Novarro-palooza!

[The Blackbird]

Starting Thurdsay morning, TCM is running over a dozen Ramon Novarro films in a row, including most of his surviving silent features:

6 am THE PRISONER OF ZENDA

8 am SCARAMOUCHE

10 am THE RED LILY

11:30 am ACROSS TO SINGAPORE

1:15 pm THE PAGAN

2:45 pm DEVIL-MAY-CARE

4:30 pm THE SON-DAUGHTER

6:15 pm THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE

8 pm BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST

10:30 pm THE STUDENT PRINCE IN OLD HEIDELBERG

12:30 am MATA HARI

2:15 am THE NIGHT IS YOUNG

4 am CRISIS

I'll just say for now I consider SCARAMOUCHE, THE PAGAN, THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE, BEN-HUR and THE STUDENT PRINCE to be must-sees, even if that really goes without saying....

[silentfilm]

8 Thursday
6:00 AM
Prisoner Of Zenda, The (1922)
In this silent film, a vacationing Englishman steps in for the kidnapped king of a small European nation.
Dir: Rex Ingram Cast: Lewis Stone , Alice Terry , Robert Edeson .
BW-113 mins, TV-G,

8:00 AM

Scaramouche (1923)
In this silent film, a French rebel masquerades as a clown so that he can avenge his friend's murder.
Dir: Rex Ingram Cast: Lloyd Ingraham , Alice Terry , Ramon Novarro .
BW-124 mins, TV-G,

10:00 AM

Red Lily, The (1924)
In this silent film, a chance separation throws young lovers into the dregs of society.
Dir: Fred Niblo Cast: Enid Bennett , Ramon Novarro , Wallace Beery .
BW-81 mins, TV-G,

11:30 AM

Across to Singapore (1928)
In this silent film, sailor brothers become romantic rivals.
Dir: William Nigh Cast: Ramon Novarro , Joan Crawford , Ernest Torrence .
BW-85 mins, TV-PG,

12:56 PM

Singapore Jahore (1938)
C-9 mins,

1:15 PM

Pagan, The (1929)
A South Seas native falls for a white woman.
Dir: W. S. Van Dyke Cast: Ramón Novarro , Renée Adorée , Donald Crisp .
BW-78 mins, TV-PG,

2:45 PM

Devil May Care (1929)
A fugitive falls for the woman who turned him in.
Dir: Sidney Franklin Cast: Ramón Novarro , Dorothy Jordan , Marion Harris .
C-97 mins, TV-G,

4:30 PM

Son-Daughter, The (1932)
Young Asians in San Francisco find their love thwarted by clan warfare.
Dir: Clarence Brown Cast: Helen Hayes , Ramon Novarro , Lewis Stone .
BW-79 mins, TV-PG,

5:51 PM

Picture Palace (1933)
Cast: Hal LeRoy ,
BW-21 mins,

6:15 PM

Cat And The Fiddle, The (1934)
A struggling composer courts a singing star.
Dir: William K. Howard Cast: Ramon Novarro , Jeanette MacDonald , Frank Morgan .
BW-89 mins, TV-G,

7:45 PM

Nickelette, The (1934)
This short attempts to recreate the nickelodeon experience for "talkie" generation.
Cast: Rudolph Valentino ,
BW-11 mins,

8:00 PM

Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925)
In this silent film, a rebellious Israelite prince out for vengeance crosses paths with the Messiah.
Dir: Fred Niblo Cast: Ramon Novarro , Francis X. Bushman , May McAvoy .
BW-143 mins, TV-G,

10:30 PM

Student Prince in Old Heidelberg, The (1927)
In this silent film, a young prince attending college falls for a barmaid below his station.
Dir: Ernst Lubitsch Cast: Ramon Novarro , Norma Shearer , Jean Hersholt .
BW-106 mins, TV-G,

12:20 AM

Divine Woman (Lost Garbo Footage), The (1928)
In the surviving footage of this lost film, a Parisian soldier has a last meal with his lover before he ships for Algiers.
BW-9 mins,

12:30 AM

Mata Hari (1931)
Romantic biography of World War I's notorious lady spy.
Dir: George Fitzmaurice Cast: Greta Garbo , Ramon Novarro , Lionel Barrymore .
BW-89 mins, TV-PG, CC,

2:15 AM

Night Is Young, The (1935)
A European nobleman falls for a ballerina.
Dir: Dudley Murphy Cast: Ramon Novarro , Evelyn Laye , Charles Butterworth .
BW-81 mins, TV-G, CC,

[Kelly]

YUP just troll TCM website it officially Ramon day going be Thursdayyyyy

I got my DVR set up

[JohnArmer]

This is great news, but unfortunately in the UK, there's no way I can see these!

