior and Gideon Hart drove up from Los Angeles, and the three of us attended the Festival together. The Castro Theater was packed, and judging by the applause when Gilbert's name was mentioned, many of his fans were present. The movie was very good. I had never seen it before and was blessed to be able to see it on the big screen. The board had collected a silent vote from advance ticket buyers on which of the two endings to show but kept it a surprise till the last minute. The tragic ending had won, but when the lights came on, the emcee announced that we would see the alternate happy ending as well. The crowd was thrilled. I liked the tragic ending myself, but I am so glad that I got to see them both.
Afterwards the emcee graciously introduced David, Gideon, and me to the audience. We stood up and received quite an applause, whistles and all.
The same evening we met the writer Frederica Maas, who, sharing my birthday of July 6, had just turned ninety-nine. She spoke about her career as a screenwriter in Hollywood many years ago and had a book [The Shocking Miss Pilgrim] signing after the show. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized that she was meeting the great-grandchildren of her contemporary John Gilbert.
I am very proud of John and consider myself blessed to share his lineage. I feel such a warmth for those who knew him and those who appreciate him still. It makes me very happy and very grateful for the special attention. He deserves it."
Sharing his thoughts on the same event, David Prior wrote, "On the way to the Castro Theater, we got stuck in traffic and managed to find our seats just in time for Fred Chico's introduction of Love. The print of the film was in good shape, and having seen it on television before, the big screen and Dennis James' accompaniment were a real treat. I was surprised at how many people attended. The Castro is one of the few grand old movie palaces left on the West Coast that still thrives. The auditorium was nearly full. I think we all underestimated the size of the audience for silent films in general and Gilbert films in particular. It's encouraging that so many people are interested in silent films, not as nostalgic curios but as strong and vital examples of what cinema means.
I'm all for sound and dialogue, but removing them from one's cinematic palette disciplines one to relate stories in purely visual terms--and isn't that what films are all about in the end? I think if more filmmakers studied silent films, the quality of movies today would improve by leaps and bounds.
Following the screening, we were introduced to the audience who greeted us with warm and genuine applause. It made us all feel so proud of Jack and our heritage. Every time I see one of his films, I deeply wish I could have met the old boy.
Before we left, Rebecca Peters, who wrote the Festival notes for Love, very kindly gave me a tobacco trading card from the 20s featuring our great-grandmother, Leatrice Joy. It was a sweet and thoughtful memento that I will treasure forever.
The Festival was a complete delight. Good films, good people, good food, with a generous helping of familial pride thrown in for good measure. It doesn't get much better than that."