Downstairs is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film. It stars John Gilbert as a charming but self-serving chauffeur who wreaks havoc on his new employer's household, romancing and fleecing the women on the staff, and blackmailing the employer's wife. Gilbert had written the story in 1928 for a proposed silent film that was never produced.
Paul Lukas, Virginia Bruce and John Gilbert
John Gilbert was an American actor, screenwriter and director. He rose to fame during the silent era and became a popular leading man known as "The Great Lover". His breakthrough came in 1925 with his starring roles in The Merry Widow and The Big Parade. At the height of his career, Gilbert rivaled Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw.
Gilbert in 1931
Promotion of Ince's rising "juvenile" star in studio directory, 1916
Gilbert (center) with Barbara Bedford and unidentified actor in Gleam O'Dawn (1922)
Publicity photo for Love (1927)