What's with his death, I know very little please inform us all.
What's with his death, I know very little please inform us all.
Its not roman, but ramon. He was killed in his home, by thugs who thought he had cash.
more info:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003895/bio
Actually it was two Male prostitutes he had invited over for the night.
They beat him to death.
Don't know where I read this, but supposedly Navarro and Valentino were more than just friends. Navarro evidently presented Rudy with a (solid) gold dildo as a gift, which was found in Valentino's nightstand when his body was discovered.
Hey, at least they partied in style!
Renowned Death Hag
Is there any books written on his life? I would like to read a bio on him.
Ramón Novarro
Ramón Novarro
Photo by Carl Van Vechten Born José Ramón Gil Samaniego
February 6, 1899(1899-02-06)
Durango, Durango, Mexico Died October 30, 1968 (aged 69)
North Hollywood, California, United States Other name(s) "The New Valentino" Years active 1917-1965 Spouse(s) Never married Ramón Novarro (February 2, 1899 - October 30, 1968) was a Mexican actor who achieved fame as a "Latin lover" in silent films.
Biography
Born José Ramón Gil Samaniego in Durango, Durango, Mexico, he moved with his family to Los Angeles, California, U.S., to escape the Mexican Revolution. A cousin of actress Dolores del R*o, he entered films in 1917 playing bit parts, and supplemented his income by working as a singing waiter. His friends, the actor and director Rex Ingram and his wife, the actress Alice Terry, began to promote him as a rival to Rudolph Valentino and Ingram suggested he change his name to "Novarro". From 1923, he began to play more prominent roles. His role in Scaramouche (1923), brought him his first major success.
In 1925, he achieved his greatest success in Ben-Hur, with his revealing costumes causing a sensation, and Novarro was elevated into the Hollywood elite. With Valentino's death in 1926, he became the screen's leading Latin actor, though ranked behind his MGM stablemate, John Gilbert, as a model lover. He was popular as a swashbuckler in action roles, and was also considered one of the great romantic lead actors of his day.
He appeared with Norma Shearer in The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) and appeared with Joan Crawford in Across to Singapore in 1928. A silent still shown occasionally on television is his 1929 The Flying Fleet, an energetic story of early naval aviation. He made his first talking film, starring as a singing French soldier, in Devil-May-Care (1929). He starred with Greta Garbo in Mata Hari in 1932 and was a qualified success opposite Myrna Loy in The Barbarian (1933).
with Lupe Velez in Laughing Boy (1934)
His star began to fade. When his contract with MGM Studios expired in 1935, the studio did not renew it. Novarro continued to act sporadically, appearing in a couple of films for Republic Pictures, a Mexican religious drama, and a French comedy. Later in the 1940s, he had several small roles in American films. A Broadway tryout was aborted in the 1960s, though Novarro kept busy on television, appearing in The High Chaparral as late as 1968.
At the peak of his success in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was earning more than US$100,000 per film. He invested some of his income in real estate. After his career ended, he was still able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
There are rumors that MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer tried to coerce Novarro into a "lavender marriage", which he refused. However, some— including Novarro biographer André Soares— assert that there is no evidence that Mayer tried to coerce Novarro into a contractual marriage. Novarro had been troubled all his life as a result of his conflicting views over his Roman Catholic religion and his homosexuality.[1] He was a friend of adventurer and author Richard Halliburton.
Novarro was murdered by two brothers, Tom and Paul Ferguson, whom he had paid to come to his Laurel Canyon home for sex. According to the prosecution in the murder case, the two young men believed that a large sum of money was hidden in Novarro's house. The prosecution accused them of torturing Novarro for several hours to force him to reveal where the nonexistent money was hidden. They left with a mere twenty dollars they took from his bathrobe pocket before fleeing the scene. Novarro allegedly died as a result of asphyxiation, choking to death on his own blood after being brutally beaten. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. The two brothers were later caught and sentenced to long prison terms, but were quickly released on probation. Both were later rearrested for unrelated crimes, for which they served longer terms than for their murder conviction.
