Nothing seemed to be going well for Jack. His marriage to Ina Claire was proving to be a mistake since they were not suited to each other. Although she tried to "help" Jack through the sound transition, Ina felt superior to him in acting and Gilbert didn't like the way she was spending his money, which was becoming less and less abundant. So, they were divorced in 1931. He did a few films which didn't do much for his reputation, but Irving Thalberg hoped to help him by reviving a story that Jack had written a few years earlier, entitled Downstairs. The film was well received, but unfortunately the damage to his reputation had already been done.

One good thing came out of this production since Jack met his fourth wife, Virginia Bruce. Since Virginia was only 21, her father asked for a marriage contract in which Jack was to change his will. Because of this, Virginia Bruce received the bulk of his estate leaving his daughter, Leatrice only $10,000.

Finally, his contract with MGM expired and he waited for offers. Lucky for Jack, Garbo remembered him and requested that he star opposite her in Queen Christina. This is probably the only time that most people get to see or hear Jack's voice in film. This was my first introduction and I couldn't understand why there was such a big deal about it, he sounded fine to me.

Garbo was given a huge build up for this film, but Jack is almost unmentioned in the TCM trailer as well as the publicity (see photo at right). Because Jack was so involved in this production, Virginia took it as an afront to their marriage that he was spending so much time with Garbo and filed for divorce.

Unfortunately, Queen Christina was not well received. And, Jack had been forced to sign a seven year contract with MGM in order to make it and now he was bound to them even though they refused to put him in any films. So, now his career as well as his fourth marriage was over and on March 29, 1934 he took out the following ad in the Hollywood Reporter:

"Metro Goldwyn Mayer will neither offer me work nor release me from my contract.", Jack Gilbert

MGM released him. He was now picked up by Universal, known as the actors graveyard at the time where those on their way down went. Jack was given a part in The Captain Hates the Sea and he spent most of his time with the others aboard ship and in order to keep from being seasick everyone began to drink. The film was not well received and it was his last film.

At this time Marlene Dietrich was seeing Jack and she took pity on him and tried to nurse him back to health. She even tried to have him star with her in her film Desire, but Jack had a mild heart attack and Gary Cooper co-starred instead.

During this time he was reunited with his daughter, Leatrice but before they had much time together, his health failed and he died on January 9, 1936. Dietrich was with him and called the doctor, but hastily left and was devastated.

Though Dietrich said that Jack had made out a new will, it was never found so Virginia Bruce got the bulk of his estate. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, Ca.

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