I'd love to see DEVIL MAY CARE, THE SON-DAUGHTER and THE NIGHT IS YOUNG - does anyone know if they are available on DVD? I have the other films on either DVD or VHS.

[entredeuxguerres]

Just watched Scaramouche for the first time--so far superior to Stuart Granger's version, that I can hardly believe the two derive from the same source. (And I greatly admire Stuart Granger!) Silverman's score is magnificent...one of the best silent scores I've ever heard.

[silentmovies742]

Yes, as pointed out, in the UK we will no doubt have re-runs of yet more western TV series instead!

[Danny]

Unfortunately they will probably show the poor quality transfer of THE PAGAN. A delightful film in shoddy condition.

In my opinion, THE RED LILY and BEN HUR are the best!

Danny

[Gagman 66]

Danny,

ACROSS TO SINGAPORE is in horrendous shape. THE PAGAN though no better then 3rd or 4rth generation, looks very good by comparison. So does Marion Davies THE CARDBOARD LOVER which TCM claimed had to much nitrate decomposition to be shown. Same with Chaney's WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS. Nothing like ACROSS TO SINGAPORE. It's to bad a better quality, far less damaged print can't be found. It also needs a different score. The film might be really good, but it difficult to judge in such shoddy condition.

[Kelly]

Yeah don't worry here in the US they showing original BEN HUR at 8pm est today

[didi-5]

I'm not even sure why the UK version is called TCM. It doesn't compare in any way with what you guys see in the US. I'm so envious!

[drednm]

Pretty good sampling of existing Novarro films but nothing that hasn't been on TCM before (I believe). Anyway, I already have all these on DVD. Surprised they didn't squeeze in In Gay Madrid, which is pretty good. The most surprising (as far as being good) may be The Student Prince. I expected yet another Ruritanian romance but it was much more and an excellent film indeed....

Glad they're showing The Cat and the Fiddle. Let me know what you think of the color sequence.....

[Gagman 66]

Ed,

Ernst Lubitsch OLD HEIDELBERG is one of the great American Silent films of the 20's in my opinion. I wish that it would get a proper restoration and Blu-ray release. Great performances all around, but Jean Hersholt literally steals the film away from it's two big Stars as the mentor Dr. Juttner.

[entredeuxguerres]

The most surprising (as far as being good) may be The Student Prince. I expected yet another Ruritanian romance but it was much more and an excellent film indeed....

Actually, with Lubitsch directing, a huge budget, & Norma at her most divinely, heart-meltingly, beautiful, it would have been more surprising had it turned out anything but wonderful. It's almost in a class by itself; or rather, the same class occupied by The Wedding March & The Merry Widow. These last two I love, but not quite so much as this one.

What IS surprising to me is that, so far as I can determine, the music of Romberg's operetta was not used, rather, that of someone unfamiliar to me named Mendoza; his score is excellent, however. TCM's ed. is the one to which I'm referring, the only one I've seen.

[entredeuxguerres]

Ed,

Ernst Lubitsch OLD HEIDELBERG is one of the great American Silent films of the 20's in my opinion. I wish that it would get a proper restoration and Blu-ray release. Great performances all around, but Jean Hersholt literally steals the film away from it's two big Stars as the mentor Dr. Juttner.

Jeff, I heartily agree that Hersholt is superb, and Novarro himself was also outstanding, but to me, nobody but nobody can steal a picture away from Norma!

[drednm]

Ed,

Ernst Lubitsch OLD HEIDELBERG is one of the great American Silent films of the 20's in my opinion. I wish that it would get a proper restoration and Blu-ray release. Great performances all around, but Jean Hersholt literally steals the film away from it's two big Stars as the mentor Dr. Juttner.

Jeff, I heartily agree that Hersholt is superb, and Novarro himself was also outstanding, but to me, nobody but nobody can steal a picture away from Norma!

Oh I think Rosalind Russell was a pretty good thief in The Women, but yes it was pretty hard to steal a film from Shearer.

[Christopher Jacobs]

Ed,

Ernst Lubitsch OLD HEIDELBERG is one of the great American Silent films of the 20's in my opinion. I wish that it would get a proper restoration and Blu-ray release. Great performances all around, but Jean Hersholt literally steals the film away from it's two big Stars as the mentor Dr. Juttner.

