Ramon Novarro

An engaging Latin American vaudevillian and singer who began his film career during the silent era, actor Ramón Novarro took over the role of Hollywood's top Latin Lover when Rudolph Valentino died in 1926, only to stagnate once talkies came of age. Novarro first came to prominence as a villainous henchman in "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1922), which led to starring roles in popular films like "Scaramouche" (1923) and "The Arab" (1924). He had his greatest success playing wealthy man-turned slave Judah Ben-Hur in "Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ" (1925), a troubled, but successful epic that served as a precursor to William Wyler's 1959 classic. From there, Novarro starred opposite Norma Shearer in "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg" (1927) and Joan Crawford in "Across to Singapore" (1928). But once he made the transition to talkies after "Devil May Care" (1929), Novarro saw his popularity plummet. By the end of the decade, he was out of a contract and lucky to find work in bit parts or character roles. Meanwhile, he fell into alcoholism - due in part to his lifelong struggle with his homosexuality - and his career suffered even more. Novarro did have a bit of a revival with character work on popular TV series like Dr. Kildare" (NBC, 1961-66) and "Bonanza" (NBC, 1959-1973), but his murder in 1968 by two prostitute brothers ended his life in a tawdry fashion. Still, Novarro remained a popular figure from the silent era whose contributions to film were undeniable.