Don Juan (1926)

Director:

Alan Crosland

Writer:

Bess Meredyth (screen play)
(more)

Release Date:

19 February 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

A Super Spectacle Depicting the Romantic Adventures of THE LORD OF ALL LOVERS! (original poster)

Plot:

Misogynistic skirt chaser Don Juan falls for a convent girl.

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Jane Winton	...	Donna Isobel
John Roche	...	Leandro
Warner Oland	...	Cesare Borgia
Estelle Taylor	...	Lucrezia Borgia
Montagu Love	...	Count Giano Donati (as Montague Love)
Josef Swickard	...	Duke Della Varnese (as Joseph Swickard)
Willard Louis	...	Pedrillo
Nigel De Brulier	...	Marchese Rinaldo
Hedda Hopper	...	Marchesia Rinaldo
Myrna Loy	...	Mai - Lady in Waiting
Mary Astor	...	Adriana della Varnese
John Barrymore	...	Don Jose de Marana / Don Juan de Marana
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lionel Braham	...	Duke Margoni (uncredited)
Helene Costello	...	Rena - Adriana's Maid (uncredited)
Helena D'Algy	...	Donna Elvira (uncredited)
Yvonne Day	...	Don Juan at age 5 (uncredited)
Philippe De Lacy	...	Don Juan at age 10 (uncredited)
Emily Fitzroy	...	The Dowager (uncredited)
John George	...	Hunchback (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Gentleman of Rome (uncredited)
Phyllis Haver	...	Imperia (uncredited)
Sheldon Lewis	...	Gentleman of Rome (uncredited)
June Marlowe	...	Trusia (uncredited)
Dick Sutherland	...	Gentleman of Rome (uncredited)
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Neri - the Alchemist (uncredited)
Helen Lee Worthing	...	Eleanora (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Crosland

Writing credits
Bess Meredyth		(screen play)
Walter Anthony		titles (uncredited)
Lord Byron		poem (uncredited)
Maude Fulton		titles (uncredited)

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)
David Mendoza		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Byron Haskin		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Harold McCord		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Ben Carré		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gordon Hollingshead	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Victor Vance	....	art titles (uncredited)
A.C. Wilson	....	master of properties (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gerald W. Alexander	....	sound (uncredited)
George Groves	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Harry Redmond Sr.	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Duke Green	....	stunt double: John Barrymore (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Kesson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Melbourne Spurr	....	publicity photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
William Axt	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Maurice Baron	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Edward Bowes	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Henry Hadley	....	conductor (uncredited)
David Mendoza	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Marion Morgan	....	choreographer (uncredited)
F.N. Murphy	....	electrical effects (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (as Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.)
• Vitaphone Corporation, The (presents)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1926) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Film-Verleih und Vertrieb (1928) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Other Companies

• New York Philharmonic Orchestra  musical accompaniment by (as The New York Philharmonic Orchestra)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Spain:110 min | 112 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

At the film's premiere, Will Hays, the then "Czar" and censor of the industry, contributed an on-screen introduction, talking in synchronized sound, greeting everyone in the audience with "Welcome to a new era of motion picture." After that, the Los Angeles Philharmonic was filmed playing "Tannhäuser", violinists Mischa Elman and Efrem Zimbalist Sr., guitarist Roy Smeck, three opera shorts with Giovanni Martinelli Marion Talley and Anna Case, and then the feature. It was a huge success.

Quotes:

Don Juan de Marana:If her face matches her feet-God help us both!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: John Barrymore" (1962)

Not only film history, but also film magic!

Yes, this was the first movie made with a synchronised music score (and some sound effects), but it is much more that that! It is wondrous and spectacular entertainment with brilliant performances and magical camerawork. Like all great silent films there are very few titles because the actors tell the story without words. And what actors they are! John Barrymore is dashing as Don Juan, but he also gives the man great emotional depth - and the scene where he transforms his face while masquerading as a villain reveals not just talent but genius! Remember how he turned from Jekyll to Hyde with no make-up in the 1920 film? He does a similar thing here.

But where would Don Juan be without beautiful women? And here we have three of the most beautiful women ever to grace the scene. Estelle Taylor as Lucrezia Borgia - beautiful but deadly. Mary Astor - bewitchingly young and charmingly innocent. Myrna Loy - exotic and evil, and exquisite!

And the camerawork is superlative. The sword fight and the horseback battle are two of the most excitingly filmed sequences I have ever seen. And the music score is excellent.

This is a wonderful movie.

And who was that incredible actor playing the jealous husband who goes mad? Never seen such brilliant mad acting!