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IMDb > Call of the Flesh (1930)

Call of the Flesh (1930) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   23 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 19% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Charles Brabin
Writers:
John Colton (writer)
Dorothy Farnum (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Call of the Flesh on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 August 1930 (USA) more
Genre:
Musical
User Comments:
Novarro confirms his talent in a great performance. more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Ramon Novarro ... Juan de Dios
Dorothy Jordan ... Maria Consuelo Vargas
Ernest Torrence ... Esteban
Nance O'Neil ... Mother Superior
Renée Adorée ... Lola
Mathilde Comont ... La Rumbarita
Russell Hopton ... Enrique Vargas
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Singer of Seville (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
100 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White | Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (MovieTone)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
None of the Technicolor sequences, including at least one aria by Novarro, seem to have survived; they were missing from the print telecast by TBS in 1988-1989 and by Turner Classic Movies in 1997. more
Movie Connections:
Version of Sevilla de mis amores (1930) more
Soundtrack:
Lonely more

FAQ

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful:-
Novarro confirms his talent in a great performance., 26 January 2000
8/10
Author: David Atfield (bits@alphalink.com.au) from Canberra, Australia

Ramon Novarro is really great in this fairly ordinary film about a young singer and his love for an innocent girl. The plot calls on him to sing a lot - and he does so quite brilliantly. He is also called upon to go through some pretty heavy emotional stuff and he is nothing short of astonishing in these scenes. Also he demonstrates his usual charm, wit and joy of life - and proves yet again that he deserved better material than MGM offered him.

It's easy to see why this sweet film was so popular in its day, and why it was re-made twice (in Spanish and French) in 1931, with Ramon starring in and directing both versions. It's all impossibly romantic and quite charming.

Ramon's regular leading lady, Dorothy Jordan, is pretty good here, Ernest Torrence hams a bit as Ramon's dad, and Renee Adoree is wonderful in her last screen performance (she died very young of TB) - just as in "The Pagan" her love for Ramon is unrequited and she is ultimately self-sacrificing. Russell Hopton is, unfortunately, wooden as Jordan's brother and, as a consequence, his crucial climactic scene with Ramon does not work as well as it should have.

Charles Brabin's direction and the screenplay are uninspired, but the film is worth seeing for Ramon Novarro's extraordinary performance.

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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Musical section
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