Although I've been a silent film enthusiast for over 60 years and a silent film historian for over 30, I'm consistently surprised by how many silent movies I am not familiar with. I'm also pleasantly surprised by how many of these unfamiliar titles are now being rediscovered and restored. Such is the case with THE SPANISH DANCER. By the time the film was made in 1923, Pola Negri was already an international star, imported from Germany where she'd appeared in several historical epics directed by Ernst Lubitsch who was imported along with her and who would specialize in directing sophisticated comedies like THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940). The director here was not Lubitsch but the Irish born Herbert Brenon, famous for his visual style and irascible nature. Best known for PETER PAN (1924) and LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH (1928) with Lon Chaney, Brenon's career dried up with the arrival of sound.
THE SPANISH DANCER is based on a play with a 17th century setting and originally intended as a vehicle for Rudolph Valentino in order to capitalize on his successes in THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE and THE SHIEK. 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 handed to Spanish born Antonio Moreno who, although in no danger of overshadowing his leading lady, could at least claim authenticity. Three years later Moreno would star opposite a 19 year old Greta Garbo in THE TEMPTRESS (1926) and one year later would be the male lead in Clara Bow's IT!. Moreno easily made the transition to talking pictures and his career stretched into the 1950s where he appeared in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) and John Ford's THE SEARCHERS (1956).
The story Of TSD concerns a disgraced Spanish nobleman who must recover his family's honor. Before that happens he falls in love with Maritana, head of a band of Gypsies and also a dancer and 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 is given the chance to actually act on a number of occasions. In addition to Moreno, Negri is ably supported by character players Wallace Beery as the King of Spain and Adolphe Menjou as a conniving courtier, both of whom also desire Maritana. Berry and Menjou 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 back to Europe and worked until the outbreak of World War II. Negri's 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, and was stunningly photographed by a young James Wong Howe at the beginning 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. This doesn't affect the picture overall and we're very lucky to have it. As part of the restoration, a new soundtrack was commissioned from jazz composer and performer Bill Ware. The score starts out well but loses authenticity as it goes along. A fine score on its own but, as with so many of these newly-commissioned accompaniments, wound up more distracting than enhancing for this viewer. A big thank you to veteran movie preservationists Milestone Films for making THE SPANISH DANCER available to those who don't stream...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.