Ramón Novarro has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame commemorating his contribution to the Motion Picture industry, at 6350 Hollywood Boulevard.
In late 2005, the Wings Theatre in New York City staged the world premiere of Through a Naked Lens by George Barthel. The play combined fact and fiction to depict Novarro's rise to fame and a relationship with Hollywood journalist Herbert Howe.
Novarro's relationship with Herbert Howe is discussed in two biographies: Allan R. Ellenberger's Ramon Novarro and André Soares's Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro.
Here's a previous thread on the subject.
The name's spelled Ramon Novarro (without the "doohickeys", anyway), which I mention not to be a nitpicker but to explain why it probably didn't pop up when searched.
I love a few of his films.
I thought he was great, though I'm more of a Valentino gal.
Renowned Death Hag
i am very distantly related to R.N. thru the gil samaniego family.
pull the string!
The hustlers that killed him were brothers, and one of them was a teenager....they went to his place hoping to find jewellery and lots of cash, and when they didnt find what they were looking for the got furious and killed Ramon. His death must have been horrible
What i dont know is if he actually did have sex with them...
I actually thought it was the other way round, Rudy had given Ramon a Dildo and when they found him it was shoved down his throat!Originally Posted by Jack-O-Lantern
Renowned Death Hag
Gosh that pic looks abit like popstar Robbie Williams
I read somewhere that Novarro was a friend of Dave Navarro's grandfather or great-grandfather. And to show respect to Dave's grandpa, he took his last name.
Does anyone know if this is true?
Thanks, CC
Cool. Any inside family stories about this handsome gentleman?i am very distantly related to R.N. thru the gil samaniego family.
And do you have the dildo?
I wonder who did get his money. I suppose if he had siblings/nephews and nieces it would be them.
I've read somewhere that the reason the white-trash* Ferguson brothers believed he had a fortune in cash in the house was because the older brother overheard him tell somebody, possibly on the phone, something to the effect of "I'm not leaving this house for very long, I've got over $75,000 in it." What he meant was that the house was worth over $75,000 (today you probably couldn't buy a slum in South Central for that, but 40 years ago it was a respectable price) and that he wasn't leaving due to a minor earthquake or some such, but Ferguson took it to mean he literally had that much cash in the house.
Ironically Novarro** had much more than that to give. I doubt he was a multimillionaire, but by all accounts his real estate investments in the Golden Era had served him nicely- he wasn't Norma Desmond (except maybe for the "pumping, pumping, pumping" when he could) but he was one of the silent stars who didn't get wiped out by the combination of Talkies destroying their career and Income Tax/Lavish Living/The Depression destroying their fortune- he was, if not loaded, at very least more than comfortable, and in fact he had a fortune in art in the house (it's known he had originals by Picasso [still living at the time], Dali, and Matisse on his walls). The idiot Ferguson tossed aside and even damaged a fortune in art looking for the non-existent cash (which Novarro sensibly kept in a bank). Poor old geezer (but, that's why they call it rough trade- should have stuck to hotels and call boys).
Most infuriating thing about the case is that both brothers got out of prison within 7 years. Both were recidivists as well. The younger one is dead now (killed in a fight), the other one is serving a life prison sentence in Missouri for raping/sodomizing/attempting to murder a teenaged girl in the 1980s. I can't help but feel that Ferguson had been a gardener rather than a male prostitute he'd have gotten the death sentence (just as Hickock and Perry got for IN COLD BLOOD murders, which also were due to the mistaken notion a man kept a fortune in cash in his home), but the fact that Novarro was a closeted homo somehow made it less of a capital crime.
There's a digitally-blurred nude image of Paul Ferguson from that time here. I won't put it in the thread so as not to offend. He looks... substantially different- today.
