- John Gilbert played “Rudolphe” and Lillian Gish played “Mimi” in the 1926 MGM silent film, LA BOHEME. The producers at MGM were so eager to get Lillian Gish to star in the film that they allowed her to choose the cast. She picked John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, and Karl Dane because she was impressed with their performance in THE BIG PARADE (MGM, 1925).
- The film differs from the novel and Puccini’s opera in that Lillian Gish portrays “Mimi” as innocent, virginal, and selfless. The “Mimi” described in Henri Murger’s novel is quite the opposite.
- Lillian Gish took the part so seriously that she prepared herself for the death scene by going without food and water for three days. The scene was convincing enough to alarm the director, King Vidor, who had also directed THE BIG PARADE.
- The DVD is available at Warner Brothers (WarnerArchive.com).
JOHN GILBERT, ST. ELMO, & ME 