Jeanette MacDonald, Ramon Novarro in The Cat and the Fiddle. Photo: Courtesy Matias Bombal Collection.
Ramon Novarro: Allan Ellenberger Interview I
How would you describe Ramon Novarro the actor?
Novarro was a first-rate actor – maybe not an Olivier, but a good solid actor. Even in bad films such as Laughing Boy (1934), he had his moments. He was excellent in dramatic roles such as the aviator Alexis Rosanoff opposite Greta Garbo in Mata Hari (1931), or as the rapist-suitor of Myrna Loy in The Barbarian (1933). He excelled in light comedic moments, especially in The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) and in several of his musicals including The Cat and the Fiddle (1934) and The Night is Young (1935). Novarro had a light tenor voice that was frequently used to showcase his acting. When he started doing supporting roles, he was the surprise of most reviewers, sometimes stealing the picture as he did in The Big Steal (1949).
What was/were the most difficult thing(s) for you while writing Ramon Novarro?
Probably finding out information about him. Not much was written about Novarro at the time except for short excerpts in biographical books. As I said before, this was in the days before the Internet so I spent countless hours in front of a microfilm machine at the Los Angeles Public Library reading old newspapers. Also, going through records at the downtown archives and networking, trying to find people who knew someone that knew someone who knew Novarro. Having a full-time job, most of my research and writing took place in the evenings and on Saturdays. Still being in that same situation today (in other words, not independently wealthy), that part hasn't changed.
Considering how Ramon Novarro's death has been tabloidized, did you have problems getting Novarro's friends and family members to talk to you about him?
Of his friends and coworkers that I could find at the time, most were willing to talk about all aspects of his life that they were familiar with. That included his death – at least their memories of it at the time. None were judgmental; they were mostly sympathetic towards him because they liked him so much. The ones that never responded to my requests for interviews are the ones I assume didn't want to talk about it for whatever reasons. But you have that no matter who you're writing about.
As for his family, I spoke to some nephews and nieces, but the closest person who agreed to talk to me was his youngest brother Angel, or Jose as he was called. Although he was very cooperative and talked to me for hours, even he expressed some reserve about a biography of his brother. He preferred to see a book about his film career, something he felt was overlooked. He was very frank when discussing his brother's murder and his feelings about it, but he never mentioned Novarro's sexuality and neither did I, feeling it wasn't appropriate at the time.
Ramon Novarro, Norma Shearer in The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg
What was/were the best or most pleasant aspects of your research? Any favorite (off-screen) character? Any favorite Novarro movie?
The research itself, for me, is the most enjoyable part of the process. I love finding bits and pieces of information that have never been made public before, either from some dusty archive or while interviewing someone. Also, the help from the many libraries and archives that I visited, considering it was my first project. I had not yet proven myself, but they still took the time to aid me in my research. There were some skeptical scholars that I encountered, but mostly it was an enjoyable experience.
Also, it was a thrill to interview everyone that shared their memories. Such actors as William Bakewell, Kurt Kreuger, Lina Basquette, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Lon McCallister and Lupita Tovar were all great interviews, and all spoke freely about their experiences with Novarro. However, Anita Page was probably my favorite because I became friends with her.
There are several of his films that I enjoyed. Besides Ben-Hur, there are The Student Prince (1927), The Pagan (1929) and The Flying Fleet (1929) from his silent days. As for his sound pictures, there are Call of the Flesh (1930), Mata Hari (1931), The Barbarian (1933) and The Big Steal (1949) that stand out for me.
Novarro was also excellent in several guest appearances on television on such shows as Thriller (1962), Bonanza (1965) and Combat (1965), in which he starred opposite the legendary Luise Rainer.
Ramon Novarro and Rex Ingram (right). Would you describe Ingram as Novarro's "creator" — in other words, would you say that Ingram was the one who molded Novarro's screen persona?
If he wasn't, I certainly believe he was instrumental in start-kicking his career. Novarro first came to the public's attention in Ingram's The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) and out of the following five films Novarro made, four of those were directed by Ingram. I'm sure that Ingram taught him a lot that he used for the remainder of his career. Ingram almost did the same for Valentino, but we know how that ended.