I will post Novarro's nude pic from BEN HUR.
He obviously looked different 40 year later, but nice looking and in good shape for an old guy.
*[SIZE=1]Before anyone gets huffy and swears "white trash" is racially offensive to them (as I've read on other boards), I was born in Alabama and grew up 10 miles from a store. My mother was 15 when she married my father who was twice her age, a distant cousin, and her junior high schoolteacher, and she became a lady wrestler, and I grew up on a farm whose other residents included twin old maid aunts whBo lived in a cat filled log cabin where they were born, a 70 year old lobotomized exhibitionist great-aunt, and a pyromaniac grandmother who went to funerals of people she didn't know to get free food [all of these are true], so I think I'm allowed to use the term as an insider.[/SIZE]
**IRONICALLY NOVARRO, it occurs, would be a good name for an arthouse movie. There is a play about him, but it's called THROUGH A NAKED LENSand is about his affair with a journalist in the 1920s, not his murder.
There was once an episode of CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU? in which Alice Ghostley guest starred as a friend of Mrs. Schnauzer (Charlotte Rae) who swore she could never be happy in romance because "Ramon Novarro ruined me for all other men". She was referring to his screen image, obviously.
Last edited by Sampiro; 08-08-2008 at 07:35 PM.
Thanks for the pic link and the information, Sampiro. I think PF had a hot body, but he couldn't hold a candle to Novarros looks when he had been that age. Sad way to go when you just looking for a little companionship.
At least, that's what author Andre Soares determined in his Novarro biography "Beyond Paradise." Michael Morris also negates the dildo story in his book about Natacha Rambova, "Madame Valentino." Poor Novarro is better known for this false story about his death than his entire body of work that spanned more than 40 years. I've been lucky enough to see most of his films, and he made a fairly successful transition to the talkies. MGM didn't know what to do with him though, and put him in several horrible pictures.
From what I understand, Paul Ferguson is now deceased as well. I hope both he and Tom are burning in hell for what they did to this poor man.
the poor guy was beten to death ...what a way to go.....what a piece of ass man!! God he was beautiful!! The pic in the Kenneth Anger book always breaks me up of the cops reoving stuff and you see one of his kitties in the background.....
They key reason the two slimebags were caught is that one of them made a call to his girlfriend in Chicago while the other was torturing poor Ramon Novarro. The girl could hear him screaming in the background.
Cops checked the phone records, talked to the girl and scooped the two losers up.
I just finished reading "Beyond Paradise". It was an extremely detailed book and obviously very well researched, but I found it boring as hell.
He did finish it with one touching thing regarding Ramon;
I felt that very fitting and very touching.For him to be chiefly remembered today as a perverted elderly homosexual killed by a sex toy that never existed is an injustice to both the complex individual and to the accomplished--and historically important--actor that was Ramon Navarro.
Renowned Death Hag
i read his bio. he looked to be a man of great conflicts. he was a devout catholic so you can guess how that went for him.
he was well regarded by his friends/family. the two who killed him should have received more time in prison.
one wonders how a young ramon navarro would fare today. i hope that the man is in peace and that people remember him for more than how he died.
Delusion. Life's Best Coping Mechanism
Check out Floyd's new Band:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHYA5iAAJg8
Senior Death Hag
Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon (yuck) is responsible for that stupid dildo rumor. He claimed Valentino gave Navarro a "autographed, art deco dildo" as a present (a just because present I suppose!
I don't know how or why Anger chose to make up such tripe about people, but that dude really pulled some doozies out of his ass.
"You live alone, creating your life as you go." - Edie Sedgwick
Renowned Death Hag
What an interesting thread! It also reminds me how I miss Sampiro. That homeboy had some truly righteous posts.
Come baaaaaaaaack Sampiro!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Wow, that was some huge-open-mouthed-but-totally-straight-bromance greeting. （爆）~RaRa
Lately I've been watching some of the Ramon Novarro silents. At first I thought he looks like such a baby face. I am looking foward to seeing more and more.
