The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)

Director:

Rex Ingram

Writers:

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (novel)
June Mathis (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

31 March 1923 (Portugal)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

An extended family split up in France and Germany find themselves on opposing sides of the battlefield during World War I. |

Plot Keywords:

Infidelity | Firing Squad | Wealth | Nationalism | Duty

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Pomeroy Cannon	...	Madariaga
Josef Swickard	...	Marcelo Desnoyers
Bridgetta Clark	...	Doña Luisa
Rudolph Valentino	...	Julio Desnoyers
Virginia Warwick	...	Chichí
Alan Hale	...	Karl von Hartrott
Mabel Van Buren	...	Elena
Stuart Holmes	...	Otto von Hartrott
John St. Polis	...	Etienne Laurier (as John Sainpolis)
Alice Terry	...	Marguerite Laurier
Mark Fenton	...	Senator Lacour
Derek Ghent	...	René Lacour
Nigel De Brulier	...	Tchernoff (as Nigel de Brulier)
Bowditch M. Turner	...	Argensola (as Brodwitch Turner)
Edward Connelly	...	Lodgekeeper
Wallace Beery	...	Lieut. Col. von Richthosen
Harry Northrup	...	The General
Arthur Hoyt	...	Lieut. Schnitz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacques D'Auray	...	Captain d'Aubrey (uncredited)
Claire de Lorez	...	Mademoiselle Lucette - a Model (uncredited)
Rose Dione	...	Flag Bearer (uncredited)
Beatrice Dominguez	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Louise Emmons	...	French Mother Bidding Farewell (uncredited)
John George	...	Ranchhand in Argentina (uncredited)
Jean Hersholt	...	Professor von Hartrott (uncredited)
Noble Johnson	...	Conquest (uncredited)
Isabelle Keith	...	German Woman (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Kathleen Key	...	Georgette (uncredited)
Henry Klaus	...	Heinrich von Hartrott (uncredited)
J. Jiquel Lanoe	...	German Woman's Husband (uncredited)
Andy MacLennan	...	Drunkard Hallucinating in Saloon (uncredited)
Minnehaha	...	The Old Nurse (uncredited)
Bull Montana	...	The French Butler (uncredited)
Steve Murphy	...	Drunkard in Saloon (uncredited)
Ramon Novarro	...	Guest at Ball (uncredited)
Curt Rehfeld	...	Major Blumhardt (uncredited)
Brinsley Shaw	...	Celendonio (uncredited)
Georgia Woodthorpe	...	Lodgekeeper's Wife (uncredited)
Patrick Youch	...	French Soldier in Trenches (uncredited)

Directed by
Rex Ingram

Writing credits
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez		(novel "Los cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis") (as Vicente Blasco Ibañez)
June Mathis		(written for the screen by)

Produced by
Kevin Brownlow	....	producer (1993 alternate version)
David Gill	....	producer (1993 alternate version)
Patrick Stanbury	....	associate producer (1993 alternate version)

Original Music by
Carl Davis		(1993 alternate version)
Louis F. Gottschalk		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
John F. Seitz		(photography)

Film Editing by
Grant Whytock		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Joseph Calder		(uncredited)
Amos Myers		(uncredited)

Production Management
Sterrett Ford	....	production manager (as Colonel Starrett Ford)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Walter Mayo	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jack W. Robson	....	art titles

Sound Department
Mike Fairbairn	....	dubbing assistant (1993 alternate version)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hal Mohr	....	assistant camera
Arthur Rice	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Nick Adams	....	telecine engineer (1993 alternate version)
Stan Lane	....	color consultant (1993 alternate version)
Michael Peatfield	....	on-line editor (1993 alternate version) (as Mike Peatfield)

Music Department
Richard Bradford	....	music recordist (1993 alternate version)
Carl Davis	....	music conductor: Radio-Télé-Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra (1993 alternate version)
Philippe Koch	....	leader: Radio-Télé-Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra (1993 alternate version)

Other crew
Joseph Calder	....	technical staff
Rex Ingram	....	supervisor
Amos Myers	....	technical staff
Penelope Read	....	production assistant (1993 alternate version)
Lynne Wake	....	production secretary (1993 alternate version)
Roger Heman Sr.	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro Pictures Corporation (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro Pictures Corporation (1921) (USA) (theatrical)
• Channel Four (1993) (UK) (all media) (alternate version) (in association with)
• Delta Entertainment Corporation (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Punto Zero (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Stokey Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Turner Entertainment (1993) (USA) (all media) (alternate version)

Other Companies

• Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Classic Film Collection  our grateful thanks to (1993 alternate version)
• Cinémathèque Française  our grateful thanks to (1993 alternate version) (as La Cinémathèque Française)
• Evans Studio  portrait photography (uncredited)
• Metrocolor Laboratories  our grateful thanks to (1993 alternate version)
• National Film and Television Archive  our grateful thanks to (1993 alternate version)
• Photoplay Productions  restored by (1993 alternate version)
• RTL Studios  recorded at (1993 alternate version)
• Service des Archives du Film  our grateful thanks to (1993 alternate version) (as Service des Archives du Film/CNC)
• Symphony Orchestra of Radio-Télé-Luxembourg  music performers (1993 alternate version)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

132 min (Turner library print) (1993 alternate version) | Spain:150 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Gilmore Ranch, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

President Warren G. Harding and Vice-President Calvin Coolidge, with their respective spouses, attended private screenings of the film.

Quotes:

Dona Luisa:Is it not enough to lead my son into wild ways without teaching my daughter the tango?
Madriaga:Will you have the boy grow up like those glass-eyed, carrot-topped sharks of your sister's?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Life Is a Dream in Cinema: Pola Negri (2006)

Soundtrack:

Apocalypse Theme

Magnificent epic film - one of the best of any year.

It is extraordinary to think that a film this polished, this artistic and this serious was made as early as 1921. It was the first anti-war film to my knowledge and following only three years after the Armistice, it must have been deeply felt by all who viewed it. Ingram's direction and the screenplay are superb and the acting is uniformly excellent - very naturalistic and deeply felt. Striking supporting performances are garnered from Josef Swickard as the elder Desnoyers and Alice Terry as Marguerite Lurier. The real revelation is Valentino in an exceptional performance as the young Julio. This is the film that brought him stardom and rightly so. This is probably the third great American film (after Griffith's BIRTH OF A NATION and INTOLERANCE). The Spanish version is 150 minutes while the USA version (beautifully restored with a tinted print) is 134. By all means put this on your must see list. If Oscars had been given out in those days, this would have been up for a slew of them - Film, Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Art Direction and a trio of performances (Valentino, Terry and Swickard). A truly great film - a masterpiece.