Rex Ingram's First Movie In His Nice, France, Film Studio
Because of his incredible success with not only "Apocalypse" but 1922's "The Prisoner of Zelda," 1922's "Scaramouche" and 1924's "The Arab," Metro Pictures and later MGM gave Ingram production financing. Marcus Loew, head of Metro, was especially grateful for Ingram's contribution to his studio's coffers, handing him funding to purchase the old Gaumont Film Studio in Nice, France. It was in that refurbished studio Ingram produced February 1926's "Mare Nostrum." The complex required some necessary upgrading, which proved during the filming to be highly inadequate for a smooth production. The Nice so-called film professionals turned out to be inexperienced for the director's taste. Ingram was forced to ship Hollywood technical help over to France to complete the movie. The movie's poroduction ordeal, with numerous reshoots, took over 15 months for its final edit to be approved.
Gleaned from author Vicente Blasco Ibanez's 1918 spy story of the same title, "Mare Nostrum" is the name of the ship an unhappily married captain (Antonio Mareno) owns. He falls for Terry Alice, whose character is an Austrian spy during World War One. The Spanish captain is a neutral in the war. But when both losing his son to a German submarine while in transit and then losing his lover Terry to a German execution squad (she switched sides from the Axis Powers), he hires out his ship to the Allies to transport well-needed armaments. "Mare Nostrum's" spiritual slant focuses early on the sea goddess Amphitrite, who envelops the souls of the drowned and provides them with everlasting salvation. The personification of Amphitrite takes of the form of Terry Alice, as big of a complement to her by Rex as there ever was one.
Ingram was hoping his movie would strike gold since the authorship of the storyline was the same writer, Ibanez, who composed "Apocalypse." However, since the international movie was banned in Germany because of its bias against the Huns, its confused title, "Mare Nostrum," which Ingram insisted it be kept, caused the movie to underperform. The film's lack of success wasn't helped by a number of scenes employing model miniature boats, something that detracted from its realistic European backdrops where the love scenes take place.
Ingram produced only one other film for MGM, 1927's 'The Garden of Allah,' while making his last silent for United Artists in 1929's 'The Three Passions." He produced his only talkie, 1932's 'Baroud,' before he and Alice moved back to the United States to take up writing and painting. A pioneer in film, Ingram died from a cerebral hemorrhage on July 21, 1950 in North Hollywood, at the age of 58.
Gleaned from author Vicente Blasco Ibanez's 1918 spy story of the same title, "Mare Nostrum" is the name of the ship an unhappily married captain (Antonio Mareno) owns. He falls for Terry Alice, whose character is an Austrian spy during World War One. The Spanish captain is a neutral in the war. But when both losing his son to a German submarine while in transit and then losing his lover Terry to a German execution squad (she switched sides from the Axis Powers), he hires out his ship to the Allies to transport well-needed armaments. "Mare Nostrum's" spiritual slant focuses early on the sea goddess Amphitrite, who envelops the souls of the drowned and provides them with everlasting salvation. The personification of Amphitrite takes of the form of Terry Alice, as big of a complement to her by Rex as there ever was one.
Ingram was hoping his movie would strike gold since the authorship of the storyline was the same writer, Ibanez, who composed "Apocalypse." However, since the international movie was banned in Germany because of its bias against the Huns, its confused title, "Mare Nostrum," which Ingram insisted it be kept, caused the movie to underperform. The film's lack of success wasn't helped by a number of scenes employing model miniature boats, something that detracted from its realistic European backdrops where the love scenes take place.
Ingram produced only one other film for MGM, 1927's 'The Garden of Allah,' while making his last silent for United Artists in 1929's 'The Three Passions." He produced his only talkie, 1932's 'Baroud,' before he and Alice moved back to the United States to take up writing and painting. A pioneer in film, Ingram died from a cerebral hemorrhage on July 21, 1950 in North Hollywood, at the age of 58.
- springfieldrental
- Mar 9, 2022