His death saddened me. Those 2 stupid guys should've had the book thrown at them.
Renowned Death Hag
Will Kenneth Anger die on Halloween?
By Allan R. Ellenberger
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Kenneth Anger, the controversial filmmaker, is probably best known as the author of Hollywood Babylon and its subsequent follow-up. Among his other claims, Anger has said that he was the Changeling Prince in A Midsummer Night??s Dream, even publishing pictures from the film in his books. It turns out that Anger obviously exaggerated this fact (imagine that) and the role was actually played by a girl named Sheila Brown. Reportedly, costars Mickey Rooney and Olivia De Havilland have confirmed this and the Warner Bros. studio casting forms and call sheets have identified Sheila Brown as the child actress who played the Prince. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Much has been written about Anger and the inaccuracy of many of his stories, including the infamous (and erroneous) tale of actor Ramon Novarro and his so-called death-by-dildo. In 1992, while researching my biography of Novarro, I interviewed Anger??s friend, Samson De Brier (there is a photo of De Brier with Anger at the grave of Virginia Rappe on page 11 of Hollywood Babylon II) who met Novarro on several occasions. During our chat he mentioned Kenneth Anger and gave me his address, suggesting that I ask him about Novarro. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]So I requested an interview but what I received was a brief response stating that he was moving and needed some cash, and would I be interested in buying a Swedish poster of Ben-Hur ?? for $2,000. There was no mention of an interview or an explanation of the dildo story. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Anger was a lifelong friend of filmmaker Curtis Harrington and both shared an interest in the occult. When Harrington died in May of 2007, Anger attended the funeral held in the chapel at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Actor Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen in the Superman television series) gave the eulogy but was constantly interrupted by Anger, who blurted out remarks to almost everything Larson said. [/SIZE]
Curtis Harrington??s cremation niche at Hollywood Forever
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Near the end, Anger once again interrupted and proclaimed that he was dying of prostate cancer (which Harrington also had but did not die from) and that he told Harrington he would outlive him. He then announced that his memorial would also take place at Hollywood Forever and proclaimed, ??Oh yes, it??s been confirmed. I know the date of my death. On Halloween 2008. My memorial. Right here! Halloween 2008!? He then added, ??Invitation only! Sorry!?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]So will Anger??s prediction come true? Halloween is in two days. Stay tuned. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
KELT' HOME FOR WAYWARD YOUTH-
Helping Young Men To Turn Around For Over Twenty Years !
Shades of Robert Downey, Jr.
Gosh that pic looks abit like popstar Robbie Williams
Death Hag
This is nothing but a myth. Novarro was actually brought in by Alice Terry and Rex Ingram to 'replace' Valentino because of the hatred Ingram had for Valentino for outshining him on the few films they made together. By Ramon's own account he only met Valentino once.
This stupid rumor started in Hollywood Babylon. In it Kenneth Anger claims that when Novarro was murdered a black art deco dildo was found shoved down his throat, a gift from his 'friend' Rudolph Valentino (other versions say it had Valentino's signature, or was modeled on Valentino's own appendage). No such gift ever existed or was found at the crime scene. Novarro died a very sad death when 2 men hired as escorts decided to rob and beat him in search of a fortune they thought he kept in his house. Surely such an object would have been noted somewhere in the reports, but it wasn't. It never existed. Nor did a romantic (or even friendship) relationship between the two Latin lovers.
Kenneth Anger did a number on so many Hollywood notables in Hollywood Babylon. How did his versions of so many Hollywood scandals become so widely accepted? Back to topic, I have read the HB version of his death, and found out the real story here at FAD. Such a sad story. I have often wondered how those animals that killed him got off so easy. Justice denied. I hope they rot (or have rotted) in hell.
A truly classic (based on the story/demise) FAD profile has been uploaded for Mr Novarro.
