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| 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.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
The producers had trouble finding a Tzigane Cynibalum for the tango scene.
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| 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.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
The Second Battle of the Marne was reenacted by people who were there when it happened.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez approved of the movie. Note how they call him "Signor" instead of "Señor."
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
"Book Is Sensation of Publishing World."
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse opened at New York's Liberty Theater on 06-March-2021.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
The Metro Lithograph Company called for "clever ideas" for posters to promote the film.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
Note that "Rodolpho Valentino" appears first in the cast list, above the director's wife, Alice Terry.
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| Motion Picture News, 26-March-1921 |
