Call of the Flesh


"Call of the Flesh" 1930 directed by Charles Brabin, written by Dorothy Farnum and John Colton for MGM
Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Jordan, Ernest Torrence, Renee Adoree, Russell Hopton, Nance O'Neill, Mathilde Comont

Novarro's third sound film was not easy to find but it was once shown on TCM many moons ago and I am glad that I persevered and found a copy that is in good shape. I wonder why it has not been released on the Warner Archive Collection as it deserves to be seen. Novarro looks wonderful and his acting and singing are top rate which is exactly why I recommend this film highly. Dorothy Jordan and Ernest Torrence are good and Renee Adoree, sadly in her final film performance, is wonderful while Russell Hopton spews religious virtues for his sister which are awful. Get by that and hear and see Novarro in a great operatic performance towards the film's end. This film did very well, and MGM had him replay the role in a Spanish language version, "Sevilla des mis amores" 1931 and a French version, Le Chanteur de Seville", both of which also did well. He was not on a decline as the three following films, "Daybreak", "Son of India", and "Mata Hari", all 1931, did very well. In 1932, "Huddle", "The Son-Daughter", and "The Barbarian" were not so well-received, leaving him only three more films to be made at MGM. Contrary to what some seem to believe, he did stage work and two films at Republic Pictures and some foreign language films until 1942. 

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