Sheesh, a life can end in the most unfortunate of circumstances for those once celebrated by many.
Thanks to Scott for the great write up on Ramon. How sad to come to an end like that. So most of Hollywood Babylon is made up including the famous dildo story? Wow.
Senior Death Hag
Yes, and what's really galling is that most of the subjects have passed on and can't defend themselves.
Like "Gladiator," while the deceased can't have their revenge on Babylon's author in this life, I feel sure that he will get what's coming to him in the next. I see he already has his idol's name tattooed on his chest!
As I read the original post, I would have bet my shirt that a story like that came from Hollywood Babylon.Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon (yuck) is responsible for that stupid dildo rumor. He claimed Valentino gave Navarro a "autographed, art deco dildo" as a present (a just because present I suppose!
I don't know how or why Anger chose to make up such tripe about people, but that dude really pulled some doozies out of his ass.
How come nobody ever questioned the idea that some guys were so angry that they couldn't find anything valuable in the house that they murdered the victim with a huge piece of solid gold?
I was also thinking when I read the earlier post- solid gold....that would be a large chunk of solid gold...how much would that particular piece of gold be worth? And then I thought...uh...pretty much, nothing!
I don't know too much about Ramon, but I would like to read his biography. I know what you mean about the dead being unable to defend themselves. There was much written about Valentino that was eventually debunked as well. It's a shame though, that many people won't or will not get a chance to read the proof and debunking of many of the things written about these dead stars and will continue to believe the myths.
Last edited by Rudy's Girl; 03-10-2011 at 09:02 PM.
The only thing I can say about Ramon is that it's sad how the young men did what they did, but also that Ramon lived a long life. My question is, why was he still picking up young men and boys at his age? He was 69 years old?
What could Ramon have possibly thought these guys would want with an old man? Except money? Then ultimately death!
Last edited by lmphillips2000; 03-10-2011 at 05:52 PM. Reason: Grammer check here yet?
It still makes me sad the way he died. I had no idea of his private life. He shouldn't have died the way he did. I wish at least he would've had a partner and not had lived alone.
Myths tend to come into existence because people want them to exist, and they live on because people prefer them to the truth. Not much you can ever do about that, except seek the truth and then make the existing facts available when the subject comes up.
I hate the phrase "...print the legend".
Exactly Joe....
To ImPhillips:
From what I understand, Ramon never had a long-term partner. One of his ex-lovers is quoted as saying that Ramon gave everything to his performances and had nothing left for a relationship.
Ramon had a huge alcohol problem; he was miserable due to career failures and medical problems. At the end of his life, I think the only thing he enjoyed was the company of young men that he could impress with stories of his old glory days.
Ramon was in the habit of hiring young male prostitutes to come to his house; I believe he had about 100 such visits in the last six months before he died. Now, I'm sure that some of them were repeats, not 100 different people, but he would write small checks for "gardening" and "handyman" services. Ramon's assistant said that these visitors were not workmen, but were young men specifically hired for companionship and sex.
Renowned Death Hag
been putting together tons of family pictures and came upon this beauty. my father and ramon novarro were members of the same Knights of Columbus catholic society in the fifties. RN held me as a baby. i came upon this group pic:Cool. Any inside family stories about this handsome gentleman?
pic shows marked 'ramon novarro' at far right, and dad is at left
pull the string!
Nice picture, Kitty!
Kitty I had no idea... Very nice photo.
Renowned Death Hag
Very cool!! I have always thought that Ramon was a very handsome guy. He was great in Ben Hur. Never understood why his career didn't amount to more than it was. What a sad, horrible ending. I feel guilty about believing what Anger wrote about his death till about a few years ago (as well as other stars that he lied about). What a piece of work!
I went by Ramon's house years ago (I believe it's on Laurel Canyon? Pretty close to Valentino's place). Looked the same as the crime photo's when they were carting Ramon's body out. Wonder if the current owners know the history of the home? Maybe Scott could stop by someday!