Jeff, I heartily agree that Hersholt is superb, and Novarro himself was also outstanding, but to me, nobody but nobody can steal a picture away from Norma!

Oh, I still tend to find the rough-edged charm of the Wallace Reid/Dorothy Gish version of OLD HEIDELBERG more pleasing than the slick and rather forced romantic comedy of the Lubitsch remake. And of course the original novel KARL HEINRICH is much better, more amusing, and far more touching than either one of them or the reasonably pleasant musical version.

[Kelly]

Going back to Cat and fiddle ah the color was okay I think wear and tear does that after 70 years

Old Student Prince of Heliberg that was good movie

What get me too bad Oscars never invented when Jean Hersolt as tutor

He would won I think so

Norma Shearer was just too cute for this role

[The Blackbird]

I was pretty pleased with DEVIL-MAY-CARE. It was remarkably smooth for such an early talkie, only faltering every time the always amateurish Dorothy Jordan tried to recite her dialogue. It was surprising to see a rare bad performance from John Miljan, though. However, Novarro was fully confident and at home in the proceedings, and had some very funny scenes early on as he escaped the execution squad and the posse later on.

ACROSS TO SINGAPORE is indeed in very bad shape, though I guess this is the best version that survives? I for one strongly object to THE CARDBOARD LOVER and WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS being deemed unbroadcastable and disagree that they are not in good enough shape to show. These two classics are crying out for rediscovery. Incidentally, an earlier Novarro picture THE MIDSHIPMAN also suffers from some bad decompostition in places and would probably not get broadcast for the same reason.

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA and SCARAMOUCHE look quite beautiful. The latter was reportedly Novarro's favourite among his own films. We can only wonder if the Rex Ingram - Novarro WHERE THE PAVEMENT ENDS looked this good. It would also be interesting to compare it with the very similar THE PAGAN, if only we could get the chance.

THE SON-DAUGHTER remains pretty jaw-dropping stuff. It makes MR. WU look plausible by comparison. The make-up on the players is more Vulcan than Chinese and Helen Hayes, ostensibly one of the world's great acting talents, here gives a performance so hilariously awful you might think you were watching a SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE sketch. Novarro himself is wasted and totally miscast.

They didn't show HUDDLE in this festival, but I wonder if the alternate European release version, which had the characters playing soccer instead of football, still exists?

A CERTAIN YOUNG MAN is one of the lost films I would most like to see turn up. That may sound bizarre, given even Novarro himself was embarrassed by it. Mostly I just want to see if it was really as awful as he insisted it was.

Any chance THE ARAB is going to get its TCM debut anytime soon?

[silentmovies742]

What I find very strange about the whole idea of films being unsellable or unbroadcastable due to condition, is that surely most people who buy silent films on DVD are fully aware of these issues, and would still buy a badly damaged film than not have it out there at all. I'm sure sales of Across to Singapore on Warner Archive were probably the same as for other silent titles in the series, despite the fact most buying it knew about the condition issues. In the same way, I'm sure most would grab Two Arabian Knights despite the problems that film has with condition in the second half, if I remember correctly.

Meanwhile, does anyone know why Call of the Flesh has yet to see an Archive release? Going by the copy floating around (possibly from a European version of TCM) it seems to be in decent condition. I would have thought it would be one of the more sought-after Novarro talkies.

[drednm]

The Arab is in so-so shape but only with crudely cut in Cyrillic titles. So far as I know, no one has translated it back to English yet.

This was the film where Ingram admonished Novarro, playing an Arab "brute" a la The Sheik, to at least PRETEND to be interested in the girls!

[entredeuxguerres]

It was remarkably smooth for such an early talkie, only faltering every time the always amateurish Dorothy Jordan tried to recite her dialogue....

Well, yes, but charmingly, sweetly, amateurish, I think. Haven't got around to viewing this yet, but it's "in the machine"...I hope.

[drednm]

So short of singing in his home theater, did Novarro ever sing opera on a stage anywhere?

[silentmovies742]

So short of singing in his home theater, did Novarro ever sing opera on a stage anywhere?

Yes, according to Soares' biography, gave successful concert performances in Paris and London in 1933. Not complete operas, obviously, but it appears much of Novarro's repertoire came from light opera and well-known arias etc. The review in The Times is largely positive, although it suggests a pleasant evening of song and anecdotes rather than a a magnificent success vocally. But then the Times did have a hard job giving anything a good review!

