Ramon Novarro 125 -- February 6, 2024

listal.com

"Actor Ramon Novarro was born 125 years ago today, on 06-February-1899. He was born in Mexico, but his family emigrated to the United States in 1913 to get away from the Mexican Revolution. By the mid-1920s, he was a popular Latin lover" in Hollywood films. His career as a star was over by the mid-1930s, but he continued to act in smaller parts. He struggled to deal with his devout Catholicism and his homosexuality.

listal.com

Novarro replaced George Walsh as the title character in the troubled production of Ben Hur. I liked him better than Charlton Heston. 

Motion Picture News, 08-September-1923

I also liked him in Rex Ingram's adaption of Rafael Sabatini's Scaramouche. 

In 1968 two cowards robbed and murdered Ramon Novarro. 

Perfect Illusion is Maintained -- August 24, 2023

Motion Picture News, 18-August-1923

Anthony Hope's Ruritanian romance novel The Prisoner of Zenda was a great success when it was published in 1894. Hope published a sequel, Rupert of Hentzau, in 1898. Rupert was the charming villain who had run away at the end of the first novel. 

Motion Picture News, 18-November-1922

In 1922, director Rex Ingram made an adaption of The Prisoner of Zenda, which was a great success. Ramon Novarro played the charismatic Rupert.

The following year, Myron Selznick produced an adaption of Rupert of Hentzau. Victor Heerman directed. Lew Cody, who often played charming rogues, was Rupert. The elaborate nine-page ad shows that this was a major production. 

4 Horsemen -- January 16, 2022

Maysville, Kentucky Public Ledger, 27-January-1922

I like the simplicity of this ad for Rex Ingram's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. 

Buck Jones -- Only Rival of Tom Mix -- December 15, 2021

Omaha Bee, 18-December-1921

Buck Jones was Fox's second-string cowboy star, after Tom Mix. I like this image from Riding With Death. Jacques Jaccard directed. 

Clovis News, 22-December-1921

This item about Riding With Death reminds us that we recently saw Buck Jones try to change his billing to Charles Jones.

Bemidji Daily Pioneer, 31-December-1921

This ad refers to him as "Charles (Buck) Jones." 

Bemidji Daily Pioneer, 23-December-1921

While this ad refers to him as "Charles Jones," omitting "Buck" entirely. Personally I would rather be called "Buck." 

Great Falls Tribune, 20-December-1921

Bar Nothin' is a good title. Eddie Sedgwick was the director.

Alaska Daily Empire, 29-December-1921

I like the name Spickett's Palace. 

Cambridge, Maryland Daily Banner, 22-December-1921

Hoot Gibson was a contemporary of Tom Mix and Buck Jones. His movies tended to emphasize humor.

Pueblo Chieftan, 18-December-1921

John Ford directed Sure Fire. 

Great Falls Tribune, 18-December-1921

Note that the Capitol Theater in Great Falls planned to show Rex Ingram's The Conquering Power with Rudolph Valentino, but the print got "lost in transit," so they showed Sure Fire. 

Pueblo Chieftan, 08-December-1921

Bill Fairbanks was not Doug's brother, but he may have been related. They were both born with the family name "Ullman," but that may have been a coincidence.

Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram, 24-December-1921

Lester Cuneo had worked with Tom Mix at the Selig Polyscope Company and then served in the army during World War One. Unable to deal with the death of his wife, Cuneo died by his own hand in 1925.

Cine-Mundial, December, 1921

Tom Santschi (hard name to spell) had a long career, but mostly worked in small character parts after the mid-1920s.

Indiana Daily Times, 03-December-1921

I see that I have not mentioned Texas Guinan in this blog. She started out in vaudeville and theater, then went into the movies, making a series of westerns. Later she ran several speakeasies in New York and became known as "The Queen of the Nightclubs." She died in 1933, just before Prohibition was repealed.  This ad calls her "The Female 'Bill Hart.'"

Barbara La Marr 125 -- July 28, 2021

listal.com

Actress Barbara La Marr was born 125 years ago today, on 28-July-1896. She began her Hollywood career as a screenwriter, but she moved into acting. She had important roles in The Three Musketeers with Douglas Fairbanks and Rex Ingram's The Prisoner of Zenda. Drinking and partying damaged her health, and she died in 1926.

We need a biopic about Barbara La Marr. 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse -- March 29, 2021

 

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The first film adaption of of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was written by June Mathis and directed by Rex Ingram. Mathis chose Rex Ingram as the director and cast Rudolph Valentino as Julio Desnoyes. Co-star Alice Terry later married Ingram. 

The 26-March-1921 edition of Motion Picture News had a large section devoted to the movie. Note how they spelled Valentino's first name in the image above. 

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The producers had trouble finding a Tzigane Cynibalum for the tango scene. 

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

I found it interesting that the producers felt they had to explain the meaning of the world "Apocalypse." Eschatology was not a big deal among Americans early in the Twentieth Century. 

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The Second Battle of the Marne was reenacted by people who were there when it happened.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez approved of the movie. Note how they call him "Signor" instead of "Señor."

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

They spelled Valentino's first name correctly on the cast list, but not on the caption under his picture.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

Joseph Swickard played Marcelo Desnoyers, a Frenchman who emigrated to Argentina to make his fortune. Many Europeans did this in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, including my grandmother's brother. Marcelo and his son Julio move to France after Julio's grandfather dies. Nigel de Brulier is Tchernoff, a Russian intellectual emigree in Paris. While he and Julio watch soldiers march to war, Tchernoff talks about the Book of Revelation and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The scenes of the Second Battle of the Marne were shot in the San Bernardino Mountains.

"Smoke" Turner was Bowditch M Turner. They spelled his name Browditch in the credits. Jean Hersholt often played professors or doctors.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

"Book Is Sensation of Publishing World."

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse opened at New York's Liberty Theater on 06-March-2021.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The Metro Lithograph Company called for "clever ideas" for posters to promote the film.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

Note that "Rodolpho Valentino" appears first in the cast list, above the director's wife, Alice Terry.

Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921

The Little Terror and The Rescue -- July 7, 2017

Moving Picture World, 07-July-1917

I like the design of the ads for Bluebird Photoplays.  The Little Terror starred Violet Mersereau. 

Moving Picture World, 14-July-1917

"Violet Mersereau's seventh Bluebird, "The Little Terror," was intended for release July 23, but a delay in perfecting the negative required that July 30 should be the ultimate date when the pretty blond ingenue should come again to greet her legion of admirers through a screen medium."  Rex Ingram was the director. 

Moving Picture World, 14-July-1917

I also like the design for this ad for The Rescue, starring Dorothy Phillips. 

Moving Picture World, 04-August-1917

"Story and Star Smack of the Artificial."  Frequent Phillips co-star Lon Chaney also appeared.  Ida May Park wrote and directed.