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Ramon Novarro

Mexican actor who became a silent film star and Latin lover.

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Ramon Novarro

George Hurrell · via Wikipedia: Ramon Novarro · Public domain

He was born Ramón Gil Samaniego on February 6, 1899, in Durango City, Mexico, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1913 to escape the Mexican Revolution.[1]

Key facts and history

Novarro began his film career in 1917 playing bit parts while also working as a singing waiter and dancer.[2] From 1925 to 1935, Novarro made more money for MGM than any actor except Joan Crawford.[3] When his MGM contract expired in 1935 and was not renewed, Novarro continued acting sporadically in films for Republic Pictures and other studios.[4] Novarro was a fervent Catholic and an alcoholic for more than 30 years, losing his driver's license due to multiple DUIs.[3]

He was gay and never married a woman for the sake of appearance, unlike many other gay actors in Hollywood at the time.[5] Rex Ingram and Alice Terry, who were friends of Novarro, worked to position him as a competitor to Rudolph Valentino, and it was Ingram who recommended that Novarro adopt the stage name "Novarro".[2] The year 1925 marked Novarro's most significant professional triumph with "Ben-Hur," and his scanty outfits in the film created a stir.[6] During the late 1920s and early 1930s, when his career was at its zenith, Novarro's earnings exceeded US$100,000 for each film he made.[7]

Novarro's remains are interred at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, and his Hollywood Walk of Fame star is situated at 6350 Hollywood Boulevard.[8]

What the cited sources add

The West Adams Heritage Association account notes that Novarro sang in the church choir and studied classical piano as a child.[9] A 2012 article states that Novarro had downsized from his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed mansion to a one-story Spanish-style ranch house by 1968.[3] A 2020 article notes that Novarro's murderer Paul Ferguson was posting on IMDb from prison as late as 2007.[5] The same review clarifies that there is no evidence Novarro and Valentino were ever friends or lovers.[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Ramon Novarro" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Soares, "Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro", University Press of Mississippi, April 19, 2010, p. 5; Meier, "The Mexican American Experience: An Encyclopedia", Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003, p. 284; Soares, "Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro", University Press of Mississippi, April 19, 2010, p. 5 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Ramon Novarro" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Novarro" is a misspelling for the Spanish surname "Navarro". (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. "'Ramon Navarro Hustler's Murder in Hollywood", May 23, 2012. facts only, no text reused. out.com
  4. Wikipedia, "Ramon Novarro" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Theatre Programme: Birmingham Hippodrome, week commencing January 6th 1936. "The World-Famous Film Star RAMON NAVARRO in Songs and Dances with his sister Carmen (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. "Was Ramon Novarro's Murderer Posting on IMDb from Prison?", High Shrink, August 9, 2020. facts only, no text reused. highshrink.com
  6. Wikipedia, "Ramon Novarro" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rodriguez, "The early years – the portrayal of minorities in Hollywood film industry", Black Issues in Higher Education, 1996; Ulback, "Hollywood Undressed: Observations of Sylvia As Noted by Her Secretary", Brentano's, 1931, p. 65 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Ramon Novarro" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Lloyd Wright (1890–1978)", ArchitechGallery.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Ramon Novarro" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wilson, "Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons", McFarland, August 14, 2016, p. 374 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. "Ramon Novarro", West Adams Heritage Association. facts only, no text reused. westadamsheritage.org
  10. "Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro by André Soares – Senses of Cinema", 2003-05-22. facts only, no text reused. sensesofcinema.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ramon Novarro (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year did Ramon Novarro die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1968.

2. In what year was Ramon Novarro born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1899.

3. In which place was Ramon Novarro born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Durango City, Mexico.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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