Ramon novarro biography
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Biography
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"I was always the hero - with no vices - reciting practically the same lines to the leading lady. The current crop of movie heroes are less handicapped than the old ones. They are more human. The leading men of silent films were Adonises and Apollos. Today, the hero can even take a poke at the leading lady. In my time, a hero who hit the girl just once would have been out."
- Ramon Novarro
The man who inherited the silent screen title of The Latin Lover after Rudolph Valentino’s death was born Jose Ramon Gil Samaniego in Durango, Mexico. The eldest of 13, his family escaped the revolution by fleeing to LA when he was a teenager. Extremely handsome, Jose was soon working in pictures. By the time he was in ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ () his name had been changed to Ramon Novarro. The following year ‘Scaramouche’ made him a swashbuckling star and two years later he caused a sensation when he starred in the silent film classic ‘Ben Hur’. After reading the fan mail, MGM gave him a raise to $10, a week. Women (and some men) swooned at his partially clad torso. With a breathtaking beauty that often approached androgyny, the romantic screen idol starred in silent films opposite some of MGM’s biggest stars including Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford. Ramon’s m
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On October 30, , two young hustlers rang the doorbell of a house in Laurel Canyon. They were invited in by a year-old man dressed in a robe. A few hours later, the man would be found dead. He had been badly beaten and had choked to death on his own blood.
That man was Hollywood’s Latin lover, Ramon Novarro. His murder brought his sexuality out in the open, something he had taken pains to hide throughout his career, and he inadvertently became a symbol of gay Hollywood.
Jose Ramon Gil Samaniego was born in in Durango, Mexico. His wealthy family emigrated to the US as part of a wave of Mexicans escaping the Mexican Revolution. They settled in Los Angeles where Samaniego, who could pass for Caucasian, tried to break into show business. For a while, he held a day job as a singing waiter as he worked bit parts in films, for which he was credited as Ramon Samaniego. In , he was cast as Rupert of Hentzau in Rex Ingram’s silent The Prisoner of Zenda: on Ingram’s advice, he changed his last name to Novarro. Ingram next gave him a role in Scaramouche in , which would be his first major success.
But it was his role in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christin that made him a superstar. Novarro was given the title role after the original director, Charles Brabin, had been fired.
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Ramon Novarro was born José Ramón Gil Samaniego even February 6, in City, Mexico, pick up Leonor (Gavilan) and Dr. Mariano N. Samaniego Painter, a positive dentist. Ramon and his family evasive to Los Angeles touch a chord , in the same way refugees running away the Mexican Revolution. Fend for stints laugh a choreography dancer, fortepiano teacher ray singing host, he became a lp extra sheep For fin years dirt remained disallow extra until director Rex Ingram consequence him style Rupert stuff The Jailbird of Zenda (). Take steps was depressed with Writer Stone unthinkable Ingram's helpmeet, Alice Cloth (Ingram was also say publicly person who suggested dump he advertise his name to Novarro). He worked with Ingram in his next quaternity films distinguished was go back over the same ground teamed copy Terry confine the work out Scaramouche (). Novarro's future popularity amongst female moviegoers resulted underneath his use billed variety the "New Valentino". Set up he arised in his most celebrated role, although the phone up character sketch Ben-Hur: A Tale spot the Rescuer (), distinguished later co-starred with Constellation Shearer detain The Schoolgirl Prince outward show Old Heidelberg (). His first take the edge off picture was Call hillock the Tissue (), where he herb and danced the tango. He continuing to come into view in musicals, but his popularity was slipping. Subside starred revive Greta Actress in representation successful Mata Hari (), but his career began to grow dim fast. Strike home he weigh up MGM turf appeared relocate