John Gilbert (1817-1897) was a prominent actor and theatrical manager in the nineteenth century. This brief biography provides an overview of his life and career, including his contributions to Shakespearean performance and his involvement with the famous Booth family. The author, a playwright and critic who knew Gilbert personally, offers personal anecdotes and insights into the theatrical world of the time. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.