[drednm]

So short of singing in his home theater, did Novarro ever sing opera on a stage anywhere?

Yes, according to Soares' biography, gave successful concert performances in Paris and London in 1933. Not complete operas, obviously, but it appears much of Novarro's repertoire came from light opera and well-known arias etc. The review in The Times is largely positive, although it suggests a pleasant evening of song and anecdotes rather than a a magnificent success vocally. But then the Times did have a hard job giving anything a good review!

Yes Thanks. Now that you mention it, I remember it from Soares' bio.

[entredeuxguerres]

So short of singing in his home theater, did Novarro ever sing opera on a stage anywhere?

Yes, according to Soares' biography, gave successful concert performances in Paris and London in 1933. Not complete operas, obviously, but it appears much of Novarro's repertoire came from light opera and well-known arias etc. The review in The Times is largely positive, although it suggests a pleasant evening of song and anecdotes rather than a a magnificent success vocally. But then the Times did have a hard job giving anything a good review!

A "supper club" voice is my impression, after just watching Night Is Young. Evelyn Laye, in vivid contrast, was a "magnificent success vocally." Were this not the only time I've heard her sing, I'd be tempted to call her the English Jeanette Macdonald. By no means was this role the "pitiful end" painted by Leonard Maltin, but it was pretty lackluster, & any comparison with Student Prince would be odious.

[entredeuxguerres]

Forgot to note my surprise that, at the end of this picture, Ben M. brought up Novarro's sordid demise, going on to describe how his murderers, escaping the death penalty they deserved, went on to harm others after their release from prison; the latter a common story, of course.

[silentmovies742]

Forgot to note my surprise that, at the end of this picture, Ben M. brought up Novarro's sordid demise, going on to describe how his murderers, escaping the death penalty they deserved, went on to harm others after their release from prison; the latter a common story, of course.

Perhaps the saddest thing about Novarro's demise was that, for many years, it is all that people knew about him. It's so lovely to see his films reaching a new audience. He was never the greatest actor in the world (although that's not to say he wasn't good), but he was almost always one of the most charming and likeable actors to watch, even if the material he was given wasn't always up to scratch. Soares's biography mirrors that, I think, painting a picture of a largely likeable and charming man, but one who could also be remarkably naïve.

[The Blackbird]

Forgot to note my surprise that, at the end of this picture, Ben M. brought up Novarro's sordid demise, going on to describe how his murderers, escaping the death penalty they deserved, went on to harm others after their release from prison; the latter a common story, of course.

Yeah, a few years after they beat an old man to death for his money, they were back out on the streets. It makes you wish Dirty Harry could have showed up and "cleaned house." They proceeded to spend the rest of their lives making excuses, blaming each other 100% and generally whining about how their lives were ruined, as if anybody cared. I've never read anything by either one expressing any actual remorse. The younger one, (the one who appears to have been a real idiot, if his conduct even during the trial is anything to go by), did more time in prison and finally committed suicide a few years ago. The older one is still in prison and should be out in another mere twenty years or so....

[TheRedLadder]

A Novarro marathon - sounds like my kinda heaven! You lucky yanks, you! It's so hard to get quality copies of his films over here in the UK, a lot haven't been released on our region, and even if you look into the 'unoffical' releases, they're often accompanied with a bad score. In my mind, he's overlooked by us Brits!

[silentmovies742]

A Novarro marathon - sounds like my kinda heaven! You lucky yanks, you! It's so hard to get quality copies of his films over here in the UK, a lot haven't been released on our region, and even if you look into the 'unoffical' releases, they're often accompanied with a bad score. In my mind, he's overlooked by us Brits!

Well, to be fair, multi-region DVD players are really quite common and cheap over here in the UK now - although you might have to see which ones are multiregion via a search of forums etc, as they don't always tell you on the box! But my last multiregion DVD player was about £30 (multiregion blu-rays are another thing entirely). I'm all too aware that such a purchase isn't always possible in our current economic climate, but it's worth bearing in mind when your current one breaks down and needs replacing, and it's certainly worth it if you are a silent film fan as it opens up the world of region 1 discs.

Amazon UK marketplace offer the Warner Archive series at varying prices - I picked up a new copy of Across to Singapore last week for £8 including postage, for example. The prices go up and down almost on a daily basis, so I shove the films I eventually want to get on a wish list and check the prices once a week, or whenever I have cash to spare.