Although I have been a silent film enthusiast for over 60 years and a silent film historian for over 30, I am consistently surprised at how many silent movies I am not familiar with. I am also pleasantly surprised at how many of those titles are now being rediscovered and restored. Such is the case with THE SPANISH DANCER. By the time it was made in 1923, Pola Negri was an already an international star who had been imported from Germany where she had appeared in several historical epics directed by Ernst Lubitsch who was imported with her and who would wind up specializing in sophisticated comedies like THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940). The director here was not Lubitsch but the Irish born Herbert Brenon who was famous for his visual style and for his irascible nature. Best known for PETER PAN (1924) and LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH (1928) with Lon Chaney, Brenon’s career would dry up with the arrival of sound.
THE SPANISH DANCER was based on a play with a 17th century setting and was originally intended as a vehicle for Rudolph Valentino to capitalize on his successes in THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE and THE SHEIK. When Valentino was unavailable due to a contract dispute, Paramount decided to make the female lead the star attraction and so Pola Negri was brought in. The male lead was then given to the Spanish born Antonio Moreno who was in no danger of overshadowing his leading lady but could at least claim authenticity. 3 years later he would star opposite the 19 year old Greta Garbo in THE TEMPTRESS (1926) and then one year later he would be the male lead in Clara Bow’s IT!. Moreno easily made the transition to talking pictures and his career would stretch into the 1950s where he appeared in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) and John Ford’s THE SEARCHERS (1956).
The story concerns a disgraced Spanish nobleman who must recover his family’s honor but before that happens he falls in love with Maritana, the head of a band of Gypsies who is also a dancer and a fortune teller. The part of Maritana was tailor made for the Polish born Negri who specialized in exotic roles and really has the opportunity to shine here. Her Gypsy costumes are stunning, her dancing is decent, and she has the opportunity to actually act on a number of occasions. In addition to Moreno, she is ably supported by character players Wallace Beery as the King of Spain and Adolphe Menjou as a conniving courtier who both desire Maritana. They went on to great success in the sound era. Unfortunately Negri did not. Her thick accent prevented her from getting leading parts in Hollywood so she went to Europe where she worked until the outbreak of World War II. Her last appearance was in Walt Disney’s THE MOON SPINNERS in 1964.
THE SPANISH DANCER was conceived on a grand scale with lavish costumes, expansive sets, and lots and lots of extras. The movie was stunningly photographed by a young James Wong Howe at the start of his legendary career. For the most part the print, restored by the EYE Museum in the Netherlands looks great although there is a brief section in the middle where the nitrate decomposition was too great to overcome. It doesn’t affect the picture overall and we are very lucky to have it. As part of the restoration, a new soundtrack was commissioned from jazz composer and performer Bill Ware. It starts out well but starts to lose its authenticity as it goes along. It’s a fine score on its own but, as with so much new musical accompaniment, it ended up distracting me from what is happening on screen. A big thank you to veteran movie preservationists Milestone Films for making it available to the people who don’t stream.
The Capsule Critic 