Cindy
Renowned Death Hag
thanks! i was at manresa retreat house in azusa california once (has since been demolished) , and we were in the chapel at the time, i was in front of the altar, when i noticed a tiny plaque on the altar 'donated by ramon novarro'. seems our paths keep meeting...........poor guy.Very cool!! I have always thought that Ramon was a very handsome guy. He was great in Ben Hur. Never understood why his career didn't amount to more than it was. What a sad, horrible ending. I feel guilty about believing what Anger wrote about his death till about a few years ago (as well as other stars that he lied about). What a piece of work!
I went by Ramon's house years ago (I believe it's on Laurel Canyon? Pretty close to Valentino's place). Looked the same as the crime photo's when they were carting Ramon's body out. Wonder if the current owners know the history of the home? Maybe Scott could stop by someday!
pull the string!
This is very cool kitty! After my grandma died, We came across a couple of pictures of Mary Pickford that were obviously casual candid shots that maybe someone in my family might have taken. Grandma never said a word about it so we have no idea what was going on. That's why it is so nice and important to pass on memories if you can to the next generation. Again, very cool picture.
Renowned Death Hag
Your paths sure did cross! Has your paths ever crossed in NZ? If that happens, then I would say that somethings up!
Forgot to mention that my grandfather was also part of Catholic Knights of Columbus too in L.A. Used to go on retreats alot.
Last edited by Buttercup; 03-26-2011 at 03:26 PM.
Cindy
Renowned Death Hag
Wow! I have never had luck spotting celebrities in any of my family photos. The closest I came is my grandfather was the splitting image of George Raft in his younger days. I guess he was stopped a lot in the 1930's and 40's and asked if he was George Raft. That's about it.This is very cool kitty! After my grandma died, We came across a couple of pictures of Mary Pickford that were obviously casual candid shots that maybe someone in my family might have taken. Grandma never said a word about it so we have no idea what was going on. That's why it is so nice and important to pass on memories if you can to the next generation. Again, very cool picture.
Cindy
Well that's cool having a grandpa who looked like George Raft.Wow! I have never had luck spotting celebrities in any of my family photos. The closest I came is my grandfather was the splitting image of George Raft in his younger days. I guess he was stopped a lot in the 1930's and 40's and asked if he was George Raft. That's about it.
Renowned Death Hag
Wow! I have never had luck spotting celebrities in any of my family photos. The closest I came is my grandfather was the splitting image of George Raft in his younger days. I guess he was stopped a lot in the 1930's and 40's and asked if he was George Raft. That's about it.
that is also very cool! no nothing in NZ yet lol! you look a lot like glen or glenda??? lmaooooooooooooo
pull the string!
Actually, in his younger days, George Raft was considered quite a handsome fellow/leading man. I thought so too. Kinda had man bedroom eyes. Not mob gangster looking like he was later. So I guessing your grandfather was a nice looking fellow too, huh?Wow! I have never had luck spotting celebrities in any of my family photos. The closest I came is my grandfather was the splitting image of George Raft in his younger days. I guess he was stopped a lot in the 1930's and 40's and asked if he was George Raft. That's about it.
Renowned Death Hag
Yes he was. He was a coal miner, but I have seen pictures where he was dressed to the nines! He could have been a stand in for Raft!Actually, in his younger days, George Raft was considered quite a handsome fellow/leading man. I thought so too. Kinda had man bedroom eyes. Not mob gangster looking like he was later. So I guessing your grandfather was a nice looking fellow too, huh?
I was wondering about the current picture of Ramon's house that Scott has in his biography. It looks totally different than what I saw back around 1990. I had Ramon's address, and when I went by his place, the part that faces Laurel Canyon was basically the garage and front door. Nothing fancy. Is Scott's picture the back of the house below Laurel Canyon?
Cindy
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
