Stars who navigated the silent-to-sound transition in Golden Age of Hollywood

[Stephen.H]

I'm a film studies student writing my thesis on the transition from the silent era to the talkies and how it impacted the careers of major stars during the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood. I'm particularly fascinated by actors like John Gilbert, whose star power supposedly faded with sound, though I suspect that narrative is oversimplified. For scholars or classic film enthusiasts, what are the most compelling case studies of stars who successfully navigated this technological upheaval, and which films from the early 1930s best showcase the evolving acting styles and directorial techniques of that pivotal time?