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Post by Teleadm on Feb 16, 2024 22:03:55 GMT
A slightly forgotten star of the late silent era and the early sound era, whose real name was José Ramón Gil Samaniego, who was supposed to take over the cape of the fallen Valentino. Who MGM tried to advertise as a "Latin Lover", but his most famous role at that studio was far from a latin He became a sex symbol, and he is recognized as the first Latin American actor to succeed in Hollywood. When the happy days was over he resounded to alcohol, having trouble with his catholic beliefs and his own homosexuality. Returning to acting in both movies and on television between 1949 and 1968. Sadly stabbed to death by two young men who thought he had lots of money hidden in his home in 1968. This year we remember his birthdate 125 years ago in Durango City, Durango, Mexico. Ramon Novarro (1899-1968)After a lot of minor roles he found his stride in an early role of Scaramouche 1923 that became a major success. Ben-Hur 1925, in title role. In Lubitsch's The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg 1927. Across to Singapore 1928. silent Half-silent The Pagan 1929 With Greta Garbo in Mata Hari 1931. After a few roles like John Huston's We Were Strangers 1949 and George Cukor's Heller in Pink Tights 1960 it became TV to the end. Three episodes of Dr Kildare 1964 Last acting role was episode of TV Western High Chaparral 1968 First published in 2002. at least three other publications exists for those interested. Thanks for Watching! Oppinions of all kinds are as always Welcome!!
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Post by petrolino on Feb 17, 2024 0:53:02 GMT
I've read about him being a major sex symbol back in the days when cinema was transitioning from silence to sound, as his leading ladies would suggest.
Jean Harlow, Ramon Novarro & Claudette Colbert
Here, he's with Joan Crawford in a lobby card, I think from 'Across To Singapore' (I like that picture you posted of him with Anna May Wong).
Ramon Novarro & Joan Crawford
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Post by Pippen on Feb 17, 2024 1:03:06 GMT
It's easy to see why so many hearts would be throbbing
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Post by TheGoodMan19 on Feb 17, 2024 1:04:48 GMT
The 1925 Ben-Hur is every bit as exciting as the 1959 version and Novarro was every bit as good as Charlton Heston. I can't say the same about Francis X. Bushman. Stephen Boyd's performance as Messala is one of my all time favorites.
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Post by timshelboy on Feb 18, 2024 17:38:49 GMT
I enjoyed THE BARBARIAN with Myrna Loy
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Post by politicidal1 on Feb 18, 2024 23:44:57 GMT
Only one I saw was We Were Strangers (1949).
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Post by ellynmacgregor2024 on Mar 2, 2024 5:41:19 GMT
The 1925 Ben-Hur is every bit as exciting as the 1959 version and Novarro was every bit as good as Charlton Heston. I can't say the same about Francis X. Bushman. Stephen Boyd's performance as Messala is one of my all time favorites. Agree with every word of this post except the bolded part. IMO, Novarro was better than Heston (who still did a creditable job. I share your lack of enthusiasm for Bushman). I won't deny that looks play a part (!) in my estimation of the two Ben-Hurs. Although Novarro was in his twenties when he played Judah, he could easily have passed for the character's true age: in the novel, when Our Hero is banished to the galleys, he is seventeen. Not only was Heston twice that age by the time the film was released, he always had a more mature look; he could have been born at the age of 30. I could go on about the advantages and disadvantages of both films, but that would take us away from the topic. So instead, here's a picture of Novarro in a role I have always wanted to see him in: Well, heck. I tried a couple of ways to import the image I wanted here, and neither of them worked. So I'll just say I would really, really like to see the 1922 version of The Prisoner of Zenda, in which he played the dashing young scoundrel, Rupert of Hentzau--monocle and all.
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Post by TheGoodMan19 on Mar 2, 2024 9:49:05 GMT
The 1925 Ben-Hur is every bit as exciting as the 1959 version and Novarro was every bit as good as Charlton Heston. I can't say the same about Francis X. Bushman. Stephen Boyd's performance as Messala is one of my all time favorites. Agree with every word of this post except the bolded part. IMO, Novarro was better than Heston (who still did a creditable job. I share your lack of enthusiasm for Bushman). I won't deny that looks play a part (!) in my estimation of the two Ben-Hurs. Although Novarro was in his twenties when he played Judah, he could easily have passed for the character's true age: in the novel, when Our Hero is banished to the galleys, he is seventeen. Not only was Heston twice that age by the time the film was released, he always had a more mature look; he could have been born at the age of 30. I could go on about the advantages and disadvantages of both films, but that would take us away from the topic. So instead, here's a picture of Novarro in a role I have always wanted to see him in: Well, heck. I tried a couple of ways to import the image I wanted here, and neither of them worked. So I'll just say I would really, really like to see the 1922 version of The Prisoner of Zenda, in which he played the dashing young scoundrel, Rupert of Hentzau--monocle and all. I never read the book, although I should as it was written by a Civil War general. I didn't know that Judah was that young when he was sent to the galleys. Not as bad as the 49 year old Henry Fonda playing the 17 year old Pierre Bezukhov in the 1956 War and Peace.
So Messala must have been the same age as Judah. Stephen Boyd was pretty close to Messala's age, Francis X. Bushman was not. Boyd might be my biggest Oscar cheat of all time. Messala is one of my favorite film characters. He a Roman Nurse Ratched. He does awful things, thinking he doing the right thing, sticking up for Rome. Boyd plays him perfect, never becoming a real villain until the Chariot Race. Boyd never got a nomination (he did win a Golden Globe). Not only that, the Academy gave Best Supporting Actor to Hugh Griffith, who was just comic relief.
EDIT: The 1922 Zenda is available for free on Wikipedia and for sale on Amazon Prime. I'm going to have to check it out myself. I love Rex Ingram's directing
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Post by claudius on Mar 2, 2024 11:41:55 GMT
To be sure, the 1959 characterization is structured differently. Heston’s Judah is portrayed as an established man of the community (Messala speaks of his influence) and having a role over the household, such as Simonides turning to his authority(instead of his mothers like the silent) and his freeing Esther and his maturity into not taking advantage of her (to a greater degree beyond a kiss). Yes, Novarro is Wallace’s young innocent prince, but the 1959 version is not written to Wallace’s original interpretation.
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Post by Teleadm on Mar 2, 2024 15:39:59 GMT
TheGoodMan19, ellynmacgregor2024, claudiusJust to make it clear, as OP, I don't mind any sidesteps at all, just feel free, just be civil even if you disagree. My point with those mini bio's is to inspire....
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Post by TheGoodMan19 on Mar 2, 2024 17:03:11 GMT
TheGoodMan19 , ellynmacgregor2024 , claudius Just to make it clear, as OP, I don't mind any sidesteps at all, just feel free, just be civil even if you disagree. My point with those mini bio's is to inspire.... I don't disagree with anything you say. I love the Silents. They were film as art in the purest sense. He worked a lot with one of my favorite directors, Rex Ingram. Ingram didn't direct Novarro best known film, Ben-Hur and Novarro was just an extra in Ingram's best known film, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It's heartbreaking that so many of their movies are lost. And Novarro did do well is sound movies, The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg and Mata Hari
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