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Ramon Novarro

Highest Rated: 100% The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927)

Lowest Rated: 67% The Big Steal (1949)

Birthday: Feb 6, 1899

Birthplace: Durango, Mexico

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.

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Highest rated movies

100% 64% The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg
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96% 86% Ben-Hur
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82% Trifling Women
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73% 64% We Were Strangers
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71% 46% Crisis
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67% 63% The Big Steal
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67% 54% Mata Hari
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A Certain Young Man
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Laughing Boy
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In Gay Madrid
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 27% Heller in Pink Tights De Leon (Character) - 1960
71% 46% Crisis Colonel Adragon (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 22% The Outriders Unknown (Character) - 1950
67% 63% The Big Steal Inspector General Ortega (Character) - 1949
73% 64% We Were Strangers Chief (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Small Town Idol Dancer (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Desperate Adventure André Friezan (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Sheik Steps Out Ahmed Ben Nesib (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Contra la corriente Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer
- 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Night Is Young Archduke Paul "Gustl" Gustave (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet 17% The Cat and the Fiddle Victor (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet No Score Yet Laughing Boy Laughing Boy (Character) - 1934
No Score Yet 43% The Barbarian Jamil El Shehab (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Huddle Tony Amatto (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Son-Daughter Tom Lee (Character) - 1932
67% 54% Mata Hari Lt. Alexis Rosanoff (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet Daybreak Willi (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet Son of India Karim (Character) - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet In Gay Madrid Ricardo (Character) - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Call of the Flesh Juan de Dios (Character) - 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Devil May Care Armand de Treville (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet 60% The Pagan Henry Shoesmith, Jr. (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Flying Fleet Ens. / Lt.Tommy Winslow (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet Across to Singapore Joel Shore (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Certain Young Man Lord Gerald Brinsley (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet Forbidden Hours Michael IV (Character) - 1928
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Road to Romance José Armando (Character) - 1927
100% 64% The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg Crown Prince Karl Heinrich (Character) - 1927
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lovers José (Character) - 1927
96% 86% Ben-Hur Judah Ben-Hur (Character) - 1925
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Midshipman Dick Randall (Character) - 1925
No Score Yet 58% The Red Lily Jean Leonnec (Character) - 1924
No Score Yet 72% Scaramouche André-Louis Moreau (Character) - 1923
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Prisoner of Zenda Rupert of Hentzau (Character) - 1922
82% No Score Yet Trifling Women Unknown (Character) - 1922

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The High Chaparral Unknown (Guest Star) 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Combat! Unknown (Guest Star) 1964-1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Unknown (Guest Star) 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dr. Kildare Unknown (Guest Star) 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rawhide Unknown (Guest Star) 1964
No Score Yet No Score Yet Thriller Unknown (Character) 1962